Cardiac pacemaker

[nong]

I get my dental & medical done overseas, but the same would apply - if I'm good to drive in Thailand or Vietnam would be good to fly anywhere also.With RAA if you vote in CFI's, flying school owners and others that either enjoy or stand to gain from additional regulations & student or pilot requirements you will get additional regulations and requirements.

Increased regulation good for schools? Pull the other one!

Some local pilots are so intimidated by the rush by RAAus managers to out-regulate CASA that I virtually have to beg them not to quit or go outlaw.

 

 

[nong]

Has anybody had a pacemaker implant? Are you still allowed to fly as PIC in RAA aircraft? Any restrictions?TIA

 

Bruce

Hullo Bruce.

You can forget most of the rubbish so far posted against your enquiry.

 

Firstly. As a pilot who is not an instructor, the only thing you need to do, is sign the medical declaration when you join RAAus or do a BFR.

 

DO NOT contact RAAus. DO NOT fill in or submit any other form. It does not pay to be naive or unstudied in this matter!

 

With reference to: "Assessing Fitness To Drive for Commercial and Private Vehicle Drivers" which is a joint AUSTROADS and NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMMISSION publication, designed to assist medicos, we find (page 37)

 

Cardiac pacemaker insertion. Minimum non-driving period for private driver......2 weeks.

 

So. Ground yourself for that period. If things are going well as judged by both yourself and your doc, go flying!

 

Please download and read the relevent parts of this publication to get the full picture.

 

Good luck!

 

Fred

 

 

[Happyflyer]

Before following advice from others read the ops manual! You too Nong.

 

From the ops manual. Bolding is mine.

 

 

 

Section 2.07 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF A PILOT CERTIFICATE

 

Medical

 

5. A Pilot Certificate holder may only exercise the privileges of the certificate when meeting the requirements of the health standard as per Section 2.16 - Medical Requirements.

 

From section 2.16 REQUIREMENTS FOR MAINTENANCE AND RENEWAL

 

 

 

1. Applicants for the issue of a Certificate are required to have a health standard equivalent to that required for the issue of a private motor vehicle driver licence in Australia; and

 

 

4. A Certificate holder may only exercise the privileges of the Certificate when they:

 

(a) continue to meet the requirements of the health standard of Paragraph 1 of this Section; and

 

(b) forward a signed RA-Aus medical declaration, or an RA-Aus approved equivalent, of meeting the health standard; and

 

© if the medical status of a Certificate holder includes;

 

(i) Epilepsy

 

(ii) Diabetes (Type 1 or 2)

 

(iii) A heart condition / disease or paralysis

 

(iv) Mental illness (medicated or otherwise); or

 

(v) Becoming 75 years of age or older;

 

(d) then annually thereafter the person must not exercise the privileges of their certificate until such time as they have provided RA-Aus with a statement from their doctor (GP) of meeting the health standard; or

 

(e) provide a copy of a valid motor vehicle or heavy vehicle General Medical Assessment Report from an Australian road and transport authority, whatever called; or

 

(f) provide a copy of the CASA Driver Licence Medical (Aviation) or higher medical certificate; and

 

(g) if at any time a Certificate holder has a medically significant condition that is a safety-relevant condition and lasts for more than seven days, that person must not exercise the privileges of their Certificate until such time as they have provided RA-Aus HQ with a statement from their doctor (GP) of meeting the health standard; and

 

(h) continue to comply with the requirements of paragraph 3.

 

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Or

 

Hullo Bruce. You can forget most of the rubbish so far posted against your enquiry.

Firstly. As a pilot who is not an instructor, the only thing you need to do, is sign the medical declaration when you join RAAus or do a BFR.

 

DO NOT contact RAAus. DO NOT fill in or submit any other form. It does not pay to be naive or unstudied in this matter!

 

With reference to: "Assessing Fitness To Drive for Commercial and Private Vehicle Drivers" which is a joint AUSTROADS and NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMMISSION publication, designed to assist medicos, we find (page 37)

 

Cardiac pacemaker insertion. Minimum non-driving period for private driver......2 weeks.

 

So. Ground yourself for that period. If things are going well as judged by both yourself and your doc, go flying!

 

Please download and read the relevent parts of this publication to get the full picture.

 

Good luck!

 

Fred

Or...

answer he medical questionare properly and rely on qualified doctors to make that decision..

 

Jesus nong... Really??

 

 

[Soleair]

As I said, confusion and contradiction reign supreme.

 

I still don't know how to approach this, but I strongly maintain that if I am entitled to drive on the highway (and the surgeon told me I was after 2 weeks) then that standard should apply to recreational flying. Far less chance of danger to 3rd parties from flying than on the highway.

 

Bruce

 

 

[rankamateur]

Interesting that suffering a safety relevant condition not singled out by RAA only requires a one off doctors statement. Once the doctor has stated that the condition is under control, wether it is on RAA's hit list or not, then the pilot should be able to go back to stating fitness until such time as there is any change. How qualified are the RAA to distinguish between the safety threat of conditions (i) - (iv) compared to any other safety relevant condition.

