Today, we’ll go over the physical and medical requirements for commercial pilot license in an easy-to-understand format. This can assist pilot trainees and aspirants in conducting a self-evaluation to determine their suitability for the profession. By the way, we’re also going over some simple solutions to some of the problems you might be having with medical assessments. Pilots must have the best of senses and physical abilities to handle any situation in flight in order to fly safely.
Some of the qualities or requirements aren’t clearly defined by the DGCA, but they can cause problems when you go for a job interview after you get your licence. So, to avoid future guilt feelings, make sure you meet all of the requirements listed below. Click here for more information on the various types of medical examinations for pilots.
Personality/appearance, Beauty, and Color
These three characteristics have NO bearing on becoming a pilot. Many of my friends have told me that if you want to be a pilot, you should look like Bradpit. This is nonsense because you will be handling a machine, not a beauty conscious lady/guy. However, these things are important if you want to work as an airhostess or flight steward, who deal with passengers on an airline. Being attractive has to do with the passengers, not the cockpit.
Mental Wellness
Mental health is critical because it can be a guiding factor in human performance. Drug addicts, depression patients, and others should avoid becoming pilots because they may have difficulty making decisions at the right time while flying an aircraft.
Height, weight, BMI, and muscle mass
These points are significant, even if they are not taken seriously. Proper height, weight, and body mass index level (BMI) are required for aircraft operation. Consider a very short man in the cockpit. He might not be able to reach the controls or see outside to fly visually. To operate the controls of modern aircraft, one does not need to be physically fit, but one must be physically fit to drive a car. A BMI between 17 and 25 is considered ideal. Those with a BMI of 25 or higher are considered if their body weight consists of muscle rather than fat deposits.
Color perception and vision/eye-sight
For becoming Commercial Pilot license, you must have perfect vision. Corrected vision up to 6/6 is permitted. Color blindness, on the other hand, is strictly prohibited. This is because those individuals will have difficulty recognising buttons, lights, or controls in an aircraft or on the ground. If you wear spectacles or contact lenses, try to avoid them as much as possible by undergoing Laser treatments. If your vision is still impaired, you should look for another job.
Hearing
Hearing ability is also required and will be tested during medical examinations. This procedure is known as sonography. The test is performed to determine how much shrill (low volume) sound you can hear. If you can hear sounds that are less than a certain threshold, you will be declared PASSED.
Language, speech, and voice
For medical evaluations, no specific voice clarity tests are performed. However, when taking Radio Telephony exams with practical tests, you must demonstrate your ability to communicate. Furthermore, good voice clarity is required for aerial communication. If your voice isn’t up to par, you won’t be able to pass the Radio Telephony (RT) exam and obtain your licence to operate aircraft radio. The exam currently costs 5000 Rs to take. Some of my friends have tried about 18 times and have yet to succeed.
Surgical history and broken bones
If you have had surgery, you will not be considered unfit. Certain scenarios, however, will be treated as either permanent or temporary unfitness. Before paying money to flying clubs, it is best to consult a Class 2 approved doctor or a Class 1 medical centre to clear your doubts.
Teeth and gums
Teeth problems are not generally taken into account for pilot medicals. However, good tooth structure is preferred for aesthetics and appearance. If you have lost some teeth, you can have them permanently replaced with fixed dental implants. Bridges, root canal therapy (RCT), and removable partial dentures (RPD) are ineffective in the long run. Bridging is the process of replacing a missing tooth by using adjacent teeth for support, grinding the tooth, and placing a common cap over the three. In my experience, it will eventually damage those healthy adjacent teeth. The root of the tooth is drilled and filled with fillers in RCT so that the tooth remains in a dead state. It’s also unworthy because a dead tooth loses its hardness over time and will break in a few years. Removable dentures should be removed and stored in cold water overnight before being washed and replaced in the mouth. They are easily identifiable and do not provide much chewing support. Fixed implants are installed by drilling titanium screws into the gum and then attaching caps that resemble the original tooth. This method is relatively expensive (10,000 to 30,000 Rs per tooth), but it is dependable and long-lasting.
Permanent impairments
Permanent impairments in speech, hearing, vision, and body movements can impede proper aircraft handling and are thus considered reasons for permanent unfitness.
Diseases, infections, blood pressure, and haemoglobin
During your medical checkups, urine and blood samples are collected and analysed to ensure that you are free of abnormalities and infections. Serious infections, such as hepatitis and HIV, can result in permanent disability. Those with high blood pressure are more likely to seek medical attention after taking medication, which is extremely dangerous. As we fly, the atmospheric pressure decreases with altitude. A person on blood pressure medication may be unable to adjust to changes in atmospheric pressure. There have been reports of pilots fainting while flying as a result of pressure changes inside and outside the body. Hemoglobin levels must also be within normal healthy limits.
I believe I have covered almost every aspect of medicals that a pilot aspirant should be aware of. Please let me know if you believe I have missed anything. Sharing, by the way, is caring. Share this with your friends so they can stay alert as well.