bushpilot Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Wondering what pilots out there think about being PIC with a head cold? That is, with the usual symptoms of blocked nose and ears and bit of a cough. Is there added risk in flying with this condition, if you feel fine otherwise? Is there an official policy on this for airline pilots? Thanks, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barefootpilot Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Your ear are going to hurt no way around it. Even if you think you don't feel to bad your performance will be impaired to some extent. Yes Commercial pilots do fly when they are sick - some times but if there is a way around it you don't. Unless you really need to go flying I'd leave it until next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultralights Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 dont ever fly with a head cold, sure you feel alright on the gound, but get to a few thousand feet, and with no way to release pressure blocked in your sinuses, you will be in a world of hurt.. i know, i flew over katoomba at 8000 ft with a bad cold. apart from the extreme pain in my head, it was the bleeding from my eyes that worried me. it quite literally felt like my head was going to explode, and with the air trapped in your sinuses at sea level pressure, and the outside pressure, or lack of it at 8000ft, it literally was trying to explode.. take a bag of chips up to 5000 ft and higher and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
facthunter Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Flying with a head cold. Not recommended at all. If you are flying unpressurised, you can easily burst an eardrum (as I have). The pain associated with that is distracting , to say the least. You must be able to equalise the pressure on the inner ear and the atmosphere you are in. Holding your nose and pressurising your air passages is NOT RECOMMENDED. A forced "fake" yawn sometimes clears your ears, or chewing butterscotch on descent can help. If you cannot fully clear them you suffer significant temporary deafness/pain till you do. You can increase the likelihood of a serious middle-ear infection too. You are also more likely to suffer loss of balance (vertigo) effects and be more susceptable to giddiness.. You shouldn't fly as a pax, let alone consider being the PIC. Nev.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Crezzi Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Chris - have you done your HF exam yet ? This is just the sort of thing that is (or should be) covered in the reading material or course to prepare for that. Cheers John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushpilot Posted January 18, 2009 Author Share Posted January 18, 2009 Jeez! -with all that good news, I think I wont fly for a few days! I was planning on flying into Bathurst - 15 min. flight - to a Flying Club lecture and social event this evening.. But seems I'll be going in the Ford Territory - not the Jab.. Thanks for all the feedback... Hopefully its been helpful to others as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Longden Posted January 18, 2009 Share Posted January 18, 2009 I have to agree with the blokes here... Its a nogo for flying if you have blocked sinuses. To illustrate the point, I went diving with someone who had a blocked sinus. At depth of only 10 metres the air inside the sinus was pressurised to two atmospheres, and the sn*t forming a tight plug on the opening. On ascent, the pressure inside the sinus literally blew the sn*t plug out, and filled her mask with blood. It was a good day or so before the bleeding stopped and of course that was the end of diving for her on that trip. While water pressure at depth is greatly different to air pressure for the equivalent height (due to the density difference) the pressure differential does cause pain that can be overwhelming, and although they might not get a bleed, it makes for an unpleasent flight. This is the reason why a headcold is an automatic nogo for a dive. Even though the dive in question was 1994, I remember that one like it was yeterday. I believe the term used was :sinus barotrauma Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moz Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Flying with a head cold Been there done that, won't do it again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Lewer Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 Ever wondered why there is "Minties" Wrappers all over the A/C flaw when i have used an A/C ? ANSEWR = To let my head feel better. For some reason i can not get my head to "equalize" so i chew minties. I also take a bottle of coke to wash the minties down. I hate holding my nose and blowing for some reason it hurts me. I did fly with a Cold one time and was planning a few hour trip, I got into the CCT and done 1 lap packed up my bags and went home, way to painful. I will take a bag of chips with me next i have to see that one :big_grin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunder Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Coming home from work (mine site) in a Cessna Conquest, I was a bit blocked up. Decent was closer to a dive (airspeed knocking on the barbers pole). Well, the pain was unbelievable. Felt like my head was going to explode. I always carry mints or cold lollies now. I was on a Qantas flight once, and another passenger had blocked ears and was in some pain. The stewardess had some sort of smelling substance that she gave to the passenger which quickly relieved the passenger. Does anyone know what it is? It looked like a small tear open pouch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelorus32 Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Coming home from work (mine site) in a Cessna Conquest, I was a bit blocked up.Decent was closer to a dive (airspeed knocking on the barbers pole). Well, the pain was unbelievable. Felt like my head was going to explode. I always carry mints or cold lollies now. I was on a Qantas flight once, and another passenger had blocked ears and was in some pain. The stewardess had some sort of smelling substance that she gave to the passenger which quickly relieved the passenger. Does anyone know what it is? It looked like a small tear open pouch. That was Brynclear that little sachet. They're made in Melbourne - I think the company is Brendow. They contain eucalyptus and menthol. They are effective up to a point. I think the advice not to fly is the right advice. If you have an ear that won't clear or a slightly blocked nose - rather than a serious head cold - then either one of the sachets or a chemist's nasal spray can seriously help. The nasal spray you want is the one that has saline and eucalyptus/menthol in it. You don't want the full on decongestant sprays. These saline based sprays work well to ease a bit of mild congestion that you sometimes get if the air is dusty or the environment very dry. Please don't think they are the solution to a proper cold though - they aren't. Regards Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gofastclint Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Over the counter cold&flu tablets work well for me, I used to free dive for crayfish between Ballina and Byron Bay, usually to a maximum depth of 30m with no trouble. Non drowsy for flying of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brett Campany Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 Check out Eza-cold as well, herbal product, non drousy and can pick it up at the super market. But from experience, avoid flying with a cold at all times! It's bad ju-ju Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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