Does insomnia/sleep disorder disqualify from being pilot

[Pawelk198604]

I'm asking just out curiosity I probably never become pilot :-( due others reasons.

[K^2]

It usually does, because any sleep disorder runs with a risk of narcolepsy. But it's effectively up to whoever does your medical. I don't know the details of the instructions they go with.

It's pretty risky either way, though. You should get yourself checked out. See if there is something you can do about treating/managing it.

(I'm going by FAR, but I believe JAR is very similar.)

[Pawelk198604]

It usually does, because any sleep disorder runs with a risk of narcolepsy. But it's effectively up to whoever does your medical. I don't know the details of the instructions they go with.

It's pretty risky either way, though. You should get yourself checked out. See if there is something you can do about treating/managing it.

(I'm going by FAR, but I believe JAR is very similar.)

narcolepsy, what the heck is that ?

Recently my city Wroclaw heat wave struck over 40 ° C

a few of my friends, including one who is also a member of this fourm and lives in Wroclaw, and my older neighbor complained that by this heat can not sleep.

Who knows

But perhaps this whole global warming, it is not nonsense invented by environmentalists but her real danger?

[cpast]

"I can't sleep because it's so hot out" is not remotely the same thing as a sleep disorder. Sleep disorders are medical conditions, and you should check with either a physician who gives flight physicals, or the relevant aviation authority, for if it's disqualifying or not. If you want to know whether it disqualifies a particular person, only a doctor can really tell you, and only after examining you.

[WestAir]

I have an ATP cert with my Private Pilots License. I live in Las Vegas, and the heat here (113*F this week. How wonderful) can sometimes keep me from falling asleep. The temperature stays above 100 at night, 85 inside the house, and there's no way I'm getting to sleep inside this stucco oven.

It's not grounds for losing your medical. If you call in too much for being unfit to fly, though, you'll probably get leave restriction or something requiring a doctors note, and at that point you might encounter problems.

[lajoswinkler]

"Sleep disorder" will disqualify you from getting a licence permit for piloting an airplane. "I'm hot and sweaty and my bed is itching me and I can't sleep" is not a disorder. Most of people suffer from that during the summer.

[Seret]

narcolepsy, what the heck is that ?

It's a sleep disorder where you fall asleep suddenly and randomly. Obvious not a good thing to happen while trying to land.

[lajoswinkler]

This is an extreme example of narcolepsy in dogs.

[PakledHostage]

It's a sleep disorder where you fall asleep suddenly and randomly. Obvious not a good thing to happen while trying to land.

Interesting that you should mention that. A DC-8 crashed in Guantanamo Bay in August 1993 after the flight crew botched the approach due to extreme fatigue. It is an infamous example of how flight crew fatigue can lead to accidents. I recall reading in one account that the captain actually experienced little micro sleeps during the approach that lead to lethargy and indifference about the fact that the approach was going very badly. Fortunately, all three people on board survived (it was a cargo flight).

The accident report includes a transcript of an interview (on Page 51) with the captain (who was the pilot flying) talking about his fatigue during the approach:

All I can say is that I was -- I felt very lethargic or indifferent. I remember making the turn from base to final, but I don't remember trying to look for the airport or adding power or decreasing power.

On final -- I had mentioned... that I had heard Tom say something about he didn't like the looks of the approach. And looking at the voice recorder, it was along the lines of 'Are we going to make this?'

I remember looking over at him, and there again, I remember being very lethargic about it or indifferent. I don't recall asking him or questioning anybody. I don't recall the engineer talking about the air speeds at all. So it's very frustrating and disconcerting at night to try and lay there and think about how this -- you know -- how you could be so lethargic when so many things are going on, but that's just the way it was.

Edited July 22, 2014 by PakledHostage
Fixed a spelling mistake

[mariajohnson]

Sleep disorder makes you sleep randomly and also due to insufficient sleep you feel unhealthy and tired. There are various ways you can battle insomnia or sleep disorder. Once you get back to your normal sleep you can become a pilot.

[Guest]

I wouldn't want someone like that dog flying an airplane. But, even the most healthy people on the planet can fall victim to a fatal cardiac arrest. So there is no way to completely eliminate risk. It's also impossible to legislate health codes for everyone because everyone is different. The US DOT forces me to drive for 11 hours straight(with the exception of a mandatory 30 min break) because of the way the logbook laws are written. I think this is absolutely ridiculous and somewhat dangerous. I personally feel best when I sleep twice a day, about 6hrs at night, and a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon. Let me decide what is best for my own health and safety as far as sleep is concerned. However, I also don't want to see the drug fueled 3-day cross country super truckers anymore either. So I see the need for legislation on this matter, I just think we've taken it to far here in the US.

As far as sleep disorders and aviation is concerned, I have no clue, but I imagine it would be similar to any other safety sensitive position, and would depend largely on your choice of physician and your employer who ultimately has to pay for the insurance.

Edit : troll bait alert! We just had the coldest July ever recorded here in my part of the world in NE Arkansas. And this following the 3rd coldest winter ever recorded. If this is the results of climate change or global warming, I say keep it up.

Edited August 4, 2014 by Otis