bigD

Hello all, I am new to the forum but have been looking around and have already found some really good information and enjoyed reading some of the posts. But there is still one question I was wondering if someone could answer.

I currently have a four year degree and am working in the gas industry. When I went through college I tried the ROTC thing to get a pilot slot but was cut because of a hearing loss I have had all my life in one ear. I have looked over the AME page and looked into the hearing requirements for a class one and while I don't know if I could pass the tone test with the headphones I feel very confident I could pass either one of the other tests, someone standing 6 ft. behind you and talking or the verbal recognition test.

My question is this, when you get hired on to an airline do you go to one of their doctors or do you use your Class one that you got from your local AME?

I know everyone is gonna say go and try and pass your class 1 first before considering it. But I feel very confident that I can pass it and I am looking to schedule an appt. for my next set of days off. I just worry that I can pass the local one and then get nailed and stopped in my tracks when I go to an airline to get a job and lose out because I couldn't pass their physical.

mistarose

Call up one of the airlines, or a few of them. Thats the best I can think of.

rickair7777

Some airlines (especially regionals) will simply photocopy your FAA medical. They may require a medical with no waivers except corrective lenses.

Others will perform their own medical exams. Some do this just to verify your eligibility for an FAA 1st. class, some others have historically applied their own, more rigid standards.

If you can hold an FAA 1st. class, I would think you should be able to get a job somewhere, but you may be excluded by some employers.

Also I understand that the hearing requirements are pretty liberal anyway.

SAABDriver

I have been flying part 135 and part 121 since 1998...I have had a 1st class medical since 1997 and second class since 1988 and have never had to use headphones for a hearing test.

You will have to list medical conditions and a hearing loss is a medical condition.

Google flying and hearing loss. There are websites where you can ask an AME a question...I did before I had a hip replacement and got a lot of answers.

good luck!

bigD

Thanks for all the good info. I have a list of local AME's and I am going to call tommorrow to get an appt. for a first class medical and to ask a few questions. If I can't fly for a regional or major I think I am still gonna have a go at flying as an instructor or some other role part time, I just love to fly and to do it full time would be great and to do it part time would be great to.

So for those of you out there that have been hired on to a regional lately, what kind, if any, of physical did they put you through?

rickair7777

Regionals are very unlikely to do any kind of medical exam.

The one exception I know of is Eagle wich will put you through an extremely rigorous AA mainline medical check. This exam is almost equivalent to an astronaut medical.

I meant to give you this website before. These guys are airline medical specialists, and have helped a lot of people. There is a lot of free info on the site:

http://www.aviationmedicine.com/inde...useaction=home

bigD

Thanks rickair7777, I will check it out, the more I find out the more it looks like I will be able to fly. I'll wait for the flight physical next week before getting my hopes too high.

bigD

How much should I expect to pay for a class 1?

WatchThis!

$80-$100 (more if you need an EKG)

Beer30?

They have really relaxed the hearing requirements for Class 1s. At my last physical, the nurse told me that the hearing booth is now optional. I asked the Doc about it, and he said that he assessed my hearing during the exam. He just wanted to ensure that I could hear a normal conversation which may occur on the flight deck.

I was a bit concerned because I had minor hearing loss from flying fighters in the military. He said not to worry.


Beer30?