PPL Medical

[Shamrock55]

Hey folks,

Doing my Class 2 Medical on Monday, my visions pretty cr@p so i'm not overly sure i'm going to pass. Was wondering has anyone on here done one and if so what's it like? From what I hear about the visual part is reading from a book and a wall chart, also any idea what the physical tests are like? I'm pretty nervous as I've been dying to do my PPL but always held off on doing it in Ireland due to my eyesight. I've done 5 hours now so this will have to put my mind at rest

Cheers

s

[Alex]

I can't say for sure for the Class Two, but I've done the Class One, and it went something like...

• Weight and Height
• Blood Pressure/Heart rate
• Urine test
• Electrocardiogram (where they stick the pads onto your chest and get a printout of your heat beating - like you see on the monitors on hospital dramas)
• Spirometry (Blowing through a tube/machine to measure your respiratory capability)
• Hearing test, put a set of headphones on and press the button when you hear the beep (which gradually decreases in volume)
• Eye test on the wall chart, then reading different sized text from a book from different distances
• "Cough", and feel you up for hernias.
• Reflexes
  
  • Done separately was a blood test, and also an eye exam at the optometrist. The eye exam was more reading of charts through their machines, and also they have a look around in your eye by putting drops in that make your pupils dilate.

There's probably a few things I've forgotten, but it went something along those lines. I'm not sure how similar the Class Two is to the Class One, but that gives you some idea I suppose.

Alex

[SA227]

Have a read of CAA rule part 67, it has all you need to know.
So long as you haven't had any significant eye surgery and can meet 6/9 in each eye, which is about the 4th line up on an eye chart, and that's with or without glasses, plus be 6/6 using both eyes then you're fine.
Don't get too stressed or it might stuff your blood pressure

[greaneyr]

QUOTE (Shamrock55 @ Nov 26 2008, 07:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey folks,

Doing my Class 2 Medical on Monday, my visions pretty cr@p so i'm not overly sure i'm going to pass. Was wondering has anyone on here done one and if so what's it like? From what I hear about the visual part is reading from a book and a wall chart, also any idea what the physical tests are like? I'm pretty nervous as I've been dying to do my PPL but always held off on doing it in Ireland due to my eyesight. I've done 5 hours now so this will have to put my mind at rest

Cheers

s

How bad's your eyesight, if you don't mind me asking? Like Andy says, the rule states your vision must be 6/9 in each eye, but I have a lazy eye so i can't meet that so would technically fail out of the box. However, the rules aren't absolute. I went for a test about 10 years ago just out of interest and, of course, i failed the eyesight test. They sent me to a specialist who was able to write up something about me, which then went back to the CAA certified examiner who told me that I would be able to pass, but would have the condition that I'd need to pass a proficiency test with a CAA certified examiner prior to flying solo. Needless to say, I'd never get a look in from Aiways or any airline for that matter, as they're both looking for an easy first-up screening test to eliminate the 'scraps', but it does go to show that rules aren't set in concrete. PPL would have been fine for me.

[Shamrock55]

QUOTE (greaneyr @ Nov 26 2008, 10:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How bad's your eyesight, if you don't mind me asking? Like Andy says, the rule states your vision must be 6/9 in each eye, but I have a lazy eye so i can't meet that so would technically fail out of the box. However, the rules aren't absolute. I went for a test about 10 years ago just out of interest and, of course, i failed the eyesight test. They sent me to a specialist who was able to write up something about me, which then went back to the CAA certified examiner who told me that I would be able to pass, but would have the condition that I'd need to pass a proficiency test with a CAA certified examiner prior to flying solo. Needless to say, I'd never get a look in from Aiways or any airline for that matter, as they're both looking for an easy first-up screening test to eliminate the 'scraps', but it does go to show that rules aren't set in concrete. PPL would have been fine for me.

