It's been a bit of a struggle!
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 684
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From: Here.
Chaps,
Reading the posts above it seems like you have to go to Gatwick for the Medical??????
Is that right?
Is that the only place Medicals are carried out?
That makes it a bloody expensive Medical for us Northern boys!!!!
Reading the posts above it seems like you have to go to Gatwick for the Medical??????
Is that right?
Is that the only place Medicals are carried out?
That makes it a bloody expensive Medical for us Northern boys!!!!
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
From: England
Yeah INTIAL Class 1 medical; to operate the licence privilages of a CPL has to obtained at Gatwick, eye tests, ECG's, Audiograms etc.. (quite a bit)
Class 2 medicals can be obtained from an approved body (by the CAA) i.e a local Doctor. They can do Intial class 2 and usually reneval Class 1,
Ask the pilots at your local field who they use, people don't usually have to travel far to find one.
But if I was you and you intend to see it through to CPL(H) level (ppl(h) is a expensive hobby!) you should go get a Class 1 before undertaking any flight training.
Dont wanna spend £14k on a ppl to find you fail class 1 med on something.
When I went there was a chap from Germany who had spent all his money and as far as I know had done all but his cpl(a) skills test (he was going for atpl(a)) He flew from Germany to Gatwick just for a medical because there was a massive waiting list in Germany for one... Poor sod failed on eye exam, turned out he was slightly colour blind. A very distraught German flew home that night..... not nice
Class 2 medicals can be obtained from an approved body (by the CAA) i.e a local Doctor. They can do Intial class 2 and usually reneval Class 1,
Ask the pilots at your local field who they use, people don't usually have to travel far to find one.
But if I was you and you intend to see it through to CPL(H) level (ppl(h) is a expensive hobby!) you should go get a Class 1 before undertaking any flight training.
Dont wanna spend £14k on a ppl to find you fail class 1 med on something.
When I went there was a chap from Germany who had spent all his money and as far as I know had done all but his cpl(a) skills test (he was going for atpl(a)) He flew from Germany to Gatwick just for a medical because there was a massive waiting list in Germany for one... Poor sod failed on eye exam, turned out he was slightly colour blind. A very distraught German flew home that night..... not nice
RotorHead
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,085
Likes: 8
From: Canada
When I went there was a chap from Germany who had spent all his money and as far as I know had done all but his cpl(a) skills test (he was going for atpl(a)) He flew from Germany to Gatwick just for a medical because there was a massive waiting list in Germany for one... Poor sod failed on eye exam, turned out he was slightly colour blind. A very distraught German flew home that night..... not nice
Knievel if you have your heart set on the CPL route like me and R44 and everyone else on here then get your ass down to gatwick, worth the hassel. IF you do have any problems it will sure as hell lie with your eyesight or hearing. My hearing wasn't 20/20 at the time but that was due to one ear needing a clean out
!Dave
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 684
Likes: 0
From: Here.
Davy,
Being a Sound Engineer I would hope my hearing to be decent......but having said that a lot of older sound engineers have terrible hearing due to wearing headphones day in day out.
Now sight is another thing........presumably if you fail on sight all you do is get down to the opticians and get a pair of specs?
Just out of interest, what is the re-test fee, if any?
Being a Sound Engineer I would hope my hearing to be decent......but having said that a lot of older sound engineers have terrible hearing due to wearing headphones day in day out.
Now sight is another thing........presumably if you fail on sight all you do is get down to the opticians and get a pair of specs?
Just out of interest, what is the re-test fee, if any?
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
From: England
Dunno about a re-test fee, but another guy I met there was one his second class 1, he had one 12 months before but was doing quite an intense atpl(a) course, ME IR etc... only about my age, early 20's.
Well he went in with a class 1, and came out with a class 1 however he went in not wearing glasses but came out needing them after his second test.
I went in for my eye test and had 20/20 vision, i.e perfect, a year into it all I found I couldnt read teletex etc on tv with out squiting big time, I now have glasses for flying and driving, I don't need them legally as I can squint a little to read enough of the letters the class1 requires, but it just shows things do change, i'm only 1 prescription above minimum, but they said if i'm still studying from screens and books close up i.e (frigging cpl(h) groundschool) I may have to keep an eye on them until I stop all the reading crap as I could go up another prescription.....
Get your class 1 done before spending a penny K. Also, not to do with flying, my friend tried for the army to find he had the slightest heart murmer, he was 18, never had a problem with it, and doc's say more than likely never will..... just saying that for instance would stop you obtaining a medical and perhaps never cause a problem your whole life, and he had no idea it was there.....
Well he went in with a class 1, and came out with a class 1 however he went in not wearing glasses but came out needing them after his second test.
I went in for my eye test and had 20/20 vision, i.e perfect, a year into it all I found I couldnt read teletex etc on tv with out squiting big time, I now have glasses for flying and driving, I don't need them legally as I can squint a little to read enough of the letters the class1 requires, but it just shows things do change, i'm only 1 prescription above minimum, but they said if i'm still studying from screens and books close up i.e (frigging cpl(h) groundschool) I may have to keep an eye on them until I stop all the reading crap as I could go up another prescription.....
Get your class 1 done before spending a penny K. Also, not to do with flying, my friend tried for the army to find he had the slightest heart murmer, he was 18, never had a problem with it, and doc's say more than likely never will..... just saying that for instance would stop you obtaining a medical and perhaps never cause a problem your whole life, and he had no idea it was there.....
