Aeromedical

Preparation And Exams Dr. Gary Kawesch and author Brent Blue one day after the procedure. I walked into the Center at the appointed time. As expected, it is a beautiful office with the requisite pictures of the doctor with movie and entertainment stars in the lobby (Danny DeVito, Robbie Krieger of the Doors, Nicole Murphy, […]

As a pilot, you are a member of a unique group of people — a group that is sometimes difficult to understand, at least for non-pilots. In some ways, pilots are the most consistent and even-keeled group anyone is likely to meet, which makes it all the more surprising when a pilot’s behavior seems contradictory […]

Pregnant Pilots One question I am frequently asked was not an issue when I got my pilot’s license 30 years ago — what about pregnancy and flying? Women were just breaking into the left seat of heavy airplanes and there were not all that many even in general aviation. Now, the aviation community has seen […]

“My mind clicks on and off. I try letting one eyelid close at a time while I prop the other with my will. But the effect is too much, sleep is winning, my whole body argues dully that nothing, nothing life can attain is quite so desirable as sleep. My mind is losing resolution and […]

Have you noticed the headlines lately dealing with galactic cosmic radiation? April 7, 2000: Solar shock wave causes surprise aurora display. June 9, 2000: Sun storms creating a stir on Earth. July 13, 2000: Eruption on sun triggers radio blackouts. July 14, 2000: Another strong solar flare heads toward Earth. This is no coincidence. We’re […]

OnOctober 31, 1999, 217 passengers and crew lost their lives when Egypt Air 990crashed into the sea off Nantucket Island, Mass., 40 minutes after having takenoff from New York’s JFK airport. With most of the wreckage now recovered fromthe ocean, investigators can find no evidence of mechanical failure that wouldwarrant reconstructing the airplane. Investigation into […]

Airline passengers often complain about the debilitating effects of the dry atmosphere in aircraft cabins. Some also express concern that reduced airflow and increased recirculation of cabin air can increase the likelihood that infectious diseases are transmitted. And the same is true for flight and cabin crews. In fact, maintaining a dry atmosphere in the […]

Authors Note: I’m indebted to former Pan Am and United Airlines captain Samuel D. Woolsey for much of the background information contained in this article. Captain Woolsey retired at age 60 from United Airlines and is about to embark upon a new career as an attorney. A longtime critic and opponent of the FAA’s Age […]

Sincethe dawn of aviation, generations of pilots and would-be pilots have lustedafter that which God did not give them. No, not wings — they want perfectvision. In addition to the annoyance faced by mere mortals who have to wearglasses or contacts, pilots around the world also must deal with stringentvisual standards from civil aviation authorities […]

Oneof the things that has always driven me crazy about the commercial first aid kits that youfind in drugstores and pilot supply catalogs is that they’re filled with crap that istotally useless … and sometimes even harmful. Never one to be soft-spoken orunopinionated, I have tried to make my feelings known (vigorously) to variousmanufacturers of […]