Pilot Blog
Do Pilots Have Perfect Vision?
I’ve had many people share with me that they had to give up on their childhood dream to become a pilot due to the fact they wear glasses or contacts…
FAA Corner: When do I need an EKG?
An ECG (or EKG) is short for electrocardiogram and is a tracing of the heart’s electrical activity. It can be used to diagnosis abnormal rhythms and even heart attacks. There…
How to Find a Good Aviation Medical Examiner (AME)
Most pilots have experienced the anxiety and trepidation felt when going to any doctor. This feeling is even more intense when visiting the flight doc for medical clearance. This is…
A day in the life of a U2 Spy Plane Flight Doc
It is an exceedingly rare privilege for anyone aside from highly trained military pilots to don the yellow pressure suit and fly along the very edge of outer space in…
What is a CACI Condition?
Pilots and other aircrew must maintain strict medical standards to be considered fit & healthy to fly airplanes & passengers. Check out this previous post for a full history and…
Should I get the COVID-19 Vaccine?
I received my second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine a little over a week ago. That’s great news for me as it means I’m essentially immune to the deadly…
Important Dates: FAA Certificate Extensions for COVID19
Some important dates are approaching and both pilots and AME’s need to be aware. Due to the COVID19 pandemic and challenges accessing medical care, the FAA has modified the standard…
(Another) ER Doctor’s Ramblings on Coronavirus
INITIAL RAMBLINGS – My position on the pandemic continues to evolve…daily – Know Thyself: I was slow to take this seriously. I have high-risk tolerance. I’m an intrinsic optimist. I…
Phiz Biz: Aug & Sep – Exercise & Fitness Pearls
Here are the Aug & Sep newsletters from our friends at the USAF Aerospace & Operational Physiology Team at Peterson AFB in CO. Click below for PDF’s 8. August 2018…
Phiz Biz: GFM Partners with USAF Aerospace Physiologists
Phiz Biz (a clever play on Physiology Business) is a monthly newsletter produced by the USAF Aerospace and Operational Physiology Flight at Peterson AFB in Colorado. The team started this tradition…
Pilot Education: LASER Exposure & Eye Injury
LASER exposure continues to be an increasingly frequent problem in both military and civilian aviation. Typically, these exposures arise from people pointing green commercial LASERs directly at flying aircraft. The…
Clearing Your Ears
Most aviators learn early in their career that flying with a simple upper respiratory infection or seasonal allergies can be painful. Gases in the sinuses and middle ear expand in…
Does Bilberry Extract Improve Night Vision in Pilots?
BLUF: Bilberry is probably not effective in improving night vision visual acuity or contrast recognition. It recently was brought to my attention that some pilots have added bilberry to their…
Dietary Supplements in Aircrew
“Ok, I got this nailed- Vitamin M, dip, coffee, Jack & Coke. That’s what makes a fighter pilot” ~ Anonymous Fighter Pilot Although this may be the typical formula that fighter…
Stimulants & Sleep Aids in Military Aviation
Chemical stimulants and sleeping aids have a long history of use in improving performance in military personnel. The first pharmacologic stimulant, Amphetamine, became available by prescription in 1937. It was used in…
Combat Stress Response & Tactical Breathing
I recently finished the book, On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace, by former Army Ranger turned psychologist, Lt Col (ret.) Dave Grossman.…
Thermal Stress in the Cockpit
Fighter aircraft are commonly home to locations with stable weather patterns and abundant airspace for training purposes. Many times, these advantages for military flight operations also coincide with very high…
Combating Fighter Pilot Fatigue
Pilot fatigue is a constant threat to all aircrew. There are particular risk factors for those flying high-performance fighter platforms. Flying high-G sorties is physically exhausting. This is an tiring business…
Be a Better G-Monster: The Anti-G Straining Maneuver (AGSM)
This installment will review the effect of G’s on the human body, the Anti-G Straining Maneuver (AGSM) and how you as the modern fighter pilot can decrease the likelihood of…
Recent Comments
Total BS. When you lose horizon you might go into a slow descent, if you are not trusting your instruments,…
Actually chaplains and doctors both have a duty to chose between conscientious objector and form two personnel. Flight surgeons almost…
Hi Jay, I've just led myself to this article after coming across your PPP slides from the AF Specialty Teleconference,…
Textbook cases of not breathing correctly. Most of them seem to have not even tried.
How do flight surgeons reconcile Geneva Convention status issues? As medical officers, they are non-combatants; as pilots, they definitely ARE.…
Ratstar, I have not yet gained the FAWM suffix. It does remain a personal goal however!
This sounds so cool! Are u a fellow already?
I want to ask that is final year MBBS student (only 1 Year Internship left out of 5.5 years MBBS…
Major Jedick, Very intersting piece. I often wondered this myself- I briefed a flight surgeon once (WX) and we chatted…
We do not need more female physicians or doctors of any specific race or ethnic background. We need the best…