It's bloody crazy!

[old man emu]

I have just undergone a medical to obtain an authority to drive a public passenger vehicle (I suppose the medical will also cover my licence for driving anything from a golf cart to a road train). The doctor noticed that I had a slight heart murmur, so he sent me to a cardiologist for a stress test. I passed the test, but there was an slight abnormality in my ECG (Inverted T wave, if you know about these things). The doctor passed me as medically fit.

 

So now I can drive a 5 - 10 tonne bus with up to 60 children on board in any sort of traffic, anywhere in Australia.

 

However ....

 

CASA won't let me fly a 500kg AUW two seater aircraft with one passenger (who has been advised that I have not had a comprehensive aviation medical) as there has been a change in my ECG.

 

If I want to fly, I must pass a Class 2 Aviation medical conducted by a DAME. What will the DAME do? Send me for a stress test by the cardiologist who did my PPV test. I suppose I could save time by taking the report of the first test along to the DAME, who will no doubt pass me as fit to fly.

 

It's bloody crazy!

 

Old Man Emu

 

 

[Dafydd Llewellyn]

The reason for this is, I suggest, to be found in S8.2© of the Civil Aviation Act 1988:

 

8 Establishment of CASA

 

(1) An authority called the Civil Aviation Safety Authority is established by

 

this subsection.

 

(2) CASA:

 

(a) is a body corporate with perpetual succession;

 

(b) shall have a seal; and

 

© may sue and be sued in its corporate name.

 

 

[spacesailor]

So is telling trainees that iceing is caused by moisture, Knocked me back, could have sworn it,s a product of temperature, on my basic,s test. FAILED

 

Driest place is in the antartic, but a little too cold for flying, frozen fuel!

 

spacesailor

 

 

[djpacro]

I think you'll find that the DAME can't find anything - CASA will decide, probably with their complex case management process.

 

http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD:1001:pc=PC_101489

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Lot of DAMEs out there getting peeved with someone at CASA with no med experience contradicting there decisions by knocking back pilots that ave been cleared by said DAMEs.

 

 

[robinsm]

same thing OME, one minor event (not heart) (7 years ago), cleared by doctors etc, no effect on my road licences but DAME want me to jump through some very expensive hoops to get even an RPL. Guess I stick with my Raa Aus cert. Sometimes the inmates really do run the asylum...

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Exactly why I have been saying all along, that the RPL is just a trap to get you into a medical.

 

CASA love the medical thing....very easy tool for them to take you out of the sky

 

 

[poteroo]

Exactly why I have been saying all along, that the RPL is just a trap to get you into a medical.CASA love the medical thing....very easy tool for them to take you out of the sky

The Drivers Licence (Aviation) Medical has so many exclusions that most pilots have to 'admit' to one of them. (Q - do you have a nap during the day? A - of course I do you fool, I'm 75!........ FAIL) In other words - it's not anything like the 'great breakthrough' that the industry kidded itself was being allowed. Far, far from it! We've been sold a pup.

 

Once you do tick any of those boxes - it's off to the DAME for a Class 2 medical, because there is more leeway there. If you are young, (under 40), it makes sense to do your Class 2 anyway because you can then complete your PPL with full CTA at anytime you like. If you plan a commercial career - do Class 1 before you spend a dollar at a flying school. However, at any stage, CASA Avmed can step in and place you into the Complex Case Management grouping - meaning it can take months for decisions to be finalised - but it might well favour your case if you have taken the time and dollars to answer all of their queries.

 

The cost of maintaining a Class 1 medical has skyrocketed for me. At least 1 trip up to Perth for cardiologist report, plus full blood tests to be done before I even go in to see the DAME. Add to that more regular vision and hearing tests as well. I estimate it's costing me close to $2000 per year to just stay in the GA+RAAus instructing system. Then, I have to add into that a biennial flight review by a CASA ATO/FE every 2 years - costs $900 for ATO + hired aircraft. Then, I need an RAAus BFR from a PE to renew my CFI/SI approval - costs another $400 at least. Now, with CASR Part 61 in force - I have to separately renew my Night VFR M/E, my Ag 2, and my LL approval. As well, there are currency minima on some of these,plus the usual 90 day currency requirements, so it becomes a never ending whirl of costs to remain an instructor. I think we are going to see a large dropout of older instructors.

 

happy days,

 

 

[djpacro]

..... so it becomes a never ending whirl of costs to remain an instructor. I think we are going to see a large dropout of older instructors.

Agreed, either dropout or let things slide for a limited scope of operations.

[facthunter]

The RPL sold originally as based on a driver's licence, is anything but. IF ANYTHING as at all a question, straight to class 2 or 1 and work it through there as there are mechanisms to do it. ( Although Avmed may not be as responsive to expert opinion as they once were, and still should be).Nev