Fresh Medical...

Henning

Taxi to Parking
Gone West
Joined
Feb 26, 2005
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39,463
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Ft Lauderdale FL
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Display name:
iHenning
Well, I'm gonna go job hunting and see what's around that can keep me local for a few years, thought aviation may provide an option so I went and got my Class II status back... 9 pounds lighter than the last one thank you....:rolleyes2: For the first time I brought a set of readers but didn't need them...barely:nonod:. Distance vision I could still read the bottom line. Good to his word after sending me across the street to definitively report that under multiple tests I was not colorblind. Ichihara I have not done well with since a child, I can see so many patterns in it, unless you tell me what you want me to delineate by, I can't tell you what you want to hear. For years I just walked in and told the doc, I will not see the numbers in Ichihara. If you tell me what you are looking for, I will point out the pattern those dots make" and that was always good enough. Well that was the third time I used the same doc and last year he said "Lets just get this settled. I'm sending you across the street for an eye exam. His report will be final and we'll never have to do this again." Perfect, so sure enough, report is clean color vision (Which I knew since a earned a good portion of my living between 19 & 30 in commercial photo labs doing custom printing, I even did the color correction for an entire lab once...). So this year, No Ichihara and I have another year where I can make money flying...:D
 
Well, I'm gonna go job hunting and see what's around that can keep me local for a few years, thought aviation may provide an option so I went and got my Class II status back... 9 pounds lighter than the last one thank you....:rolleyes2: For the first time I brought a set of readers but didn't need them...barely:nonod:. Distance vision I could still read the bottom line. Good to his word after sending me across the street to definitively report that under multiple tests I was not colorblind. Ichihara I have not done well with since a child, I can see so many patterns in it, unless you tell me what you want me to delineate by, I can't tell you what you want to hear. For years I just walked in and told the doc, I will not see the numbers in Ichihara. If you tell me what you are looking for, I will point out the pattern those dots make" and that was always good enough. Well that was the third time I used the same doc and last year he said "Lets just get this settled. I'm sending you across the street for an eye exam. His report will be final and we'll never have to do this again." Perfect, so sure enough, report is clean color vision (Which I knew since a earned a good portion of my living between 19 & 30 in commercial photo labs doing custom printing, I even did the color correction for an entire lab once...). So this year, No Ichihara and I have another year where I can make money flying...:D

Pounds? They didn't weigh me for my first class medical. Are you over 40? Does that matter?
 
Pounds? They didn't weigh me for my first class medical. Are you over 40? Does that matter?
Interesting, they always weigh me.

Did you get a first class medical just because or are you planning a new career? :)
 
Interesting, they always weigh me.

Did you get a first class medical just because or are you planning a new career? :)

Sort of, but not anymore... I was in there, only days after my discovery flight. I knew NOTHING about aviation. There was a form to fill out. I asked the AME "what is first, second, third?" and "do they cost the same?"

I found out "yes" so I went for first, I figured why not. At that time I thought flying took a few hours and then you were making six figures with the airlines. Gosh was I wrong.
 
Sort of, but not anymore... I was in there, only days after my discovery flight. I knew NOTHING about aviation. There was a form to fill out. I asked the AME "what is first, second, third?" and "do they cost the same?"

I found out "yes" so I went for first, I figured why not. At that time I thought flying took a few hours and then you were making six figures with the airlines. Gosh was I wrong.

Where on earth is this AME who gives out 1st class medicals for the same price as a third????
 
Why on earth did you get a 1st class as a student pilot?

Did you just feel like giving away money?
I always get a first class and I never thought it was any more expensive than a third or second unless you count the EKG and I don't think Kimberly is over 40 or even 35.
 
I always get a first class and I never thought it was any more expensive than a third or second unless you count the EKG and I don't think Kimberly is over 40 or even 35.

So your first class cost you the same as a third too? OK good.
 
Sadly, aviation has never been that way.

