Donating Blood and Flying

[Morne]

How long after you donate blood should you abstain from being PIC? Does donating "double red" change this at all?

I'm donating a "double red" Thursday morning. I've done it before, no big deal. I'm a big guy and young (at least by y'all's standards). But I haven't donated since I got my private pilot's license.

My uneducated guess is that I should stay below 10,000' for awhile (maybe a month or two?).

 

[Everskyward]

How long after you donate blood should you abstain from being PIC? Does donating "double red" change this at all?

I'm donating a "double red" Thursday morning. I've done it before, no big deal. I'm a big guy and young (at least by y'all's standards). But I haven't donated since I got my private pilot's license.

My uneducated guess is that I should stay below 10,000' for awhile (maybe a month or two?).

Just FYI our company requires 72 hours between donating blood and flying.

 

[gismo]

How long after you donate blood should you abstain from being PIC? Does donating "double red" change this at all?

I'm donating a "double red" Thursday morning. I've done it before, no big deal. I'm a big guy and young (at least by y'all's standards). But I haven't donated since I got my private pilot's license.

My uneducated guess is that I should stay below 10,000' for awhile (maybe a month or two?).

Don't know about "double red" but for a normal donation I've been told by my AME to wait 24 hrs.

 

[HPNPilot1200]

Our GOM requires a minimum of 72 hours.

 

[poadeleted20]

The Eastern Region Flight Surgeon said 48 hours when I asked several years ago, so I'd take that as a mnimum even if an individual AME says 24, but it doesn't surprise me that Part 121 carriers require 72.

 

[silver-eagle]

Medically, it is apheresis. With the Red Cross, it is the taking of about a pint worth of red cells. They add back two pints worth of saline along with the rest of the other stuff they don't take. Generally speaking, it is less of a problem than donating a pint of whole blood since the volume is replaced. It also takes about 3 times longer than just giving a pint.