The GFA Membership Renewal Advice's Medical Practitioner's Certificate Of
Fitness says:
"I am the applicant's GP/a CASA DAME. etc..............
Please notice the back slash to facilitate deletion.
My reading of that is that GFA members (gliders only) can go to their GP and
only incur at least a long consult fee not the huge (unclaimable from
Medicare) DAME fee to satisfy the renewal reqirements if they need to go
beyond the self declaration route.
I have hardly ever been to a Dr in my life, but started to go once a year
after I turned 50 (a GP who specialises in ageing care) since I drink, smoke
and try for the other as much as I get a chance to and want some advance
warning if something is awry.
I always ask him after the long consult if he thinks I am fit to fly, but
from now on I will get him to sign the declaration as well.
Chris McDonnell
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Hart" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Discussion of issues relating to Soaring in Australia."
<[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2005 10:51 AM
Subject: Re: [Aus-soaring] RE: Aus-soaring Digest, Vol 27, Issue 50
Mike Borgelt wrote:
How many people actually know what the medical criteria and disqualifying
conditions are?
I certainly do not (and I have a better 'lay' understanding of medicine
than most as both my parents were medics) - it is after all, a matter of
degree in many cases. I decided nearly a couple of years ago to take
myself off to a DME and get a PPL medical.
I certainly do not favour increased regulation of this issue by the GFA
(or CASA), but there are issues associated with the medical. I have sat on
the IP at two clubs where we have debated this issue and the legal
ramifications for the club and its officers that might result if an unfit
pilot had an accident with a passenger on board. One club now requires
that instructors (including AEIs) have their medical signed off by their
regular medical practitioner. A number of instructors who are not power
pilots have decided, like myself, that the best approach is to have a PPL
medical.
Let's face it, glider pilots as a group are getting older on average. I
sincerely hope that I will know when the time has come for me to stop
instructing and flying solo. However, I am only too well aware of the
human ability to gloss over things. Hence my decision for myself to have a
PPL medical (which will now get much more expensive - sigh).
If the self declaration is going to be kept, we must all remember that
along with that privilege comes the responsibility to exercise that
privilege wisely. That may well mean getting an informed third party
opinion on one's fitness to fly. I decided to form that habit well before
(I hope!) my fitness to fly becomes an issue. That way, I do not have to
make that decision later when I might be worried about failing - and hence
fall at the ethical hurdle.
--
Robert Hart [EMAIL PROTECTED]
+61 (0)438 385 533 http://www.hart.wattle.id.au
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