Actually, to me it was - I read that stat in a book that seemed quite authoritative. Maybe you’re just a calm character by nature? Don’t know. I’ll see if I can find the book in my library and see if I mis-remembered anything.
I was USAF, but never anywhere near flight ops, so I don’t know first-hand, but my impression is that there’s more to it than that.
If I recall correctly, if you’re “Flying Status”, your medical records are marked such. Since the military hospital was providing 100% of your health care, every practitioner is aware of that status. And I suspect the Flight Surgeon’s office is monitoring your health care so that they’re aware of diagnoses that would affect your qualification.
Well, like I say, it would be a bit different if there were other things going on. It seems more like the kind of heart rate you’d get in the middle of a dogfight rather than just landing though.
Broomstick, I found this:
I guess there are many factors at play. This one guy’s heart rate rates a mention in the article which would suggest it is slightly unusual. Maybe he is a “Nervous Nelly” and maybe he is not very fit so has a high resting HR. You can’t take much from a raw heart rate number without knowing something about the physiology of the person. For example if I ride a bike up a hill at maximum sustained effort for 10 minutes or so and then give a 100% all out sprint, my HR might reach 183, or it might not, that’s the highest I’ve seen it but I can’t always get it up there. The subject pilot may have a maximum HR in the 200s so his 180 might be my 160. In addition, I am very comfortable with my job, so even with a non-precision instrument approach flown at 3:15 in the morning while being harassed by a controller telling me about taxiways that aren’t available and asking me to offset my landing slightly from the centreline so I don’t run the tyres through some freshly painted white lines, my HR isn’t affected much. And maybe it being 3:15am brings my HR down a bit as my body is trying to be asleep rather than hurtling through the sky.
It is an interesting topic and there is some more information out there on pilot workload/stress vs heart rate.
Back to the OP:
I was discussing medicals with my FO last night. He has had a major heart attack in the past requiring surgery. As he said to me, it’s all well and good being able to get your medical back but you may find you can’t get employment as airlines don’t want to take the risk and they can have much more strict medical requirements for employment than the FAA/CASA/CAA etc. He did manage to get work with us but I think a lot of opportunities elsewhere in the world were lost due to his heart attack.
That might well be the study referenced in the book I mentioned. It could be the author of said book didn’t quite convey the information as presented in the no doubt dry primary source.
Still, interesting.
Army too. I was a navigator in scout helicopters and everyone on flight status had to go through the flight surgeon. That was not just so they could track long term health problems but to make sure you weren’t put on any short term medications that would effect flight status. We weren’t allowed to take over the counter medication without approval.
When I was in aviation the standard was to get into flight school you had to pass a Class 1 physical which included eye dialation to prove you had 20/20 vision. It was later relaxed to allow lasik. After being qualified as a pilot or non-rated aviator like myself a Class 2 physical was required annually. Glasses were allowed then but had to be corrected to 20/20.
All true, but mostly irrelevant.
The OP’s question was about periodic exams / certifications. If you’re a civil or military pilot the exam frequency is whatever the regs say. Generally 6 months or annually depending on various details as various folks have outlined above.
Beyond that every pilot, professional or otherwise, is required before every flight to “self-certify” fitness. IOW, to simply ask themselves explicitly: “Is my health right now good enough to do the flight I’m planning?” Where “good enough” doesn’t mean “I’m still breathing”, but rather “good enough that if I was examined by a flight doc right now, he’d agree I have no chronic or acute disqualifying conditions.”
If you have the sniffles, the answer is “No; you’re not fit to fly.” The FAA’s general prohibition against OTC cold meds is not because you shouldn’t fly on e.g. Sudafed, but because you shouldn’t fly with a condition that would make you want to take Sudafed.
Starting a couple years ago US airline pilots are required to make and record this self-certification formally before every flight. At my carrier I have to make a computer entry with scary legalese before every single flight. Absent that entry for all pilots working the flight, much of our preflight paperwork is blocked from access.
US civilian pilots are required to disclose 100% of medical visits to the FAA at each medical renewal. That’s every visit for sniffles, every dental cleaning, every sore shoulder from playing tennis all weekend like a 20yo at age 50, etc., etc. Admittedly enforcement of this is weak and the actual rate of compliance is hard for anyone to gauge.
You’re right that the military has an advantage on disclosure because most military pilots will be seeing military docs and all the records are consolidated. But I’ve known military pilots to use civil docs to handle health conditions they wanted to keep secret, at least for awhile.
And going forward the progress in the civil medical industry towards shared electronic medical records will make it harder for any US pilot, civil or military to “keep two sets of books” on their health.
Heart rates: If your heart rate is up in an airliner that’s not on fire you’re doing it wrong.
Landing an A-4 on a carrier at night in 1965 is a whole 'nother kettle of fish I’m told.
This just cracks me up… 