Non eligible - But i can get a civilian class 1 medical

[FrayCampbell608]

This is a wild idea, but just bear with me.

Im non-eligible for aircrew as i take a preventative asthma inhaler.
I've been attack free for 14 years and experience no problems during exercise, sport - (Only when im around Dogs!) And never use a reliever.

Because of this im after a career in commercial aviation but came to the idea that, if i get my class 1 medical, and maybe even my commerical license then could i go back to forces and ask them to reconsider?

The problem with the forces medical is that if you dont fill the tick box, you dont get in, but is it because they think im not fit to fly or because i take regular medication?

[airborne_artist]

A class one CAA medical and a CPL/fATPL are about as much use to the RAF as a chocolate fireguard.

Your medical issues won't have gone away, and you'll have spent £££s loads getting the CPL/fATPL.

You'll just have to accept that you can not meet their medical standards.

[Wader2]

And never use a reliever and that might just be a problem in the sandpit :}

[FrayCampbell608]

I dont get the sandpit retort?

I will just carry on with the commercial route but it is a shame when you cant have the opportunity you have always hoped for!

[Wader2]

Fray, in-joke, all male environment in the desert.

[speeddial]

You are assuming that the RAF only worry about your health when you're sat in an aircraft, which is what a commercial medicial certificate is concerned with. The RAF want to ensure that after getting out of your nice and safe aircraft you can then put on a respirator, charge through the dust storm and fire your rifle as well as any other man on the ground.

Food for thought....

[Wader2]

Fray, in addition to what Speeddial said, in civil aviation you sit comfortably in an armchair at 4000 feet of so straight and level with some possible exertion every few hours of so.

In a combat jet yoy may be sitting on a less comfortable seat, at 25000 feet, pulling high gee. Then you might suddenly be sitting outside your comfort zone at 40000 feet and plummeting for the sandpit and bad guys with big sticks.

How would you propose to use your inhaler under these circumstances?

As has been stated elsewhere on the OASC thread, there are more than enough super-fit, high quality candidates for the few slots that there is no need to take high risk, marginal candidates.

[FrayCampbell608]

Well thats just it, i know i could run,fight,shoot,put on my respirator then jump in my jet and fly to 40,000 feet and be just dandy (as long as i take my inhaler twice a day at Bedtime and in the Morning):)

Im sure there arent too may allergens in the 'sand-pit' just like when i go abroad, or mountaineering i dont take an inhaler!

But jokes aside, the beurocracy can get quite irritating and appear inconsistent when my friend who has the worst eyesight known to man, had laser surgery, wears contatcts and got into the Marines.

Im not trying to argue my case, just venting my frustrations!I think teh final point is, it may be hard to get hold of an inhaler from a chemist in a war zone.

[D O Guerrero]

If he has to jettison his aircraft, an asthma attack is the least of his worries! And how many RAF pilots have to get out of their aircraft and then fire a rifle?
I do seem to remember though that whilst inhalers are not acceptable - you can have a heart bypass and still carry on flying? Right?

[Wader2]

and still carry on flying

It is all a question of investment and value. Whilst peopel have carried on after major surgery it is often with a reduced med cat and the need to fly with a competent 2nd pilot. In other words, no single seaters and no trainers.

[D O Guerrero]

Umm. No.
There was a guy who flew Jags after a heart bypass.
I believe he subsequently, sadly, died after colliding with some cumulo-granite in wales.

Edit:
I might have made that up. An internet search is not backing up my outrageous claims with any evidence. Can anyone shed any light? I'm sure it happened in the late 80's. A light aircraft was involved. Then again it could have all been a dream....

[heights good]

Telic 1 - SH crews stagging on in the desert (and on a few occasions, making ready as the hun bimbled past) this is in addition to building accomodation, filling sandbags, wearing 2.2stone of body armour while flying (Mk60/61) trying to sleep in a 50 degree heat with no aircon.

Having any illness is going to make you a liability to yourself but more importantly your mates who have to look after you. Im a fit lad and breezed the acclimatisation training and still suffered massively in the heat which was in a controlled environment behind a wire not on the run with bad guys chasing me.