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 122
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From: Antigua, West Indies
My hearing wasn't 20/20 at the time but that was due to one ear needing a clean out!
RotorHead
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,085
Likes: 8
From: Canada
Ewwww! Thanks for grossing us out. Any other details about the functionality and cleanliness of the rest of your anatomy you wish to share? lol
Sorry choppertop, did you have your dinner yet?
The Original Whirly
Joined: Feb 1999
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 4,327
Likes: 2
From: Belper, Derbyshire, UK
Now sight is another thing........presumably if you fail on sight all you do is get down to the opticians and get a pair of specs?
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 54
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From: Here
To be honest, it's worth going to your optician BEFORE heading off to Gatwick.
It's only ~£20, and if you take along the CAA requirements (can be downloaded from CAA website) they can check you're okay before commiting to the expense of the Class 1.
It's only ~£20, and if you take along the CAA requirements (can be downloaded from CAA website) they can check you're okay before commiting to the expense of the Class 1.
Hovering AND talking
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,711
Likes: 1
From: Propping up bars in the Lands of D H Lawrence and Bishop Bonner
Eyesight stuff
Find an AME
The important thing to remember is that in initial class 1 requirements are more stringent than renewal so it's best to get a Class 1 early; you can always let it lapse into a Class 2 and the renewal upgrade to a class 1 need only be done by a local AME.
Other than vision and hearing, if someone as old, fat and unfit as me can pass a Class 1, so should a youngster
Cheers
Whirls
Find an AME
The important thing to remember is that in initial class 1 requirements are more stringent than renewal so it's best to get a Class 1 early; you can always let it lapse into a Class 2 and the renewal upgrade to a class 1 need only be done by a local AME.
Other than vision and hearing, if someone as old, fat and unfit as me can pass a Class 1, so should a youngster
Cheers
Whirls
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: newcastle
These threads do tend to wander from the initial post!
I remember the eyesight test at Gatwick,having a torch shone in my eyes by a very serious caa optician/doc he was about 6mm from my nose and taking bloody ages,I could feel his breath he was so close,I ended up bursting out laughing and having to have it done again....I defy anyone not to do the same
I also remember the lovely dressing gowns...and the finger...look no hands I heard the doc cry out!!
I remember the eyesight test at Gatwick,having a torch shone in my eyes by a very serious caa optician/doc he was about 6mm from my nose and taking bloody ages,I could feel his breath he was so close,I ended up bursting out laughing and having to have it done again....I defy anyone not to do the same
I also remember the lovely dressing gowns...and the finger...look no hands I heard the doc cry out!!
Hovering AND talking
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,711
Likes: 1
From: Propping up bars in the Lands of D H Lawrence and Bishop Bonner
The "lovely" dressing gowns are fine for someone built like a loosehead prop. One size does not fit all
At least you didn't fall off the stool backwards during the glaucoma test
In general, the medical is fine and nothing to worry about. The CAA medical department are pleasant and helpful; they try to be accommodating if you do have any medical issues.
Cheers
Whirls
At least you didn't fall off the stool backwards during the glaucoma test
In general, the medical is fine and nothing to worry about. The CAA medical department are pleasant and helpful; they try to be accommodating if you do have any medical issues.
Cheers
Whirls
Avoid imitations
Joined: Nov 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 15,110
Likes: 1,083
From: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
At least you didn't fall off the stool backwards during the glaucoma test
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 566
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From: Anywhere
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 300
Likes: 0
From: USA (PA)
Color Vision
R44: No, the distraught german that flew home from Gatwick wasn't me, but I had a similar trip back home from Stuttgart, Germany (one of FOUR Aeromedical Centers in Germany able to issue initial 1st class medicals).
It was expected, since my (slight) issues with color vision where known since my medical for the military years before.
Anyhow: the (highly recommended) Dr. Quast suggested I try the Lantern-Test at the german space agency (DASA) in Cologne... long story short: I passed with flying colors (literally
) having not been able to read half of those Ishihara pictures before!!!
Needles to say I almost shed some tears being able to pursue my dream after all - here I am, although not in europe anymore, but flying helicopters AND jets in the USA, knowing I would be (medically) able to do the same in my home country (not that I have intentions to do so, in the near future).
P.S.: With passing the Lantern Test you get a waiver for future color vision tests, since a man's color vision (no, not female; color deficiency is mostly a male problem) will not change for good or bad through his life.
Quite interesting article on that topic:
Color Vision Tests for Aviation: Comparison of the Anomaloscope and Three Lantern Types:
http://www.city.ac.uk/avrc/members/j...lour_study.pdf
It was expected, since my (slight) issues with color vision where known since my medical for the military years before.
Anyhow: the (highly recommended) Dr. Quast suggested I try the Lantern-Test at the german space agency (DASA) in Cologne... long story short: I passed with flying colors (literally
) having not been able to read half of those Ishihara pictures before!!!Needles to say I almost shed some tears being able to pursue my dream after all - here I am, although not in europe anymore, but flying helicopters AND jets in the USA, knowing I would be (medically) able to do the same in my home country (not that I have intentions to do so, in the near future).
P.S.: With passing the Lantern Test you get a waiver for future color vision tests, since a man's color vision (no, not female; color deficiency is mostly a male problem) will not change for good or bad through his life.
Quite interesting article on that topic:
Color Vision Tests for Aviation: Comparison of the Anomaloscope and Three Lantern Types:
http://www.city.ac.uk/avrc/members/j...lour_study.pdf