"Andrew Sarangan" wrote in message
oups.com...
It is scary that a guy with a heart attack is able to use his political
connections to get back at the controls of a 400-passenger airline,
while a student pilot is prevented from taking his checkride in a
Cessna 152 because he had ADD 30 years ago.

Ok, it's even worse than that. Let me tell you about a guy I know.

This guy always seemed to be in trouble for one thing or another, never
managed to "live up to his potential" blah, blah, blah. Anyhow, at one point
he decides to learn to fly. Takes lessons and stuff. Turns out he's pretty
good at it. Gets a medical - no problem. Passes check ride with flying
colors. Fly's a couple three hundred accident free hours. So, that suggests
to me, at least, that he probably actually was capable of flying an
airplane, right?

Anyhow, life happens. He gets married - things are rocky, but what's new?
Has kids, kids go to school. School starts sending stuff home about ADD.
Wife reads the stiff and says "I don't know about our child, but I think
whoever wrote this stuff has been following you around." So, this guy
finally agrees to see a doctor. Doctor says ADD. Ok, the guy goes to another
doctor. This doctor says ADD. The guy then tries an "adult ADD clinic" After
piles of questionnaires, half a day or so of testing, the results come
back - ADD. What's a guy to do? Ok, he tries the medication. His marriage
gets better. He starts doing way better at work. He'd probably even be a lot
better pilot. But. Of course, now he can't get a medical.

You see, the way things work is, It's OK to fly if you have a problem like
ADD (or depression, or ...) as long as you don't know (or admit) it. But no
matter how well you flew without knowing about the problem, once you address
the problem and take steps that would make you a BETTER, SAFER pilot, NOW
you have to stop.

Explain how that makes sense.

--
Geoff
the sea hawk at wow way d0t com
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