Its annoying im sure not being accepted due to medical reasons but you have to remember that OASC have been doing what they do for generations. They do actually know what they are doing. Harsh but true.

Heights good

[airborne_artist]

A wheezy boy who can't get close to dogs would have been no good in NI on Wessex 5/Puma dropping off/picking up the patrols - quite a few took a four-legged friend with them.

[heights good]

Still do.....

[ACW418]

D O G

Yes there was a Wing Commander who after much lobbying got a medical category to fly restricted to "with a competent pilot" I believe. The mid-air with a Cessna 150 over Wales was his first trip (in a Two-seater).

ACW

[Ghostflyer]

No one on the frontline gets asthma or hayfever, they just get 'summer colds!'

[Pontius Navigator]

ACW, I had reported the other pilot to the CAA and they had warned him about illegal low flying but been unable to prosecute as they could not prove he had been the PIC.

[Blacksheep]

I might have made that up. An internet search is not backing up my outrageous claims with any evidence. Can anyone shed any light? I'm sure it happened in the late 80's. A light aircraft was involved. Then again it could have all been a dream....I do recall something about a Tornado Navigator who returned to flying after a heart and lung transplant. He was later killed in a mid-air with a light aircraft while on a low level cross country exercise. Google turns up too much crap when you enter 'heart transplant' and 'tornado' or 'raf navigator' as search terms - even in advanced search.

[Pontius Navigator]

There were two similar crashes.

The heart/lung survivor was killed in a mid-air in Wales with a light, I believe it was a twin, engaged on illegal low flying. He was on his first post-op flight in a Jaguar. I am not sure if he was intended to return to flying or a 'final' flight prior to grounding. The civvie used to take aerial photographs of peoples homes on spec and then try and flog the pics.

Low flying, 150 feet or less, with pilot hand held photography.

The other incident was just south of Finningley. Mid-air with a Tornado and a light aircraft out of Gamston. I do not think there was any blame attached to the military aircraft and I cannot recall the findings.

[Elmlea]

I remember reading about the latter. It was a GR from TTTE at Cottesmore and a Cessna, again engaging in some low level hand-held photography. It was an Italian stude at the beginning of the convex, heads-in doing an ops check. Lots of evidence in the AAIB report talking about the light ac's pilot frequently flying profiles "consistent with aerial photography," but nothing was done.

[teeteringhead]

The back-seater in the Welsh Jag/Cessna mid-air was on his last flight - the fizz was on ice at Colt awaiting his return........:(

He was originally a rotary mate (hence me knowing him well) who did the FJXO exceptionally well - he was just finishing at Colt as OC Ops and about to go to Staff College - ridiculously young - and looked even younger. The front seater was another notable Jag mate (and Ferrari driver!)

Strangest memory of the funeral was meeting the guy in whom the mate's original heart was still working! Matey had had the heart/lung transplant for lung problems, which left a servicable heart on the shelf in stores which was duly put into (IIRC) a London taxi-driver...... They'd done a lot of fund-raising together..

[FrayCampbell608]

Who knows, i will never have the opportunity to find out.

A mate of mine in the RAF REG' oddly developed a permanent summer cold and they didnt kick him out. Im glad they didnt for his sake but i've heard many stories of those developing asthma/allergies whilst serving and they dont get the boot! BAH!

[Wader2]

Fray, as has been said many times here, it is all a question of investment and returns.

Also, if he was discharged on medical grounds there is a tax-free disability payment to consider.

[airborne_artist]

Fray - there are two horses running in the same race. Neither has any prior form (it's a novices' race). You have to back one, and only one.

You ask each jockey all about each horse, and get the same answers in each case, except that the jockey of one mentions it has had asthma attacks in the past - remember it's never raced, so no-one knows what will happen under these conditions.

Which one do you back?

Aunty Betty is going to be putting £millions on each of her trainee pilots. Explain why she should back a runner that has known medical faults, when there is a queue down the corridor of wannabees who are 100% fit.

[Wader2]

A-A, you forgot the third runner. The one that has been in training at that course for a number of years. You can ask the pundits how it got on in training and get an even better idea.

I am of course refering to the serving airman. (w).

[FrayCampbell608]

Yes i agree. But i do have to moan somewhere dont i.