CASA giveth, and CASA taketh away - Basic Class 2 Medical

[facthunter]

Those stress ECG;s can be harmful to you.  They should assess your heart at pulse above  150 not test you for your ability to run for 11 minutes. Nev

[Kyle Communications]

When you do a test there is a nurse and a doctor and another person. You are well monitored well at my cardiologist you are. My one last year I asked how it was and the doctor said..who by the way was same one that did my last one said..."its a carbon copy of the one done in 2018"...so all seems to be ok. But this perfusion test is just for my own peace of mind to make sure as a stress test doesnt actually tell you if there is a real problem. I had a stress test back in 2012 and all was fine so they told me..then 6 months later I am on the table with 4 arteries 90% blocked 3 days after the angiogram

[RFguy]

24 minutes ago, Kyle Communications said:

Glen thats easy yes. But I have a Heavy vehicle licence with conditions. Yet I can drive a 64 tonne BDouble through a major city but they say I cant fly any aircraft with 1 pax up to 1500kg. I have a full dual timeslot medical every year from my GP to satisfy the Austroads licence to maintain my heavy vehicle licence AND I have a yearly appointment with a cardiologist and usually a cardiac echo or like last year a stress test and as a matter of fact I am having a cardiac perfusion test this thursday. Realistically I have a far better idea on how I am going than most people flying rec or even VH rec aircraft. Most never know what their bodies are like and what condition. They could drop dead at a pinch and some do. All this costs me about $1000 per year..yet I cant fly a aircraft up to 1500kg and 1 pax according to CASA

 

My DAME signed me off for a Basic Class 2 a few of years ago as he was happy with all my blood tests and also all my results of my ticker. I need to go back and see if I can get it again as it has lapsed but I am hearing CASA would reject it even though it is the DAME's decision

golly.

[old man emu]

13 hours ago, Kyle Communications said:

I had a stress test back in 2012 and all was fine so they told me..then 6 months later I am on the table with 4 arteries 90% blocked 3 days after the angiogram

Which just goes to show you that the results of these various tests are not good predictors or descriptors of the state of a person's body. Actually, as I think about it, a stress test is a pretty primitive concept, comparing it to how we test aircraft components. If we want to check for metal fatigue in a spar, we can do several types of non-destructive examinations. I wonder why we can't do an ultrasound examination of the heart. Ultrasound examinations for monitoring foetal development can detect minute details of the foetus from very early in the gestation. Surely an ultrasound would pick up blocked arteries.

 

What does a stress test determine anyway? To my way of thinking, it only shows the heart's reaction to rigorous exercise. How many of us are at their peak aerobic capability? How many of us regularly run continuously for 15 minutes. How many of us have knees in such good condition that they can sustain a continuous 15 minute run?

[Kyle Communications]

Actually the std stress test is 7 mins..you can go longer if you want to.

I dont have a lot of faith in them after my experience. Angiogram is the best test but that is very invasive

This cardiac perfusion test is the next best apparently and not so invasive.

There are 2 tests done on the same day over about 5 hours or across 2 days. Mine is the one day.

One is they inject you with contrast while you are resting then they do the MRI.

The after that you have to twiddle your thumbs for a few hours then they inject a small dose into you again and you get on the treadmill for a stress test to bring the heart up to 85% max and when you are finished they get you in the MRI straight away then hit you with a bigger dose of contrast then image that.

 

They basically compare the resting film with the stress film and they can see what areas are not flowing or pumping correctly also any blockages or even slack chamber pressures etc.. So I will find out tomorrow I suppose

[facthunter]

Cardiac ultra sounds ARE done. Kyle which arteries are 90% blocked?   The "Bruces Protocol" stress test  is the "normal One" for aviation.  I know of many people who have had a heart attack not that long after doing one so as a predictor it's not very re-assuring, but it's also likely to bring one on. Nev

[Kyle Communications]

All 4 major ateries were blocked but they only bypassed 3 large ones

I have had a cardiac 3D ultrasound before but it doesnt tell how the chambers are operating with atrial fibulation and flow in the grafts