My left eye is cr@p and my right eye isnt too bad, according to what ive read on the caa site its 6/12 for the class 2 and 6/9 for Class 1 and I think I might scrape that. I've also got night blindness but that shouldnt affect a PPL who doesnt want to fly IFR or at night. I'm expecting to get sent for a special examination. I just really hope I can scrape it, flyings been adream, i've long ago accepted i'd never make CPL or ATPL standard but since I came to NZ I've really gotton into flying again and have been taking lessons. I'm going to knock it on the head though if I dont pass this, would be pretty frustrating to never be able to solo

I've just farily recently quit smoking but still have the odd one when im out for a pint.

Thanks for all the replies guys

[HercFeend]

Hey Shamrock

As a few of the other guys have said, don’t get too worked up over it. I recently did my Class 1 and was a little worried about the eye test – for no particular reason other than I’m old (36), hadn’t had an eye test for a few years and though I might need glasses in order to pass. As it turned out I was fine, don’t need glasses and according to the optometrist ‘have good eye sight for my age’ (now there’s a back handed comment)......

Back to the point though, I was quite surprised when the optometrist pointed to the line I had to read to get the Class 1 and even more surprised when he told me the line above was the Class 2 requirement – I think you’ll be fine and hey if you do have to have a spec eye exam, again try not to get too worked up – go with it and I’m sure you’ll be sweet as. BTW do you drive?

As for smoking........... Just ask yourself when you’re just about to pop one in your mouth – what do I want more?

[HardCorePawn]

Don't be too concerned about the bad eyesight... at least for a Class 2.

My missus got a Class 2... and she was like -6.5 in one eye and -7.5 in the other with astigmatism and a squint... if you can't pass the simple read the lines on the chart thing, they send you off to the optometrist (actually, may have been an opthalmologist) and do more thorough testing...

She just ended up with an endorsement on her medical that said she had to carry a spare pair of correcting lenses while flying (she wears contacts)

Unfortunately for me... she really didn't take to flying... she was technically capable, but she didn't have 'The Passion'™... so never even went solo Still, she's happy for me to continue converting money into noise and fun, so I can't complain

As for me, I did a Class 1 earlier this year... was pretty simple... just had to go see some specialists for eyes and hearing etc... the eye test was easy for me as I have pretty decent sight... he asked what line I could read, so I told him I could read the bottom one... he asked me to prove it, so I did! muahahaha

[Timmo]

QUOTE (Alex @ Nov 26 2008, 08:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

and also they have a look around in your eye by putting drops in that make your pupils dilate.

That was freaky as hell for me! haha. It keeps your eyes dilated for a few hours afterwards......I could see things perfectly across the road, but couldnt see the back of my hand as it was all blurry. When it wore off enough to enable me to look in the mirror, I almost jumped out of my skin looking at my reflection....I was like a crazy doe eyed bambi with pupils the size of dinner plates haha.

[Shamrock55]

Thanks for the the reassurance folks I think nicotene withdrawl is making me freak out over nothing by the sounds of it. Its just i've got to love being in a Tomahawk above Wellington so much I dont' want to have to stop

I'll let ye know how i get on on Monday

Shamrock55

[pois0n]

QUOTE (Alex @ Nov 26 2008, 08:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

putting drops in that make your pupils dilate.

I didn't get that on my class one

I did however get clips put on my eyes to hold them open when he poked my eye with his machine

[HardCorePawn]

Yeah, I didnt get the drops... or the clips... just got told to sit still and focus on the pic while he examined my retina's...

sounds like I got off easy! (except for the $150 for like 15 minutes... about 5 or 6 of which were sitting in the waiting room!)

[MeGoFlying]

Hi Gents,

Are going to start on the magnificent journey which is the "PPL". Just wanted to know what this hernia test is all about? Feeling you up? For what reason does a Hernia prevent you from flying for?....All the rest sound cool except being felt up by some old guy

Wish me luck...

[pois0n]

Definite cuppage....


They just push your abdomen in certain places and ask you to cough, nothing invasive

[MeGoFlying]

QUOTE (pois0n @ Jan 6 2009, 12:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Definite cuppage....


They just push your abdomen in certain places and ask you to cough, nothing invasive

So no "Gooch" contact?

[FlyingKiwi]

Not unless you go to a dodgy doctor.