FÉDÉRATION AÉRONAUTIQUE INTERNATIONALE
FAI BALLOONING COMMISSION (CIA)

ANNUAL CONFERENCE - Thessaloniki, Greece, March 2000

Appendix 12

(by John Grubbström, CIA Observer and alternate delegate for Sweden)

Hosts for the meeting was the Swiss Aero Club, excellent arrangements together with FAI. There was a pre-meeting excursion to the Swiss Air Force base at Payerne with a flying display.

The aim of the CIMP is to become a reference centre for the aviation sports and the aim of the meeting is to exchange ideas and medical knowledge to enhance sport aviation medicine.

The meeting was chaired by the President, Dr. René Maire, Switzerland.

15 countries were represented; Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, USA. The only sport commission represented was CIA

Report of the President

The President addressed the major issues; doping control, and in Europe the JAR 3 Med, emphasising that pilots should not be needlessly grounded.

Scientific Reports and Reports of Working Groups

Handicapped pilots (Bernhard Schober, Austria and Thierry Villey, France).

The legal questions of licensing have been resolved in several countries. Competition for handicapped pilots are considered inappropriate.

Spatial Disorientation (Oldrich Truska, Czech Republic)

This very interesting paper covered spatial and geographical orientation, unawareness of error or of conflicting inputs, and onset of stress reactions.

Ophthalmology (Eero Vapaavuori, Finland)

The new JAR (Europe) regulations have inconsistencies, contradictions and unrealistic standards in this subject (eye (dys)function and corrections). Multi focal lenses are preferable to progressive lenses.

Diabetes Mellitus (Peter Saundby, UK)

Experiences of Insulin-dependent Glider Pilots were reported.

Psychology (Oliver Dzvonik, Slovakia)

Personality qualities suitable for professional pilots can be formed by training and experience. (There might still be hope!)

Coronary artery disease (René Maire, Switzerland)

The angioplasty failure rate after six months is small. Criteria for fitness to fly after coronary intervention established for angioplasty can apply also for coronary stenting. Adequate revascularisation can be achieved both through surgical and none surgical means.

Human centrifuge (Janusz Marek, Poland)

A new remarkable facility has been established in Poland, and we will hear more about it next year.

Flight Safety (John Grubbström, Sweden)

A self-assessment flight safety system has been introduced in Sweden, and there is a tendency towards improved flight safety that might be in part secondary to this system.

Main topic Cardiological assessment, including the ECG, for Flight Crew Licensing

Dr. Michael Joy, introduced as a guest speaker, is the author of the cardiology chapter in the JAR 3 Medical Manual, and adviser in cardiology to both the UK CAA and ICAO. In an illustrated presentation, he set out the use of electrocardiography in aviation, developed following the accident to a Trident at Staines where the aircraft captain made fatal errors following a heart attack. Class 2 private pilots could hold instrument ratings and fly in controlled airspace. The principal justification for electrocardiographic screening is that while no means of transportation was completely safe, it is important that the public sees that every measure to assure safety has been undertaken. The ECG is a common tool in cardiology, which is why the use is never questioned by practising cardiologists. Pilots who concealed their history of myocardial infarction would be exposed. Compared to other

cardiological examinations, or even engineering inspections of aircraft, the ECG was a cheap test. Peter Saundby referred to a paper originally presented at the 1994 Dublin meeting and showed that ECG screening cost over 100 million Euros to prevent an accident, this arose from poor sensitivity and low specificity. There is a different viewpoint between public health screening and cardiological investigation. Because myocardial disease was only responsible for a small percentage of total accidents, that money could be more effectively spent in other ways. In discussion divergent views were expressed. The USA requires ECGs for older commercial pilots, but not private pilots; John McCann agreed that the FAA also had no proper scientific base for their schedule of medical

examinations. René Maire mentioned that aggregating costs of a single test will always give a high figure, but relevant is the cost to a single pilot as a proportion of the total costs of flying. John Grubbström asked that the accidents prevented to be quantified. Samuel Huber questioned the value of screening asymptomatic persons. Max Bishop called attention to the great anger among pilots. Thierry Villey reported the concern of airsports organisations in France and stated that medical requirements had become a political issue. Oldrich Truska considered ECGs to be a basic tool and this was supported by Pedro Ortiz. In response to a question, Michael Joy defended the need for ECGs to be read by cardiologists, but suggested that there could be a recreational licence with a lower standard of medical surveillance.

Last year, Peter Saundby pointed out the continuing upset several of the JAA requirements (JAR) are causing sport aviation. René Maire compared the European and US requirements; The JAR demands more frequent examinations in the age group over 50 as compared to the FAA there is also a huge difference in respect to the requirements for ECG-testing between the two organisations.

Doping

René Maire reported from the IOC Doping Conference in Lausanne, 2-4 Feb. 1999. An independent international Anti-Doping Agency will be established. Attention was drawn to the paper ‘Questions related to the use of drugs and to training in flying’ by Prof. Antonio Dal Monte, Italy. There have been no known positive doping cases within FAI sporting events.

Scientific meeting in 2001

A two-day Airsports Aviation Medicine Scientific Congress will be held before the next CIMP meeting in connection with the next World Air Games.

Home-page and e-mail

The FAI web page and the CIMP home-page were demonstrated.

Airsports Aviation Medicine Book is underway

National and other reports

There were reports from various meetings and seminars, and National reports from all countries present. Most European countries reported uncertainties relating to JAR Med. There will be doping control at the WAG.

Advice to Council

After a short debate, the CIMP unanimously agreed the following three part statement:

CIMP views with concern the increasing conflict between pilots and medical regulatory authorities in Europe. Pilots should appreciate that disease is an important cause of fatal accidents and that maintenance of health is essential for flight safety. Medical regulatory authorities should accept that all costs or restrictions placed on pilots are supported by evidence.

Elections

Dr. René Maire was re-elected President. The delegates from Sweden (Hans Hjort), the US (John McCann) and Spain (Pedro Ortiz) were re-elected Vice-Presidents, and Peter Saundby was re-elected Secretary to the Commission.

Next meetings

2000: June 2-4, Prague

2001: Spain

Back to the Minutes of the meeting.

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