My heart showing the grafts about 18 months after the op

 

 

[facthunter]

That op is usually pretty successful. Long term better than stenting but much more invasive. Always better accompanied by a lifestyle change.   Nev

[ClintonB]

Hi OME

have you solved the DAME thing yet, I only just read forum on this. 
if you have trouble with finding one, Dr Kannerman in Tamworth at Northwest health is good, I was and again are a bit heavy on MTOW, he sent me for a simple test and had no worries about sleep apnoea. I answered questions about falling asleep honestly and it got me a few tests. It seems that working 16 hour days, then falling asleep watching tv in the chair to wind down is a sign of a sleep disorder, not just tired. Doesn’t pay to be truthful on those forms.

cheers

clinton

[onetrack]

Quote

...working 16 hour days, then falling asleep watching tv in the chair to wind down is a sign of a sleep disorder, not just tired.

If you have an LPG heater with inadequate ventilation, you will also suffer from the above problem. Improperly flued heaters make you sleepy every time, and it's due to oxygen deprivation and toxic gases buildup. 

 

https://www.woolcock.org.au/news/the-health-impacts-of-using-gas-heaters-and-appliances-at-home#:~:text=Gas heaters and stoves emit,build up to hazardous levels.

[old man emu]

14 hours ago, ClintonB said:

have you solved the DAME thing yet,

I've put the idea aside for a while. The impetus for getting back into flying has been removed, but not for health reasons. I was saving up for lessons, but can only put enough away for an hour per month and that's not enough. I don't know if I could get a personal loan to pay for ten or fifteen hours in a block. Then there's the problem of accessing a plane.

 

Actually, I'm thinking more of getting back into radio control flying. I've got lots of open space now to learn to fly in with no neighbours so I could even use my fuel engines (if they still sell fuel for them). I'm going to buy myself a brushless motor and speed controller and make a trainer out of corflute. I have a couple of 1/4 scale kits and planes for a CAC Boomerang and an early Aeronca C3 (?), but those might just be built as display models.  

[facthunter]

The reason I gave up models and started doing the real stuff was COST. There's no limit to what you can spend on either.  Nev

[onetrack]

OME's flying desire .... VS .... OME's flying budget .......

[facthunter]

Split the difference and fly a Volksplane..   Nev

[turboplanner]

3 hours ago, old man emu said:

I've put the idea aside for a while. The impetus for getting back into flying has been removed, but not for health reasons. I was saving up for lessons, but can only put enough away for an hour per month and that's not enough. I don't know if I could get a personal loan to pay for ten or fifteen hours in a block. Then there's the problem of accessing a plane.

 

Actually, I'm thinking more of getting back into radio control flying. I've got lots of open space now to learn to fly in with no neighbours so I could even use my fuel engines (if they still sell fuel for them). I'm going to buy myself a brushless motor and speed controller and make a trainer out of corflute. I have a couple of 1/4 scale kits and planes for a CAC Boomerang and an early Aeronca C3 (?), but those might just be built as display models.  

 

[turboplanner]

3 hours ago, old man emu said:

I was saving up for lessons, but can only put enough away for an hour per month and that's not enough.

That's 15 minutes a week and weekly flying keeps you a lot smarter than monthly flying because you have less mistakes and less to fix so more focus and you make less mistakes. If you can lever this by getting another 15 minutes free for opening up/sweeping up/fuelling the aircraft etc. you'll be flying better that most recreational pilots.

 

If you yearn for cross country flights, you are certainly looking at big dollars these days, but if you want to do one once a year or so, hire the instructor for the trip. That way you'll save the hundreds/thousands required to bring you up to scratch for a safe solo cross country but you'll still be flying the route.

 

3 hours ago, old man emu said:

I don't know if I could get a personal loan to pay for ten or fifteen hours in a block. Then there's the problem of accessing a plane.

All the recreational people I know who did that finished up paying it off, but not flying for trips with the family, because as soon as the load runs out, you don't fly enough, get rusty, rules change and get confusing etc. and if you talk to them a couple of years later their budget is going on caravanning etc.