Again, I did not know. I was in front of a doctor. I asked questions about a form. That really is the end of the story. I thought it was just a number. Now I understand what it is and what it means. I'm 32 and won't go back for 5 years..... by then it will be considered a third class anyways.
 
Pounds? They didn't weigh me for my first class medical. Are you over 40? Does that matter?


You have a First Class Medical? You better make sure you know what medical you are holding before you take your oral young lady. I'm betting you have a Third Class Medical/Student Pilot Certificate on a yellow form.

I am over 40 and no it doesn't matter. Height and weight is required and should be reported on the face of your medical right after DOB and Height...

Over 40 changes only the duration for the Third Class and getting an EKG for the First Class I believe.

Edit LOL, I left this response earlier and came back, I appologize, you actually did get a First Class, good. It's a high risk maneuver though because it's actually to higher standards than the Third Class and could have opened a can of worms.
 
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I always get a first class and I never thought it was any more expensive than a third or second unless you count the EKG and I don't think Kimberly is over 40 or even 35.

All the AME's I've looked into have different rates for the different classes or at least that is how they typically advertise them. I've never bothered to get a 1st class since a 2nd has been good enough for what I do.
 
All the AME's I've looked into have different rates for the different classes or at least that is how they typically advertise them. I've never bothered to get a 1st class since a 2nd has been good enough for what I do.

This person doesn't advertise. In fact, he is retired and it was in his residence. A WONDERFUL AME and I even called him when I was worried about a dental procedure. Just a great doctor. He answered all of my questions and it was good to know I could call him during the next 5 years if I had anything to report.
 
So your first class cost you the same as a third too? OK good.
The last time I asked about a price, which was years ago, they were all the same at that particular place. Now I'm required to have a first class so I have no choice. Just FYI my medical alone was $95 the last time and the EKG was $75. I don't know how that compares to anyone else.
 
So Henning, how did you pass your color vision test if you cannot see the numbers in the ishihara plates?!?!?! I can only make out the first 3 to 5.
 
The last time I asked about a price, which was years ago, they were all the same at that particular place. Now I'm required to have a first class so I have no choice. Just FYI my medical alone was $95 the last time and the EKG was $75. I don't know how that compares to anyone else.

Mine was $150 though I almost went to an AME that charged $300 before deciding I should "shop around". Glad I did. I saved 50%
 
Where was your flight instructor in this process???

As mentioned above, this was after a "discovery flight". I did not meet my instructor (the one who is sending me for the checkride this week) until AFTER my medical - at a different flying school, a different airport, and in a different airplane.

I did not belong to "pilot forums online," or know any pilots, or heck even know anything about airplanes for that matter.

I took a "cheap" discovery flight for either $49 or $99 then went online to figure out the rest, google-style. I figured out I needed a medical certificate. I figured out how to get the FAA's list of AME's. I started calling. I was all "self taught" in the beginning.
 
Where was your flight instructor in this process???
What flight instructor? When I called the closest FBO about instruction, they said "get your medical and then we'll talk *beep* *beep* *beep*". In the other FBO they also warned me to get a student's certificate, but did not quite explain what it was. I had to play it by the ear at AME's office. I figured it was a part of minumum intelligence test.
 
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What flight instructor? When I called the closest FBO about instruction, they said "get your medical and then we'll talk *beep* *beep* *beep*". In the other FBO they also warned me to get a student's certificate, but did not quite explain what it was. I had to play it by the ear at AME's office. I figured it was a part of minumum intelligence test.
facepalm.jpg


Those are some pretty f'd up FBO/flight schools. I do believe you, but it is sad that that kind of crap is out there.

No one should have to get a medical to take an initial lesson.

Even if it is a 'discovery' flight, they should provide a little guidance to a would be pilot.

Bottom line is you don't need a medical until you solo. Why force someone to get one if after they take a lesson or two they decide flying isn't for them?
 
I'm sorry you don't approve of the methods of Pete's two flight schools and my one flight school.

It is kind of over now, though. Nothing I can do.

BS.

There IS something you can do - like Doc Bruce's avatar says - don't accept minimum standards.

