Cracks in the Cover Up

Not a pilot, but I've seen more than one controller busted on failure to report due to the AME being associated professionally with the medical group that preformed the procedure. A simple records search, its not a HIPPA violation.

Yes some primary care providers over prescribe. I wouldn't necessarily blame them. Everyone wants a pill fix and none/not many of us in this profession know what is allowed and what isn't. I remember getting prescribed Amoxicillin for the Flu. I asked the Doctor just how an antibiotic was supposed to clear up a virus. She admitted it was a placebo since 99% of her patients wanted some quick fix. Not visiting a doctor for 16 years is pretty excessive/borderline crazy if you ask me. Find an experienced/knowledgeable NP or an MD who flies and explain your concerns. They're less likely to toss pills at you and more apt to actually listen. No offense to MD's who don't fly, but people with a nursing background tend to listen and have the time to be more compassionate.
 
genot said:
Not a pilot, but I've seen more than one controller busted on failure to report due to the AME being associated professionally with the medical group that preformed the procedure. A simple records search, its not a HIPPA violation.
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I would be curious to know the exact legalities of that. I've been told the exact opposite. I wonder how an AME would be able to declare someone fit/unfit without actually ever seeing the person in question.
 
ppragman said:
We need to be a bit compassionate, because guess what, sometimes things do get tougher than an individual can handle.
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It's a Catch-22, because at the same time, no airline and the FAA wants the PR of having a very public display such as JetBlue's Capt Osbon occur, regardless of reason. It's bad for business, and at the end of the day, whether we like it or not, that's the main consideration that's looked at by both entities. Sad, but true.
 
Just keep in mind - flying is a discriminatory job. You know this going in. You know the rules, and they are harsh. Whether they are correct or whether you agree, that's what they are. You can lose the ability to fly for a lot of reasons and depression, emotional problems, etc are one of them. I say this so that those who are professional pilots and those who aspire - think about the discriminatory nature of this job the next time you post, or respond to a post regarding "should I get a degree in something besides aviation as a back-up". Your career can be snatched really quickly...as much as you are loathe to ride a desk forever, it beats unemployment and starvation. Think of those things.
 
Screaming_Emu said:
Granted I was not yet in the industry in 2001, I think the part about terrorism was a little overemphasized. Even though I am sure to comply with all security procedures in place, I can't say I think about the possibility of terrorism much.
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I don't think it was overemphasized at all. But, I was in the industry on 9/11, so my perspective is much different. On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, watching the coverage on TV and seeing those airplanes hit the buildings again, the thought occurred to me that I don't think I've gone to work one single day since 9/11 without thinking about that day. Virtually everything reminds me of it. Locking the cockpit door, the TSA, flying with FFDOs, preflighting the cockpit door entry keypad, etc. These things just didn't exist at the beginning of my career. When I went through my first basic indoc, we were taught the original "common strategy." Just do what the terrorist tells you, fly him to Cuba where he invariably wants to go, and everything will be fine. Less than a year later, everything changed. And frankly, I don't think I'll ever really forget it, no matter how many years I'll spend in this business. Thirty years from now, in my mind, things will still be "different." I'll still lock that cockpit door and think about how we used to leave it open until taking the runway so the passengers could see up front. I'll still go through security and think about how we all used to carry Leatherman knives through security without a second thought.

I guess it's different for guys who weren't in the industry at the time. I've never really considered that before.
 
MikeD said:
Consider that there are guys now who don't even remember when you could meet an arriving pax or friend right there at the gate, if you wanted to.
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Not to mention, when you were a young aviation nerd, you could get into good areas of the terminal to watch airplanes. Maybe YOU weren't, but I was. Still am. I miss that as well.
 
UAL747400 said:
Not to mention, when you were a young aviation nerd, you could get into good areas of the terminal to watch airplanes. Maybe YOU weren't, but I was. Still am. I miss that as well.
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There used to be great places within the terminal where one could just hangout and watch or take pics...even right next to the jetways, if they wanted to, and there wouldn't be a second thought of why they were there.

Heck, Id be willing to bet there are current pilots now, some even in the majors, who don't remember pax airliners that had an FE onboard.
 
One of my earliest memories is watching my father board an old turboprop at CAK from the observation deck on top of the terminal. The observation deck was long ago closed down (I assume for security reasons), but you can still see the guard rail up there on the old part of the terminal. Nowadays you can't even stop your car on a boundary road and snap pictures of approaching airliners without attracting the attention of an airport cop. :rolleyes:
 
ATN_Pilot said:
One of my earliest memories is watching my father board an old turboprop at CAK from the observation deck on top of the terminal. The observation deck was long ago closed down (I assume for security reasons), but you can still see the guard rail up there on the old part of the terminal. Nowadays you can't even stop your car on a boundary road and snap pictures of approaching airliners without attracting the attention of an airport cop. :rolleyes:
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The old Left-Seat restaurant at KPHX on the north side and adjacent to the ramp had a deck on top where you could eat lunch or just hang out, and watch planes on the north runway. Post 9/11, both the deck closed off forever, as well as there no longer being access to the restaurant from the ramp-side doors to GA parking, as they got permanently locked.

