Blog Elements : Flight Training Central

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

FAA medical insights

January 4, 2016/in Career, Get Started, Regulations/by studentpltnews

I don’t possess the medical qualifications or post-nominals to say with certainty that we’re an over-medicated society. But what I can say is that the number of pilot candidates I’ve spoken to recently with serious FAA medical challenges as a result of illness and medication is on the sharp rise. Most are unaware of the aviation […]

Winter weather flying refresher

December 21, 2015/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

As the season transitions from fall to winter and the temperature is consistently below freezing, unique challenges are presented to pilots. Flight training doesn’t need to stop in the winter though; in fact the colder months provide some great opportunities to expand your knowledge on weather and aircraft operations in less than ideal conditions.

FAA medical insights

January 4, 2016/in Career, Get Started, Regulations/by studentpltnews

Winter weather flying refresher

December 21, 2015/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

FAA medical insights

January 4, 2016/in Career, Get Started, Regulations/by studentpltnews

The types of prescription medication I’ve seen most frequently include anti-depressants, attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs. Most psychiatric or psychotropic medications, including those used to treat the aforementioned conditions, are on the “do not issue” list. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that an FAA medical can’t be obtained, it does mean that the facts of each must be reviewed by the FAA which can be a long and arduous process.

The standards for FAA medicals are set forth in 14 CFR Part 67 (a summary is available here). FAA specifically prescribes 15 disqualifying conditions:

(1) Diabetes mellitus requiring hypoglycemic medication

(2) Angina pectoris

(3) Coronary heart disease that has been treated or, if untreated, that has been symptomatic or clinically significant

(4) Myocardial infarction

(5) Cardiac valve replacement

(6) Permanent cardiac pacemaker

(7) Heart replacement

(8) Psychosis

(9) Bipolar disorder

(10) Personality disorder that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts

(11) Substance dependence

(12) Substance abuse

(13) Epilepsy

(14) Disturbance of consciousness and without satisfactory explanation of cause

(15) Transient loss of control of nervous system function(s) without satisfactory explanation of cause.

As you can see what’s not specifically referenced in the disqualifying list, but reserved for a category all its own are medications. FAA maintains a list of medications for which Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) may not issue a medical without clearance from the FAA. An even larger list of medications are maintained which can seriously degrade pilot performance for which examiners should advise applicants to avoid.

But we mustn’t rely solely on the advice of our AME. Consider that in the case of a third class medical for those under the age of 40, you may only be visiting your AME every five years. This substantial interval makes it imperative that we have a general awareness of the categories of medication that can negatively affect our ability to operate the aircraft safely.

Far too often pilots also lack an appropriate understanding of one’s continued obligation of an FAA medical certification which is much more involved than being provided a clean bill of health on the date of the exam. For those time periods between visits to the Aviation Medical Examiner (AME), we’re required to self-certify that we’re medically fit for flight. A simple, yet effective, methodology for self-certification is to adopt the FAA’s “I’m Safe (IMSAFE)” checklist.

I – Illness – Do I have an illness or any symptoms of an illness?

M – Medication – Have I been taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs?

S – Stress – Am I under psychological pressure from the job? Worried about financial matters, health problems or family discord?

A – Alcohol – Have I been drinking within eight hours? Within 24 hours?

F – Fatigue – Am I tired and not adequately rested?

E – Eating – Am I adequately nourished?

To elaborate further on medications, pilots should not be flying while using anticholinergics, antiseizure medications, antihypertensives, bromocriptine, dopamine agonists, mefloquine (Lariam), over-active bladder medications, varenicline (Chantix), any drug or substance classified under the Controlled Substances Act (includes marijuana), most psychiatric or psychotropic medications, high doses of oral steroids, cancer treatment medications, antiangina medications, or any medication newly approved by the Food and Drug Administration (those drugs issued approval within the past 12 months).

Even over-the-counter medications often perceived as innocuous should be avoided. These include sleep aids, allergy medications, those used in outpatient procedures, narcotic pain relievers, muscle relaxants, dietary supplements and ANY medication that carries a label warning that it may cause drowsiness (which includes most cold medicines). While this advice may seem nothing more than common sense, the danger lurks that cognitive function could be impaired even if you seem to be functioning normally.

To ensure you’re free from the medication’s effects, it is recommended that you not fly until at least five times the maximum dosing interval has passed. In other words, if the medication is to be taken four times daily (every six hours), you should refrain from flying for 30 hours (6×5). This is not to say you should compromise your well-being or comfort in order to comply with dosing intervals. Attempting to operate an aircraft with an illness or even symptoms can be equally dangerous.

The moral of the story is that if you require treatment or medication for a particular condition, you shouldn’t compromise your well-being, but you also must be accepting of the responsibility that comes with your pilot certificate and medical. You can’t very well pull the airplane over to the side of the road as you might with your car if you weren’t feeling well.

Offenses involving alcohol…

Another problem area for many medical applicants and pilots alike, is any history of arrests, convictions or administrative actions affective driving privileges (i.e. DWI). To put it mildly, a DWI is problematic. The FAA medical application (Form 8500), specifically asks for a history of these occurrences and you should absolutely answer truthfully as the consequences for not doing so can be far worse. You’ll be asked to also provide the type of offense, state or jurisdiction involved and the date.