 

 

[Happyflyer]

As I said, confusion and contradiction reign supreme.I still don't know how to approach this, but I strongly maintain that if I am entitled to drive on the highway (and the surgeon told me I was after 2 weeks) then that standard should apply to recreational flying. Far less chance of danger to 3rd parties from flying than on the highway.

 

Bruce

I aggree you should be right to fly but do it by the book. RAAus won't second guess your doctor. Give them a call. It's not worth flying contrary to the Ops manual if only for the insurance. Cheers.

 

 

[facthunter]

I think once you have a listed condition or are over the age of 75 you do it annually. I would suggest the wording of the RAAus document is a CASA advised/approved process. Wouldn't be much leeway to vary by RAAus.. Nev

 

 

[Kununurra]

Aro

 

Looks like a check list to me

 

 

[nong]

Do not be naive, Bruce. Don't let the goodys lead you up a path only you, not them, stand to possibly regret.

 

RAAus works for CASA, under contract.

 

If you declare a condition, you will be a marked man, avmed wise.

 

Frankly, this is no place to be a goody.

 

It is far more important to protect yourself.

 

If the administrative structure of rec. flying happens to change, and you find yourself dealing with CASA AVMED, you will rue the day you prodded the bear.

 

My advice stands.

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Yehaaaa.... Ride em!!!!

 

 

[SDQDI]

That's all well and good Nong until something happens and someone else gets hurt, all of a sudden you have no insurance and you lose everything your home, car any other worthwhile assets and then the extra stress of that doesn't go well for family (try explaining to your spouse why your insurance didn't cover you) all for the sake of a doctors certificate! It's not an overly onerous task, no different to taking a sick day and being required to show up with the doctors cert.

 

It's not a class 2, it's not a major problem, they just need the letter from your doc saying you are able to drive a car (this is NOT the same as the RPL car medical shambles)

 

Dodging this simple requirement (yes I'm not overly fussed on the authorities either) could turn very nasty.

 

 

[Geoff13]

Sdqdi's comments above are probably even far more relevant after splashing it all over a public forum.

 

 

[motzartmerv]

Yes.. And from a CFI too...

 

 

[Happyflyer]

Do not be naive, Bruce. Don't let the goodys lead you up a path only you, not them, stand to possibly regret.RAAus works for CASA, under contract.

If you declare a condition, you will be a marked man, avmed wise.

 

Frankly, this is no place to be a goody.

 

It is far more important to protect yourself.

 

If the administrative structure of rec. flying happens to change, and you find yourself dealing with CASA AVMED, you will rue the day you prodded the bear.

 

My advice stands.

My god! You must have trouble sleeping with all these conspiracy theory. Better watch out, they will be monitoring your every key stroke. As I said before, a pacemaker is not an impediment for a class 1 medical let alone an RAAus issue. What is the alternative to being led up the garden path by the goodies - being led by the baddies? Hopefully if this poor guy follows your advice and comes unstuck you you will be there to help him out.

 

 

[rankamateur]

That's all well and good Nong until something happens and someone else gets hurt, all of a sudden you have no insurance and you lose everything your home, car any other worthwhile assets and then the extra stress of that doesn't go well for family (try explaining to your spouse why your insurance didn't cover you) all for the sake of a doctors certificate! It's not an overly onerous task, no different to taking a sick day and being required to show up with the doctors cert.It's not a class 2, it's not a major problem, they just need the letter from your doc saying you are able to drive a car (this is NOT the same as the RPL car medical shambles)

 

Dodging this simple requirement (yes I'm not overly fussed on the authorities either) could turn very nasty.

Better then to avoid being diagnosed, no worry then about CASA moving the goalposts.

 

 

[nong]

An RAAus pilot won't be hung for quietly grounding himself for the period suggested in the guidelines, and then going back to flying, should both himself and his doc be satisfied with his medical position. In fact, this action, if it came to light, would likely be commended!

 

What a joke to suggest that any pilot outside of the closely supervised areas of aviation, such as RPT, would report to authorities, just because he/she was crook for, say ten days.

 

 

[SDQDI]

An RAAus pilot won't be hung for quietly grounding himself for the period suggested in the guidelines, and then going back to flying, should both himself and his doc be satisfied with his medical position. In fact, this action, if it came to light, would likely be commended!What a joke to suggest that any pilot outside of the closely supervised areas of aviation, such as RPT, would report to authorities, just because he/she was crook for, say ten days.

I'm not a lawyer (actually only a farmer so couldn't be further from a lawyer) but even I can see where it says to maintain your privileges of your certificate if you have a heart condition, epilepsy, diabetes or are over 75 you need a doctors certificate. (Not a medical, just a certificate from your gp) which means even if you grounded yourself for the two weeks and then went back flying (in the case of a pacemaker) without the doctors cert you would basically be flying without a certificate (no insurance) and it's in black and white. I think the insurance company, and heaven forbid a hurt third parties lawyer, would be laughing all the way to the bank.

 

As I've said before I am not that fussed on authority but why risk so much for just a gp letter?