One of my earliest memories is boarding a Hughes AirWest 727 at KPHXs former Terminal 1 (long ago demolished), that had no jetways; you walked out to the 727 and up the stairtruck to the door, while pax in the rear half loaded through the aft airstairs. Remember many TWA and American 707s, and Western 727s doing service into there too.
 
I agree with Boris 100% I think the faa is crazy to let people take meds to fly. A pilot cannot take a pill that makes him or her tired but it is ok totake mood altering medications?

I have seen what happens when pilots takes these meds to fly. It isn't pretty.
Get help. Don't take pills to make you emotionaly feel better and then fly an airplane. I can't believe this is even open for discussion.
 
nwpac said:
I agree with Boris 100% I think the faa is crazy to let people take meds to fly. A pilot cannot take a pill that makes him or her tired but it is ok totake mood altering medications?

I have seen what happens when pilots takes these meds to fly. It isn't pretty.
Get help. Don't take pills to make you emotionaly feel better and then fly an airplane. I can't believe this is even open for discussion.
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This isn't open to discussion, and the FAA has already make a decision on the issue.

http://forums.jetcareers.com/threads/special-issuance-for-antidepressants.106405/
 
ATN_Pilot said:
I don't think it was overemphasized at all. But, I was in the industry on 9/11, so my perspective is much different. On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, watching the coverage on TV and seeing those airplanes hit the buildings again, the thought occurred to me that I don't think I've gone to work one single day since 9/11 without thinking about that day. Virtually everything reminds me of it. Locking the cockpit door, the TSA, flying with FFDOs, preflighting the cockpit door entry keypad, etc. These things just didn't exist at the beginning of my career. When I went through my first basic indoc, we were taught the original "basic strategy." Just do what the terrorist tells you, fly him to Cuba where he invariably wants to go, and everything will be fine. Less than a year later, everything changed. And frankly, I don't think I'll ever really forget it, no matter how many years I'll spend in this business. Thirty years from now, in my mind, things will still be "different." I'll still lock that cockpit door and think about how we used to leave it open until taking the runway so the passengers could see up front. I'll still go through security and think about how we all used to carry Leatherman knives through security without a second thought.

I guess it's different for guys who weren't in the industry at the time. I've never really considered that before.
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I was in the industry 6 years before 9/11, and not only had the old Common Strategy ingrained in my brain, but I even taught it myself to newhires. I remember the "Pee-Wee" security training video, and how it was a lighthearted approach to teaching security... it was hilarious at the time. I think of it now and it actually brings tears to my eyes, as some parts of it just aren't funny anymore. Anyone who went through Common Strategy training at AMR pre-9/11 will know what I'm talking about.

I've been furloughed 10 years this October. Not one day has gone by since 9/11 that I haven't thought about it. Every time I see my wings in the display cabinet in the office, every time I see a plane fly over the house, I think of what I lost that day.

Enough time has passed now, that many in the industry now do not share that experience...
 
I am aware of the FAA's stance on the issue. I was talking about this Forum when I said, "I can't believe this is open for discussion". I was being dramatic to make a point and to be perfectly clear, I think honest discussion is important and value all input wether I agree or not.
 
cmill said:
I would be curious to know the exact legalities of that. I've been told the exact opposite. I wonder how an AME would be able to declare someone fit/unfit without actually ever seeing the person in question.
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Its simple really. The AME was an employee of a chain of hospitals that owned the occupational medical facility that did the medicals. He decided to run the names and came up with information regarding procedures done that should have been reported (but the people in question did not know should have been). The AME has access to the records held by his company (I've held access to medical records in a past life with shockingly little training about HIPPA and no formal medical education and I didn't even work for the hospital or even a health insurance company) and he is searching for information directly related to a medical issuance.

If something that should be reported pops up and wasn't, well, he can easily declare you unfit without actually being there first hand for the procedure simply due to failure to report. If I ended up needing an organ transplant, went on a month of leave, never told a soul and had it done and returned to work at the end of the month and the AME found out, you bet my medical would be pulled.

Don't be shocked by the legalities. In a nutshell HIPPA is like this. Don't go home and tell your spouse the neighbor has herpes. Feel free to check if you're the fourth clinic the patient has hit up for Soma that day. And yes, failure to report will revoke you medical until they sort it out if they choose.

As for me I report everything. Right down to approved seasonal allergy meds. The regional office hates me.
 
Hippa, to my understanding, is kind of a joke in our regard. You sign it away anyways when you go in for a medical. At least, where I've gone.

I don't think anyone is promoting dishonesty, but one thing I do agree with is that if there's no record, it didn't happen. Including crimes.
 
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