Whether you go on to become an instructor yourself or just get involved encouraging others to follow their dreams to fly, don't let folks flail. Don't succumb to the apathetic lazy attitudes that are becoming commonplace in the aviation industry these days. Strive to do better than those that you were first exposed to.
 
Pounds? They didn't weigh me for my first class medical. Are you over 40? Does that matter?

They were being polite... you wrote down a number on the form.
The Doc looks at your and says to himself.. that looks about right.

:nono:never ask a lady her weight:nono:
 
:yesnod:
They were being polite... you wrote down a number on the form.
The Doc looks at your and says to himself.. that looks about right.

:nono:never ask a lady her weight:nono:

Now.. That is downright sexual discrimination.:yesnod::yesnod::yesnod:.

In the 30 + years and alot of medicals I have ALWAYS been weighed and my height checked. That happens in the first 2 minutes of any medical, whether it is a 1st or 3RD class one.. For the doctor to trust the patients word on weight is less then honest on the docs behalf.... Maybe Dr Bruce can chime in on this one.........

Now paging a "Dr Bruce "... please pick up any customer service phone .:lol::lol:

Ben.
 
So Henning, how did you pass your color vision test if you cannot see the numbers in the ishihara plates?!?!?! I can only make out the first 3 to 5.

If the doc tells me "show me green, show me red" I can trace over all the permutations, I can even give closest PMA color number to some. Actually, if the book isn't a 50 year old yellowed copy viewed under fluorescent light, I can do ok. At the eye doc with a crisp set of plates under a 5500* bulb, I could make out the pattern they were looking for. Then there is also the Farnsworth Lantern Test which I had done before and always passed which the eye doc also used, then there was also another test where I put colored discs in a certain order differentiated by spectrum. All fine.

I once considered just memorizing them.
 
They were being polite... you wrote down a number on the form.
The Doc looks at your and says to himself.. that looks about right.

:nono:never ask a lady her weight:nono:

They never ask me, they just point at the scale for height and weight.
 
They were being polite... you wrote down a number on the form.
The Doc looks at your and says to himself.. that looks about right.

:nono:never ask a lady her weight:nono:
Several years ago when speed controls came out for waterskiing it became necessary to ask each participant as well as each member of the boat crew how much they weighed. Some of the women objected, some just flat out lied and some didn't care. In the last few years a GPS based speed control was implemented which eliminated that little issue.
 
Sheesh, I only ever skied behind a boat that could barely pull any of us up. :rofl:

The speed control was... "Hit it"... and the throttle went full forward and didn't come back until they were circling around you to pick you up or bring the rope back to you if you fell.

The best part was always during those couple of seconds while you were standing in holes in the water almost as deep as your knees waiting for the skis to come up... hahaha... and waiting... and waiting...
 
Sheesh, I only ever skied behind a boat that could barely pull any of us up. :rofl:

The speed control was... "Hit it"... and the throttle went full forward and didn't come back until they were circling around you to pick you up or bring the rope back to you if you fell.

The best part was always during those couple of seconds while you were standing in holes in the water almost as deep as your knees waiting for the skis to come up... hahaha... and waiting... and waiting...

Agreed, I never knew anything about weight for water skis. I have both captained the boat and been the one on the other side of the tow rope. "Hit it" is about as technical as we get. Though I usually find wakeboarders prefer me to tow them at around 22 knots.
 
BS.

There IS something you can do - like Doc Bruce's avatar says - don't accept minimum standards.

Whether you go on to become an instructor yourself or just get involved encouraging others to follow their dreams to fly, don't let folks flail. Don't succumb to the apathetic lazy attitudes that are becoming commonplace in the aviation industry these days. Strive to do better than those that you were first exposed to.

When I started taking lessons, I didn't know any better. I realized much, much later that place just sucked. I'm sorry I wasted money there. It took me a long time to realize they dragged everything out as long as possible to make as much money as possible. My personal grievance.

My third class medical was $90.
 
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