Medical fails may climb

[pilotyip]

It's not about safety. It's about someone being given power to force you to do what they think is good for you. They were never even challenged for that power.

If it was about safety, they would look at the true sources of fatigue and it isn't snoring!

I find this whole thing some what amusing. The concern is about not being able to get enough sleep and then having to fly. Saying that being fatigued is like being drunk. Yet they have done nothing to address the impact of the the crew rest rules that let companies schedule 16 hour flight when that pilot is going to go over 24 hours since their last sleep cycle.

 

[Superbird]

If I lived in PHX I would be afraid of all those things.

Fortunately PHX based pilots will be able to bid east soon. Does it get hot in Charlotte or Philly?

 

[scoreboardII]

I just looked at the numbers for a 6'1" male and ran the number through a BMI calculator, it says you need to weigh 188 lbs to be classified as not overweight. 189lbs makes you overweight with a BMI of 25%. YGBFSM?

A 188 lb 6'1'' man looks like he just came out of Auschwitz!



210lbs puts you at over 27%. 220 puts you at 29%, which is where I am at but I weigh 240 and using the electronically measured devices at the gym, I am 28% and falling.

This is going to be the new cholesterol chase of the late 80's early 90's.

 

[Andy]

Scoreboard, I warned about opening the Pandora's Box that an age change would be (reference post below; dated 8 Nov 2006). Now we all get to deal with the consequences. I doubt that sleep apnea is going to be the only change to medical standards.

Any person who pushed for a change to age 65 has no right to complain about tighter medical standards for all pilots. Bringupthebird, that comment was aimed squarely at you.

A Pandora's Box will be opened upon passage of a rule change. If you object to changing medical standards, then I recommend that you oppose any change in retirement age.

 

[Flopgut]

In the last 7 years I have weighed as much as 256, and as little as 199. My weight moves around a lot based on what injury I'm working around and how much cardio I can do. I function best around 225 as far as sleep and overall stamina. At my height 230 is obese. This is ridiculous.

 

[Andy]

Flopgut, this is probably only the start of things to come. Dr Jon Jordan was Federal Air Surgeon from 1991-2006 until Dr Tilton became the FAS. Dr Tilton could be the FAS for quite a while.

 

[Bringupthebird]

Bringupthebird, here are some of your previous posts:

Sounds pretty consistent to me. Thanks for posting.

Real safety issues should be addressed. Fantasies should be dismissed. Age 60 was a fantasy promoted by those who felt they needed some artificial construct to protect their career advancement.

What is your fantasy, Andy? That you force everyone to suffer as a personal vendetta?

Have you heard me complain about diabetes testing or EKG requirements? Sleep apnea is a very subjective diagnosis. If a pilot checks the box that he does not have a disqualifying condition, then that should be sufficient.

To subject a particular group that MAY suffer from a disqualifying condition to extra testing without any pre-existing symptoms should alarm everyone. Are they going to demand stress tests of all middle-aged white men? How about in-depth diabetes testing requirements only for blacks because of the higher incidence of that disease among that population?

Nice try Andy, but the retirement age issue applies to everyone and a sensible change was made. This new "Guilty until proven innocent" policy does little more than unnecessarily subject pilots to a loss of livelihood without a shred of added safety.

Again (what is it now, 3 times) what drives your support for onerous medical requirements that do not enhance safety? You still can't answer, can you?

 

[Flopgut]

Deleted

 

[Andy]

Again (what is it now, 3 times) what drives your support for onerous medical requirements that do not enhance safety? You still can't answer, can you?

You have a reading comprehension issue. I have answered your question multiple times. I have no issue with increased medical requirements that make air travel safer; we all know that the current FAA medical is a joke.

You have decided to add the phrase, 'that do not enhance safety'. Like it or not, medical staff at the FAA have determined that sleep apnea screening WILL enhance safety. And I'm sure that there will be more changes to medical standards that you won't like.

 

[Jetjockey]

So when they medically ground 30% of active airline pilots combined with the increased need for additional pilots to meet FAR 117......will they complain when there are major flight cancellations due to lack of crew?

Lack of sleep from snoring? What a farce. The medical chief obviously has never seen the average pairing an airline pilot operates day in and day out. So you make pilots fly around with CPAP machines in their overnight bags.

What's next? Lung X-rays for smokers? Liver biopsy for known alcoholics. If the medical chief goes looking for snakes he will find them.

The cause and effect of unintended consequences.