I wonder when they introduced compulsory medical examinations for pilots.

[Pawelk198604]

I mean when in history introduced a requirement that prospective pilots underwent a medical examination.

I wonder also why in many countries, some diseases are disqualifying for pilots, even if they were completely cured.

[bsalis]

Some googling would probably yield some info.

My guess is that it was introduced after people died in an accident, because the pilot was unfit to fly. Often a tragedy is needed to enact change.

[Red Iron Crown]

As I understand it, the physical has always been a part of getting a pilot's license here. So since licensing became a thing, I guess. Not unreasonable, IMO, but I'm not familiar with the disqualifying diseases mentioned by the OP.

[lajoswinkler]

Probably early in the history of flying, well before any commercial flights, while it was still just a sports thing.

[Creature]

Depending on the disease/medical condition the "completely cured" is not necessarily infallible and when you're in charge of a plane costing tens or hundreds of millions with hundreds of people on board some officials might be a bit protective and rather just throw a blanket disqualification if they even suspect that the pilot might be a liability.

[softweir]

Indeed. For instance, I suffered a cardiomyopathy about 15 years ago which caused some parts of my heart to stretch like rubber balloons. After I spent about 5 years taking numerous heart drugs the chambers shrank back down, and for most purposes I am "cured". However, my heart remains just slightly damaged, and if I were to fly there would be a serious danger of my collapsing - and if I were piloting, I would take a whole bunch of people with me. The diabetes and cystic fibrosis which I also have are bad for piloting, but the heart damage is a strict no-no!

[Pawelk198604]

Indeed. For instance, I suffered a cardiomyopathy about 15 years ago which caused some parts of my heart to stretch like rubber balloons. After I spent about 5 years taking numerous heart drugs the chambers shrank back down, and for most purposes I am "cured". However, my heart remains just slightly damaged, and if I were to fly there would be a serious danger of my collapsing - and if I were piloting, I would take a whole bunch of people with me. The diabetes and cystic fibrosis which I also have are bad for piloting, but the heart damage is a strict no-no!

My dad died of cardiomyopathy, 12 years ago, he was nervous and crankybut he was a very good dad, I still miss him very much :-(

As for me, I have a slightly enlarged heart and high blood pressure for which I take medication, I wonder if high blood pressure is disqualifying for pilots?

I once read of a retired doctor, our Polish Civil Aviation Office, like the U.S. FAA.

He said that the man accessed for the first time aero-medical examinations, should behave as if they were in the confessional with a priest, which was absolutely honest and do not lie, because in the case of insincere confession is a mortal sin and nothing more, and if someone to lie to a aviation doctor it can be treated as crime, he or she automatically lose their JAR-FCL 3 medical certificate and maybe even prosecuted, because in Poland lying in official document is treated as lying in court.

[softweir]

I don't know for certain, but I would suspect that an enlarged heart combined with high blood pressure would make you ill if you went up to any altitude, even if you are taking medications that keep you well at ground level. If you get ill when piloting a plane, you put your life in danger. If you have passengers, you put their lives in danger.

The only way to know for certain is to report the problems and wait for the medical examiners to make a decision. If you lied, then you would be committing a crime, AND you would be putting yourself and any passengers in danger. Killing yourself because of a lie is a very sad way to go. Killing other people because of a lie is a very criminal way to go.

[Creature]

I'm not a doctor nor a pilot and I only did a few jumps when I dabbled with skydiving but I'd throw a wild guess that pilots should have similar medical requirements so no heart conditions, no serious respiratory illnesses, no epilepsy even if non-symptomatic while under medication or basically anything that's affected by the low pressure. The lowered pressure leads to less oxygen in your blood which leads to heart rate going up and getting out of breath. I wouldn't risk it.

[Red Iron Crown]

Good color vision (and vision in general) is a requirement here.

[Pawelk198604]

I don't know for certain, but I would suspect that an enlarged heart combined with high blood pressure would make you ill if you went up to any altitude, even if you are taking medications that keep you well at ground level. If you get ill when piloting a plane, you put your life in danger. If you have passengers, you put their lives in danger.

The only way to know for certain is to report the problems and wait for the medical examiners to make a decision. If you lied, then you would be committing a crime, AND you would be putting yourself and any passengers in danger. Killing yourself because of a lie is a very sad way to go. Killing other people because of a lie is a very criminal way to go.

I wonder what is the penalty for lying to a doctor.

In Poland, it is treated as perjury, for which the Polish Penal Code provides for up to 3 years imprisonment, but where the doctor could find out that I lied to him, besides, from what I've heard for a long time, no Polish prosecutor did not take such a case.

Anyway, it does not matter, because it was not that I could afford to pilot training, I'm poor as a church mouse:(

[VirtualCLD]

I honestly do not know when they started mandatory medical exams for pilot certificates, but here in the U.S. there has always been a movement to remove the Third-Class medical requirement for Private Pilot or Private Pilot VFR-Only flights. This had gained some momentum last year into this year, but I haven't heard of any recent developments, so it may have fallen off again.

I have mild asthma and I wear glasses, but I'm healthy enough for a Third-Class medical certificate for Private pilot. I believe Commercial License requires a Second-Class medical and Airline Transport Pilot requires a First-Class (I forget what an Instructor rating requires). Unfortunately I have a family history of diabetes, so if I do contract diabetes later in life, that would disqualify me on my next attempt to renew my medical certificate.

There is a "medical Catch-22" with the US FAA in that a Glider license (I have that as well) and a Sport Pilot license do not require a medical certificate, only the acknowledgement that you have no reason to believe that you have any medical condition that would prohibit your ability to fly." If you have a medical certificate already and contract a medical condition, you will be denied a new certificate when you try and renew your medical certificate. This would also prevent you from obtaining or using an existing Glider or Sport Pilot rating as the FAA would now have a record of a "known medical condition that would prohibit you from flying." However, if you let your medical certificate lapse (expire) and do not attempt to renew after you contract a medical condition that would prohibit you from flying, the FAA would not have a record and you could fly gliders or sport planes without a medical certificate. Of course you would be violating the part about "known medical condition" should you get yourself into trouble. It is a technique that I have heard about from time to time.

Often times, older private pilots will get a regular physical exam before the FAA medical exam to find out if they have any conditions that would deny them a new medical certificate. That way they can avoid being denied while retaining the technical ability to fly other aircraft (even if they should not).