Medical fails may climb

[Flopgut]

This might help some of you. It helped me manage weight through the worst work rules and absolute trash crew food CAL used to have/provide:

http://racingweight.com

I recommend the book no matter how good or bad your current fitness might be. Anyone else use/read this?

Another thought: CAL pilots might consider taking some action as a class. Our treatment was worse than any of us really could imagine at the time. We were set up to fail health wise.

 

[densoo]

"Don't you have disability coverage in your contract? Pull my medical for all I care. I'll be more than happy to collect 2/3 income for doing absolutely nothing."

Quite the cavalier attitude...You will be paid NOTHING Sir.

Sleep Apnea is NOT a disability under any LTD contract.

You will not be disabled and will not qualify for your Insurance/LTD.

You WILL have lost your FAA Medical and unless you have specific Insurance for that you will find yourself without income until you are re-qualified by the FAA Aeromedical Office in OKC.

Ready for THAT financially ?

I was, but it still SUCKED.

Been there, done it.

YKW

WL,

Did you go through it recently? What was the process to get your medical back? I heard you have to do the sleep test again after you've tried the CPAP for a couple of months. I also heard there's a new CPAP that "tells" on you by monitoring you're usage automatically if you're on a waiver for apnea. If you're not on target they pull the medical. My AME surprised me last time by asking if I snored a lot and said "the construction of the throat" looks like I might be likely to have apnea. My BMI is 26 and neck size well south of 17". With the latest FAA push I suspect he's going to ask for a sleep study before he'll issue me a medical. On what basis I do not know since I don't meet the stated criteria.

 

[EngineThunder]

Friend of one of the guys I fly with just got his medical back from a sleep apnea diagnosis. It took him 5 months off from start to finish. His tongue in cheek response about the ordeal: Don't ever tell the FAA you have sleep apnea.

 

[ultrarunner]

Whine Lover, I believe that is what wave flyer is referring too...

His CBA covers the LOSS of his medical, at which point he exercises the disability clauses associated with that coverage....

Those are great coverages, but naturally are negotiated. and it's the reason many an airline pilot has 'medical(ed) out' and waited till retirement kicked in and been just fine...

 

[wood pecker]

How tall is Santa? Kids will be sad to learn his BMI is too high and can't fly.

 

[Ex737Driver]

"Don't you have disability coverage in your contract? Pull my medical for all I care. I'll be more than happy to collect 2/3 income for doing absolutely nothing."

Quite the cavalier attitude...You will be paid NOTHING Sir.

Sleep Apnea is NOT a disability under any LTD contract.

You will not be disabled and will not qualify for your Insurance/LTD.

You WILL have lost your FAA Medical and unless you have specific Insurance for that you will find yourself without income until you are re-qualified by the FAA Aeromedical Office in OKC.

Ready for THAT financially ?

I was, but it still SUCKED.

Been there, done it.

YKW

Depends on how your particular policy is written. LTD can mean long term disability or it can mean simply loss of license. Or in others cases they have short term disability that covers part of their "out" time while sick time covers the rest. Point is, if you get dinged, get the moronic piece of junk equipment, stuff in it the bottom of your laptop or luch bag, and forget about it.

 

[scoreboardII]

It's just amazing that the Feds are going to demand a test to determine if you have a disease for which you have no symptoms. Oh wait, I forgot Obama is in the oval office...

 

[bri5150]

Anyone go for a medical recently? Is this implemented?

 

[labatt]

Anyone go for a medical recently? Is this implemented?

Just went yesterday. It was not discussed. No neck measurements were taken.

 

[SWA Bubba]

Anyone go for a medical recently? Is this implemented?

I went the other day, and while it wasn't discussed with me, she did check my weight against my height on a new wall chart that wasn't there the last time I went in. No neck measurements, but that info doesn't normally go to the FAA like height and weight do.

Bubba

 

[PCL_128]

The FAA hasn't set an implementation date yet.

 

[Freebrd]

Went to my Doc a few days ago. She wasn't even aware of this but did say she agree with it. FWIW AOPA, EAA and others have come out against it and have some support in Congress. Nothing from ALPA yet as far as I'm aware of.

 

[scoreboardII]

Went to my Doc a few days ago. She wasn't even aware of this but did say she agree with it. FWIW AOPA, EAA and others have come out against it and have some support in Congress. Nothing from ALPA yet as far as I'm aware of.

She didn't agree to have her cholesterol and BMI checked while they are at it, and if bad could lose her job?

 

[Bringupthebird]

If your AME sends you to a sleep study and they determine that you don't have sleep apnea, won't you have to go for another in 6 months if your BMI is within the range they test for? They must have some continuous monitoring system in place, right? Do you have to plan to lose your medical every 6 months and be off most of the month in which you have your medical waiting for the next SA test? Oh, and don't forget to disclose on the application that you went to see the sleep specialist for sleep apnea, which of course should trigger another test.

What if you don't have sleep apnea, but another sleep disorder that can only be treated with medication?

Why doesn't the FAA just allow the local AME to send whomever they think in their educated estimation may be suffering from whatever disqualifying condition to whatever treatment course is necessary? Don't they trust their own AME's?

 

[Bringupthebird]

Has USAPA sent a letter protesting this overstep of authority?

 

[booo]

Has USAPA sent a letter protesting this overstep of authority?

Come on! This is Obama's administration, where the country and therefore the states can enforce Gestapo tactics (like the TSA).

Most states you get stopped for........no seat belt; cop has a "hunch" for DUI.
You refuse breath test and lose license for a year. (Implied Consent). Your choice!

In Tennessee they can strap you down and draw blood.

 

[CesnaCaptn]

Come on! This is Obama's administration, where the country and therefore the states can enforce Gestapo tactics (like the TSA).

Most states you get stopped for........no seat belt; cop has a "hunch" for DUI.
You refuse breath test and lose license for a year. (Implied Consent). Your choice!

In Tennessee they can strap you down and draw blood.

I didn't realize those "tactics" started with the Obama administration.


Are you sure these "tactics" weren't occurring during the Bush years and beyond?

 

[Jetjockey]

Yeah....I'm sure Obama is behind all this.....He's got nothing else to worry about.

Get real people. Politics aside...this is an over reach by an overzealous FAA Medical Chief. Leave politics out this discussion.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

Come on! This is Obama's administration, where the country and therefore the states can enforce Gestapo tactics (like the TSA).

Most states you get stopped for........no seat belt; cop has a "hunch" for DUI.
You refuse breath test and lose license for a year. (Implied Consent). Your choice!

In Tennessee they can strap you down and draw blood.

I don't think that the US turning little by little into a police state has anything to do with the current administration.

 

[Dan Roman]

I don't think that the US turning little by little into a police state has anything to do with the current administration.

True statement here. I remember after 9/11 a comment by Al Gore (no I am not a big fan of his) . He made the observation that the loss of personal liberties in reaction to the terrorist attacks was a greater threat to America than the terrorists were. I thought he was nuts, but in retrospect, I see what he meant.