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MEDICAL The genorne Connection. (Part 1)

By James Lobet, SAA sp 1709, EAA 70089, NZ. PPL 46449

	A few years ago the CAA made a computer program which finally produced a medical
standards, the part 67 which bring the so~caIIed 1% rule which, after some pressure from the
business community was rewritten increased at 2% in 2003.

	In fact when you deal with human metabolism it is difficult to make a generality because all
depends on your blood type, your gene, your family history and everybody is different.

	In black Africa some people can run 10 kilometers at more of 30°C temperature, in South
America people play football at more 3000 meters altitude. The Aborigines in Australia can
survive at high temperature and walk all day with practically no water for all day and never have
sunburn.

	You do not need to be a specialist to know that at 40 you are not going to run as a fellow of
20 and at 80 to run as a young fellow of 40, although you can train your body to do it, but like
anything else there is a limit.

	Also the other factor is the progress of science, technology, surgery, medication which in
21st century will completely change the way wé think about ageing people as we suppose to
live longer, of course the questions will be if we are more healthy or not?. And in any case it will
be a big challenge for any bureaucracy especially with a kind of mentality when you are 60 or
70 you are supposed to be unfit to drive a car or fly an aircraft.

	Of course we all know one day we have to give up, but this has to be done according to
your state of health not your age group. Here we talking about PPL not commercial license, we
see with suspicions a 80 years old Captain on Boeing 747. But what the CAA is worry is that
with a PPL there is no limit on seat, that mean if you are a rich man like for example the
American Actor John Travolta with a proper training and proper medical you can fly a Boeing
747 with a PPL The only difference is you have not to charge a fee to your passengers.

	The CAA said there is some flexibility, the point is what kind of flexibility?, because for
example if a pilot own a two seat GA aircraft for many years, Jodel, Piper Cub, Cessna 150,
and so on, how can the CAA expect to ground a pilot who does not meet the standard part 67-
2% rule electrocardiogram exercise because of his age group with no record of heart disease
and still in good health. There is no age limit on any pilot license so far (commercial or PPL).

	There is a double standard, for example I can fly a two seat microlight flying today at more
10,000 feet and at 1~4O knots cruising speed with an instrument panel superior to a Cessna 150
but, I cannot fly a GA JodeL because I have lost temporarily (I hope) my PPL for medical
reason.
	Of Course the CAA and the ministry of transport will argue it is a matter of safety, well - let
talk about safety. In aviation business there are 4 basic principles for safety standard;

MEDICAL, TRAINING, EXPERIENCE and MAINTENANCE.

	It is difficult to make a priority order because all of these 4 principles are very important in
aviation safety standard so, we start with medical.
	Medical is certainly the most complicated one because not only do we deal with human
factor but we deal with the human body or if you prefer metabolism which differ according to
race, blood type, genes, family history. Also every year there is some new discovery, stUdy
and progress as already mentioned above on science, surgery, medication, technology (for
example pace maker) which did not existed a few years ago etc...

In USA a diabetic can fly on a condition that a few minute before flying with a special electronic