regarding the medical required for a private lic.

[Guest Sharp End]

Raptor, in the military they test aircrew for drugs at each annual medical by taking copious amounts of blood. I know this because I had to do it 13 times. As far as I know, the CASA medical pee test is for health conditions, not for drugs. However, as Mazda says, CASA does have a random drug and alcohol testing regime in place - mainly I suspect to catch people who've had the odd drink rather than taken anything illicit. CASA regard alcohol as an 8-hour "bottle to throttle" minimum, but that's only applicable if you've had a moderate amount or less and you are not about to fly a Raptor! Alcohol gets into the semi-circular canals and thins out the canal fluid allowing the otiliths (little hair like sensors that help the brain know which way is up) to wobble about in the thinner fluid making you stagger and get head spins when you've been on a binge. The alcohol takes a lot longer to get processed out of the semi circular canal fluid than it does out of the blood so you can actually pass a blood alcohol test and still be totally unfit to fly. As everyone else has said - good on you for quitting the illegal stuff and I'm sure you'll find the joy and passion of flying will continue to motivate you to stay off them and enjoy your flying to the full. Good luck...

 

S-E

 

 

[Gibbo]

Would just like to know how many here have actually been tested?

 

On a single trip in August I was tested twice. Alcohol and the 'weird crap'.

 

G

 

 

[Bidgee]

Alcohol and the 'weird crap'.

How did they test you?

 

 

[antzx6r]

I think it also depends how you answer the question on the paperwork for the medical that asks if you "have at any time taken drugs" (not the exact wording, but you get the idea). If you answer yes (being totally honest about your youthful indescretions) they will give you a urine test every time you get your medical renewed.I actually asked the doctor who did my last medical about it and he said that it is just "easier" to say no to the question (even if not necessarily truthful)

Same experience. I was truthfull. (I alway felt it was foolish to lie to a doctor) Anyhow, being that it was a case of never being a "user" per say but just trying a joint being passed around the camp fire a few times, the doc said if I put anything else but no on this, it will be very difficult to convince casa you're not a paranoia patient waiting to happen. I've also heard the same view is taken if you've ever had a prostate problem. Even if just slightly enlarged. Any experiences with that?

 

ps. I think that the youth experimentation thing has been accelerating in recent years. When I was at school in late 80s there were a few kids that you know were smoking but it was rare. Probably half a doz in each school. (I went to about ten throughout my schooling. Family moved between NSW and TAS a few times.) My younger brother finished about 5 years ago in western NSW and he recons its more like 50/50 or more now. That together with current news reports and the way schools actually have to put up signs that the school is a drug free zone , lets just say I would not like to be trying to raise kids these days.

 

 

[Guest Mad Dave]

When I asked the DAME "wouldn't a lot of people actually mark this as yes" (like you say ant, not raging junkies, but have you EVER taken drugs - one puff of a joint = yes), he just kind of shrugged and said it is "easier" to say no..........

 

 

[F22]

...ps. I think that the youth experimentation thing has been accelerating in recent years..

I can assure you that the mainstreamness of drugs these days would probably boggle your mind. I know, maybe 3 or 4 people my age that dont use any drug at all (scratch that, they all smoke and drink). Its almost normal these days.

 

No wait, 1 of my best friends doesnt take anything, and she just applied for the air force. Her drug free lifestyle and high TEE scores will prove most useful I'm sure. I got her into it when we had some bring-a-friend thing happening at air force cadets

 

 

[Guest basscheffers]

I know, maybe 3 or 4 people my age that dont use any drug at all (scratch that, they all smoke and drink). Its almost normal these days.

I don't buy that for one second. It's like a mechanic saying that because 3 out of 4 of his friends are mechanic, 3 out of 4 people in the world must be mechanics.

To you it just looks that way but the truth it ain't. You do drugs and naturally you hang out with people who also do that.

 

People who drink a lot tend to have many friends that drink a lot. People who smoke tend to have a lot of smoking friends. People who do drugs have a lot of friends who do drugs.

 

That's the way it works.

 

 

[slartibartfast]

And people who moderate a forum don't have any friends at all.

 

 

[antzx6r]

I agree with that observation Bass. I found that even just in my own circle of friends. But you can't deny that drugs in schools is becoming a bigger problem. There have been reports of children as young as 13 dealing. I can remember that getting up to no good at that age was when a friend found his dads old Playboy mags.

 

 

[F22]

I don't buy that for one second. It's like a mechanic saying that because 3 out of 4 of his friends are mechanic, 3 out of 4 people in the world must be mechanics.

What I said is nothing like that, haha, it's more like saying even though this is a white country, there is so many foreigners its not out of the norm.

 

To you it just looks that way but the truth it ain't. You do drugs and naturally you hang out with people who also do that.

But I dont do drugs.

 

People who drink a lot tend to have many friends that drink a lot. People who smoke tend to have a lot of smoking friends. People who do drugs have a lot of friends who do drugs.That's the way it works.

Apart from that being obvious, how does it defeat anything I said?

 

 

[JollyWalter]

Just had a class 2 medical today and no blood test (therefore no drug test).

 

The rest of it was pretty full-on though! I didn't realise how thorough it was going to be.

 

And having walked 20 mins in 40C temps to the doctors my blood pressure was a tad high. Fortunately was back to normal after a lie-down having the ECG.

 

 

[F22]

Just had a class 2 medical today and no blood test (therefore no drug test). The rest of it was pretty full-on though! I didn't realise how thorough it was going to be.

 

And having walked 20 mins in 40C temps to the doctors my blood pressure was a tad high. Fortunately was back to normal after a lie-down having the ECG.

Are you getting your license with air australia at jandakot?

 

 

[JollyWalter]

Are you getting your license with air australia at jandakot?

With the Royal Aero Club (if the instructors don't give up on me )