Why do pilots need a medical

Morgans wrote:

I think it was about 4 or so years. At one peak time, I passed 3 stones in
2 weeks. I then got one hung that had to be removed through surgery. THAT
really sucked. Yes, what you are thinking, is how they go in to remove one.

Ditto on the 3 in 2 weeks, never had any surgeries, that was a year ago...

No more tea and sodas for him in LA...

That was not my problem. They tell me there are two types of stones. One
of calcium, and one of the other type caused by tea and sodas. Mine were
the calcium type.

Ditto for that person...

I went to a urologist, and he had me do a 24 hour urine test, where all
output for a day went into a jug. It showed my body captured more of the
calcium that normally goes out with the urine. All I had to do was take a
diuretic (same thing some people take for blood pressure) to help keep the
kidneys flushed out. I haven't had a stone in close to ten years, or
coinciding with when I started the medication.

Well peanuts are bad too, getting them to quit peanuts is tough...

The 26' Uhaul truck has a gross weight of 20,000 lb according to their
website. I rented this truck once, and I don't have a CDL.

Andrew Sarangan wrote:
The 26' Uhaul truck has a gross weight of 20,000 lb according to their
website. I rented this truck once, and I don't have a CDL.

And have driven them across state borders, never stopped an inspection
station either...

by "Steve Foley" Nov 17, 2005 at 08:12 PM


CDL = Commercial Drivers License
PP-ASEL = Private Pilot, Airplane, Single Engine Land
CP-ASEL = Commercial Pilot, Airplane, Single Engine Land
PPL = nothing in the USA - we have certificates, not licenses.

When exercising the privileges if a *commercial* certificate, random drug
testing is involved (Part 135 and Part 121).

Why should drug testing be mandatory for private pilots? Simply because
you
think it's a good idea? You've repeated this several times, but you've
never
given any reasons.


"Skylune" wrote in message
lkaboutaviation.com...
And another thing: CDL holders are subject to random drug and alcohol
tests. States may impose tougher standards than the federally required
minimums, and many companies impose even tighter restrictions.

PPLs get off comparitively easily. Drug testing should be mandatory
for
PPLs, and random drug testing s/b part of FAA ramp checks.

I didn't invent the PPL shortcut, just adopted it from pilot talk.

I just wanted to point out that to the person that originally raised the
question was completely mistaken in his premise: You cannot drive a
20,000 lb truck around without passing physicals that are stricter than
those required for certificated private pilots.

The persecution complex many PPLs have may be understandable given all the
problems (some self-imposed) being experienced by GA these days. But it is
delusional. Perhaps flying occupies so much grey matter and is so
addictive that all other real world news and reasoning abilities are
squeezed out.... I don't know. Its just a theory.

Sylvain wrote:
by Sylvain Nov 17, 2005 at 03:00 PM


Skylune wrote:
PPLs get off comparitively easily. Drug testing should be mandatory
for
PPLs, and random drug testing s/b part of FAA ramp checks.


as a matter of fact, it is mandatory; alcohol and drug test
are compulsory; see 14 CFR 61.16 and 91.17

--Sylvain

"Here is 14 CFR 61.16:
Sec. 61.16 Refusal to submit to an alcohol test or to furnish test
results.

A refusal to submit to a test to indicate the percentage by weight
of alcohol in the blood, when requested by a law enforcement officer in
accordance with Sec. 91.17(c) of this chapter, or a refusal to furnish
or authorize the release of the test results requested by the
Administrator in accordance with Sec. 91.17(c) or (d) of this chapter,
is grounds for:
(a) Denial of an application for any certificate, rating, or
authorization issued under this part for a period of up to 1 year after
the date of that refusal; or
(b) Suspension or revocation of any certificate, rating, or
authorization issued under this part."

This has nothing to do with the required physicals to keep current. I
think drug testing (hair) s/b a requirement.

"TaxSrv"
objection many motorcyle riders have against helmets. An argument
is made there that there's a societal cost to treating avoidable
head injury, but I wonder how many pennies in our hospitalization
insurance that really is.

In actual practice, medical insurance companies learned not to support
motorcycle helmet laws. They found their claims were much higher because
the accident victims actually survived and they had to pay for extensive
post accident treatment.

Hey, question:

How come you always see occupants of ultralights wearing helmets, but I've
never seen anyone in a C150 wearing one?

:-)

Dallas

"TaxSrv"
What's missed though is how rarely ground injuries or deaths
are occuring from single engine aircraft crashes. How many
were there last year?
Zero. Same as 2001-2003, and I believe I did the query correctly
on the downloaded NTSB database.


That just proves the current medical system is working.

; )


Dallas

What I find even more disconcerting are conditions that would ground a
private pilot with a third class medical which merely get documented
and waived for a first class holder who flies heavy iron every day.

The consistency is questionable.

z


If you can get a waiver for a condition on a first class you can get it for
a third.

You _can_ get a medical waiver on a third-class... but your chances
would seem to be much better on getting one with a first-class, because
holders of first-class medicals tend to fly for a living, whereas guys
with third-class ones don't. The FAA wouldn't bother with the
third-class waiver because of that.

Now, what evidence do you have that "hearing and diabetes" would ground
a third class but not a first class medical holder?

zatatime wrote:
On Wed, 16 Nov 2005 22:15:25 -0700, RomeoMike
wrote:


What conditions?

zatatime wrote:



What I find even more disconcerting are conditions that would ground a
private pilot with a third class medical which merely get documented
and waived for a first class holder who flies heavy iron every day.

The consistency is questionable.

z



Hearing and Diabetes are two on the top of my head that I know of
which happened recently.

z

You still haven't told me what you hope to accomplish with your mandatory
drug testing of private pilots. I haven't heard any statistics, or even
anecdotal evidence indicating a problem that would be solved with drug
testing.


"Skylune" wrote in message
lkaboutaviation.com...
by "Steve Foley" Nov 17, 2005 at 08:12 PM


CDL = Commercial Drivers License
PP-ASEL = Private Pilot, Airplane, Single Engine Land
CP-ASEL = Commercial Pilot, Airplane, Single Engine Land
PPL = nothing in the USA - we have certificates, not licenses.

When exercising the privileges if a *commercial* certificate, random drug
testing is involved (Part 135 and Part 121).

Why should drug testing be mandatory for private pilots? Simply because
you
think it's a good idea? You've repeated this several times, but you've
never
given any reasons.


"Skylune" wrote in message
lkaboutaviation.com...
And another thing: CDL holders are subject to random drug and alcohol
tests. States may impose tougher standards than the federally required
minimums, and many companies impose even tighter restrictions.

PPLs get off comparitively easily. Drug testing should be mandatory
for
PPLs, and random drug testing s/b part of FAA ramp checks.

I didn't invent the PPL shortcut, just adopted it from pilot talk.

I just wanted to point out that to the person that originally raised the
question was completely mistaken in his premise: You cannot drive a
20,000 lb truck around without passing physicals that are stricter than
those required for certificated private pilots.

The persecution complex many PPLs have may be understandable given all the
problems (some self-imposed) being experienced by GA these days. But it is
delusional. Perhaps flying occupies so much grey matter and is so
addictive that all other real world news and reasoning abilities are
squeezed out.... I don't know. Its just a theory.