Page 7 - 2018-Issue3

FITNESS TO FLY PAGE 7

Fitness to Fly

Notes on ICAO’s new Medical Guide for Pilots

BY DR. ANTTI TUORI

Vice-Chair, Medical, IFALPA Human Performance Committee

ICAO is publishing a new guide for pilots
on how to maintain your fitness to fly. It has Those who desire more detail will find that read-
been developed in collaboration with the Inter- “Knowing the risks will ing the entire guide provides a comprehensive look at
national Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associa- all the major issues affecting fitness to fly. Each chapter
tions (IFALPA) and the International Air Transport A healthy lifestyle helps to make it easier for pilots ends with a section on the relevance to aviation of the
Association (IATA). ensure that professional condition under consideration. Chapters are written for
Pilot careers are lasting much longer and pilots pose a minimal risk to to focus on the right pilots, with pilot language, and are not judging, but give
pilots are retiring later than in the past. Annual their safety and their fitness proper guidance.
flying hours and work-related demands are con- to fly from the beginning of preventive measures.”
stantly increasing. It is crucial, now more than their careers until they retire. The guide consists of eleven chapters:
ever, for professional pilots to maintain not only
their medical certificate, but also optimal physi- This can be accomplished by: 1. Cardiovascular
cal and mental health both during and after their • MAINTAINING A HEALTHY 2. Mental Health and Wellbeing
flying career. HEART 3. Alcohol and Drugs
ICAO’s historic approach to medical fit- 4. Cancer
ness in licence holders has been based on de- • DEVELOPING MENTAL HEALTH 5. Musculoskeletal Injuries
RESILIENCE
tecting increased medical incapacitation risk 6. Nutrition and Weight management
(from ill health) once it has occurred, and by • ADOPTING A LOW RISK 7. Sleep
taking action to reduce the impact on aviation STRATEGY TOWARDS ALCOHOL 8. Travel Health
safety, such as restricting a licence or removing • AVOIDING ILLICIT DRUGS 9. Vision and Hearing
the licence holder from operations. 10. Summary
This publication focuses on prevention • ADOPTING CANCER 11. Annexes
AVOIDANCE HABITS
by providing guidance to pilots on how to stay
healthy, thereby minimizing the need for inter- • MANAGING DIET AND WEIGHT This guide has been developed to inform pilots of
ventions involving licence restrictions. Recent re- • MANAGING RISKS ASSOCIATED the known risk factors concerning pilots´ medical certifi-
search in the science of preventive medicine has WITH ACCIDENTAL INJURY cation and personal wellbeing, and how to reduce them.
demonstrated that following appropriate rec- The earlier the risks are identified, the more effectively
ommendations on health maintenance can be • GETTING SUFFICIENT SLEEP they can be addressed, and the better the results will be.
expected to significantly reduce the number of • UNDERSTANDING AND Knowing these risks will make it easier for pilots to focus
medical problems experienced during a career. REDUCING TRAVEL RELATED on the right preventive measures.
This guide recognizes that background RISKS This guide also reflects the shared responsibility
knowledge and interest in the subject of main- • PROTECTING THEIR HEARING of pilots, operators, and authorities in keeping pilots fit.
taining and improving health varies consider- AND VISION While pilots make their own personal decisions, opera-
ably from one individual to the next. The guide tors can facilitate these decisions and authorities can
is structured so that those who wish to simply guide their national regulation in the right direction.
know how to avoid the main causes of ill-health IFALPA hopes our fellow pilots will find this guide
can read the summary at the end of the guide for useful, and that it will enable them to fly healthier.
a quick overview.