After a review of the circumstances, the examiner may issue the medical provided it doesn’t meet one of the following deferral criteria:

Inability to obtain and review the court and arrest records within 14 days
For the alcohol- or drug-related driving incidents:
- Any incident for which the applicant registers a blood alcohol level 0.15 or higher
- Any incident for which the applicant refused blood alcohol testing
- Any incident within the preceding two years and there has been another incident at any time.
- Total of three incidents within a lifetime
- Total of two incidents within the preceding 10 years

The reporting of such an occurrence on a medical application does not alleviate the requirement for a pilot to report any alcohol related conviction or administrative action (license suspension) to FAA’s Security and Investigations Division within 60 days.

This is not to say that one should give up on an aviation pursuit in light of having made a mistake; however, alcoholism is a serious disease that must be treated which is specifically what the FAA is attempting to discern from the facts. As you may have gathered from the deferral criteria, these elements are indicative of dependence.

For a number of disqualifying medical conditions, FAA may grant a special issuance medical after a review of the specific circumstances. As the scientific community learns more about specific conditions and the medications used in treatment, FAA is sure to make policy adjustments to allow for more direct and special-issued medication certifications.

For the time being, a pre-flight self-assessment using the IMSAFE checklist will provide the solid footing from which to certify for flight. And a general awareness of those prescription and over-the-counter medications that can prove detrimental is a must. If in doubt, consult an aviation medical examiner.

Winter weather flying refresher

December 21, 2015/in Tips and technique/by studentpltnews

Here are some winter weather tips to consider as the temperature gets colder:

Always carry winter weather gear – This first tip may seem like common sense, but I can’t stress enough the importance of carrying cold weather gear when the temperature gets below freezing. Most modern training airplanes provide a comfortable, warm cabin up in the air, even as the temperature approaches 0° F outside. This can cause a false sense of security and lead you into thinking that you may not need the extra clothing layers, gloves, hats, etc. But you have to always be prepared for an emergency landing, which could leave you in cold conditions for hours or even days. And the most important piece of cold weather gear? A cell phone of course.
Don’t rule out frost after you land – Most flight schools and aircraft owners are very conscious about frost forming on the airplane when left out on clear nights when the temperature is close to or below freezing. If your flight needs to get out early in the morning, the airplane should be hangared overnight and pulled out just before departure. There’s another time when frost can sneak up on you though, causing a delay if you’re not prepared. Let’s say you takeoff just before sunrise and head to another airport not too far away to visit the airport diner. When you come back to your airplane 30 – 60 minutes later, there’s a good chance you’ll find a fresh layer of frost on the wings and tail.
Practice takeoffs and landings on contaminated runways – Just because the runway at your airport has residual snow or slick spots doesn’t mean you have to cancel your flight lesson. In fact, ask any Alaskan bush pilot and they’ll probably tell you that landing on snow-covered runways is the norm rather than the exception in the winter. After a winter storm passes you’ll want to wait for the airport maintenance crew to clear the majority of snow from the runway. Then determine the braking action from the published NOTAM or from airport officials, which will be described as Good, Fair, Poor or Nil. If you and your instructor determine runway and braking conditions are suitable, continue on with your lesson. You’ll quickly learn the importance of speed control on final approach and how to make real-world use of the soft-field takeoff and landing techniques. Just be sure to taxi at slower than normal speeds and keep an eye on the wings when maneuvering near tall snow banks.
Review cold weather procedures for your aircraft – There’s probably a good chance you haven’t reviewed your aircraft’s cold weather normal and emergency procedures since last year (unless you had an FAA pilot checkride over the summer). I like to make it a habit each fall to pull out the POH for each aircraft I fly and review cold weather starting limitations, normal procedures and emergency checklists pertinent to cold weather ops. You should commit to memory temperature and battery limitations, starter duty cycle limits and the first few items in the checklist for an engine fire during start.
Recognize aircraft and engine limitations in cold weather – When the temperature is below freezing you’ll want to be more cautious about how you operate the aircraft engine. A good procedure is to avoid making sudden power changes as temperatures drop below 20°F and below. This means staying away from maneuvers like touch-n-gos, simulated engine failures and stall recoveries when the temperature is that cold.
Call ahead for cold-weather airport services – This tip is one to remember during your entire flying career. If you’re making a cross-country to another airport in the winter months and need some type of service from the FBO, call ahead first to verify it will be available. Don’t assume that because a particular FBO is at a large airport that they will have hangar space, engine pre-heat or other cold-weather service instantly available to you.
Make reports about the conditions you experience – In my flying experience the best weather reports don’t come from the National Weather Service, but rather from the pilots currently in the air and reporting the weather conditions they’re experiencing. These pilot reports (PIREPs) will provide you with actual temperatures aloft, cloud coverage and tops, and turbulence and icing reports, all packed into just a few lines of data. As an instrument pilot in the winter, I pay close attention to the icing reports (or lack thereof) to help determine cruise altitudes and where there might be moisture-free air between cloud layers. Make it a point to contribute to the system and relay your flight conditions to ATC when time permits. And don’t get in the habit of only making PIREPs when you experience unfavorable conditions — some of the most useful PIREPs are the ones describing flight above the cloud layers in smooth air.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

FAA medical insights

Winter weather flying refresher

FAA medical insights

Winter weather flying refresher

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

FAA medical insights

Winter weather flying refresher

Email Subscription

Recent Articles