Don't Heli-pilots drink Tea?
 

Aviation regulations typically prohibit the performance of any function specified in the privileges applicable to a pilot’s licence if the holder is under the influence of any psychoactive substances which may render him unable to perform such function in a safe and proper manner.

Most of us appreciate that we should not mix flying with alcohol and / or drugs but what about the most common drug of choice in the western world, caffeine.

Caffeine is regarded as a psychoactive substance. ICAO Annex 1 takes a practical approach and excludes coffee and tobacco from the definition of psychoactive substance. Coca Cola, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Tea, Milk & Dark Chocolate and Ben & Jerry's Coffee Fudge Frozen Yogurt, which also contain caffeine, are not so excluded. Surely the drinking of Tea is not just part of the British culture. It is a major element of society in Indian, China and the Middle East to name but two thirds of the world.

Does your organisation ban Coca Cola, Pepsi, tea, hot chocolate, and products containing chocolate from their oil rig / seismic / works canteen, crew-room or in-flight galley? Do you take care to exclude caffeine, other than in coffee, from your diet prior to flying duties?

How on earth did this definition get approved by ICAO? Weren't there any tea drinkers on the relevant committee? Should we start a movement to have the definition of psychoactive substances amended to exclude tea and chocolate as well?:D

SayItIsntSo!

Actually, unless you're referring to herbal tea, tea contains caffeine too.

sad but true...

SayItIsn'tSo,

Please say it isn't so!!!

Coffee contains far more caffeine per cup than tea. Although a kilogramme of tea contains more caffeine than a kg of coffee, you'll get more cups of tea to the kg of tea!

I think that whole list ought to be revisited otherwise my nascene career will never happen! I need tea on a regular basis as my flying school have noted when I'm in! The rest of the time it's diet coke although I restrict my Ben & Jerry's intake to Cookie Dough!

If there are any petitions or campaigning to be done - count me in! If these rules were to be obeyed throughout the world, the helicopter business would collapse!

Cheers

Whirls

Tea for two and....
 

Whirls,
You are correct about the amount of caffeine per cup of tea vs coffee. However, tea also has a lot of tanin, which can in some affect the metabolism of the caffeine. And as for the diet coke. Is that diet coke minus just the sugar (which is replaced by phenylalinine, or Nutrasweet as it is commercially known) or minus the caffeine too!
A predicament either way!!!
TK

But Whirls, old Lass, Ben and Jerry's by the bucket creates yet again another problem....how about your "sugar coma" that induces? How do you get around that beyond, yes.....a large cuppa or two!:E

Te_Kahu,

Thanks your concern over my coke habit - I tend to go for unleaded diet coke in the afternoons and evenings but full leaded four-star diet coke in the mornings. However, it matters not a jot if I am on the Caley's Hot Chocolate!

It makes me laugh that scientists have just discovered that Aspartame is addictive - if they'd studied my drinking at Uni I could have told them that 20 years ago!

However, seriously folks - do not give diet drinks to children as phenylalalalaline inhibits brain development.

Cheers

Whirls

Pandalet...

I think you'll find the fact that tea contains cafeine was the whole point of sayitisntso's original post:ugh:

Personally, I never drink tea before flying... :) LSD:) works much better!

Especially with the strobe effect of the rotors :eek: :p

Cheers

Whirls

However, seriously folks - do not give diet drinks to children as phenylalalalaline inhibits brain development.

Whirls....what a load of BO*****S, i drank loads of phenylalalalaline and i,m fine ....so there....yaahh boooh sucks.....phwybib:rolleyes:

Don't worry - it only affects spelling (and makes you want to own strange cars....).

Ah! Sounds like we have another self-confessed NutraSweet addict!

Cheers

Whirls

SayIt, you need to read the entire prohibition you posted. It doesn't say all psychoactive substances are banned, only those "which may render him unable to perform such function in a safe and proper manner." Caffeine is one of the more thoroughly studied compounds around, and has been shown to be generally very safe. It increases alertness and energy, but doesn't cause a rebound effect when it wears off. In effect, it actually increases the ability to perfom such functions in a safe and proper manner. Prohibiting the use of caffeine in the US would undoubtedly result in an armed insurrection, and could never be enforced. I suspect it might be the same in Europe.

As for aspartame, or NutraSweet, and any other artificial sweetener, I just can't take them. They all taste bad, and I'll go thirsty before I drink something sweetened with them, even if they were proven absolutely safe.

Gomer Pylot,

Thank you. I can now sleep at night as this was causing me a great deal of concern. I cut out my tea and Ben & Jerry's intake just in case so I was probably a little tetchy :oh: :p

Cheers

Whirls

Hasn't anyone heard of sarcasm:confused:

No-one is suggesting banning Tea or any other drink containing caffeine:ugh:

Maybe it's just me, did I miss SayItIsntSo's original point???

O27PMR,

I'm not sure sarcasm is the right word in this context; maybe irony would be better - like steely, only not as refined!

Not one post in this thread is serious so not sure what your point is!

Cheers

Whirls

Ever worked on a police unit?

Tea is the staple diet!

I've not worked in police unit but I did work in the construction industry where tea, 18 sugars was standard!

Didn't do me any harm, or my dentist!

Cheers

Whirls

Where I can get char-chasm? Is it also high in caffeine? I must admit to likeng gingembre tea with mint and honey. I'm sure this must contain natural aspartame and caffeine also non? :confused:

I can guarantee that you can get char-chasm on any building site and hence, ipso facto, any police unit (apparently!)

But I'm not sure about this tea with mint and honey - sounds a bit herbal to me! I hope that's not like the herbal cigarettes I smoked at uni :}

Cheers

Whirls

My apologies Whirls...

I obviously mis-interpreted one or two of the above comments :O

Maybe my brain is a little addled from drinking too much tea:\