Minnesota Flyer - Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960

Last month we talked about Special Issuances, the route to medical certification when you have a significant medical condition that might affect your flying. This involves getting reports from your...

One thing that endlessly confuses airmen (and occasionally AMEs) is the processing of Special Issuances. First of all what, you might ask, is a Special Issuance (SI)? An SI is granted by the FAA to a...

The days are getting longer. The temperatures edging upward along with the cumulus build ups. It will soon be summer flying time! But before you start buzzing off to all those great pancake breakfast...

Back in September of 2015 on a trans-Atlantic Air Canada flight a two year old asthmatic boy started to develop cough, wheezing and progressively worsening shortness of breath. The parents had put...

I know you’ll find this hard to believe but diseases sometimes can be fads. In other words some disorders catch the public fancy and all of a sudden “everyone’s got it”. Entities such as...

Over the last two months we’ve been talking about the many problems that can pop up when using medicines while flying. Side effects to watch for in the labeling of over-the-counter medications...

Last month we covered things to think about before taking a medication and hopping into the cockpit. Medications can cause a world of trouble for a pilot including idiosyncratic reactions and...

In 2011, the FAA reviewed the toxicology reports of 1,353 recent fatal General Aviation accidents. They found that 42 percent of all pilots involved had drugs in their blood stream that impaired...

One morning a while ago, a pilot friend awoke and noticed his eyesight was funny. His Venetian blinds looked wavy instead of straight. It seemed that colors weren’t as vivid as they should be....

Question 17b on your FAA MedXpress Form 8500-8 which you fill out before a flight physical, is one that gives folks a hard time: “Item 17b Do You Ever Use Near Vision Contact Lenses While...

Going to sleep in flight can be a big problem. If you are the Pilot Flying going to sleep is really bad. If you're a long haul relief pilot, not going to sleep can spell trouble. A number of the airli...

As we get a little older its par for the course to get a little stiff and have a few aches and pains. If you fall into that silver-hair category, try sitting in a GA cockpit for five hours and then...

It’s been a long time since we’ve talked about the medical issues of high altitude flying. Since then General Aviation pilots have been spending more and more time at higher altitudes. The...

Communication is critical when flying, especially IFR. I was reminded of that a few years ago when we were in the clag, out of Atlanta, Minnesota bound. George was doing most of the flying and things...

Have you ever thought that flinging yourself through the air at several hundred miles an hour, several miles above the earth in a tiny cylinder of aluminum is a bit odd? Probably not. You're a pilot...

Not too long ago a pilot friend wandered into the clinic looking pretty rugged. His appetite was bad. He'd been losing weight. Felt tired all the time. He really got alarmed when he noticed his eyes t...

A couple of years ago, one of our pilots strolled off the tarmac and ducked behind a tree to relieve himself. Much to his horror he produced a bright red urine stream. He had previously felt great....

Well, it's still winter in Minnesota. Last month we talked about cold injury and how to avoid it while pre-flighting and operating your aircraft in a Northern winter. Now let's look at how to stay...

If you've looked out the window recently, you've probably noticed its winter in Minnesota. Thus, it's time to talk about how you can easily loose bits and pieces of your anatomy on the tarmac if you...

I don't know about you but that kind of call from ATC always gives me the willies. Someone is buzzing around out there. They don't have enough sense to turn on their transponder, if they have one,...

Back in March of 2013, the FAA started defining “Conditions AMEs Can Issue (CACI).” They realized that many uncomplicated illnesses that had required a decision by the FAA in Oklahoma City could...

March 29 this year, a Boeing 737-300 (AA 1353) was on short final heading into KABQ down in Albuquerque when the First Officer suddenly slumped forward, unconscious. Fortunately, the Captain noticed,...

General aviation is great. You can jump in your airplane (after appropriate and exhaustive pre-flight planning, of course), point her in any direction you please and buzz along for as long as winds,...

A little while ago an airman came in with a set of chest muscles that made him look not so much like Superman as a tom turkey. He was quite muscular all over. It was obvious that he'd been working...

It's been almost five years since we talked about sleep apnea (September, 2011) and the FAA's approach to this problem has been updated. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is very common. .It affects...