Surgical hardware's impact on a USAF recruit?

[Raptor]

My gf has a kid who's an airplane nut. He just enrolled in JROTC in his
high school and is suddenly motivated about school. He had a broken arm
(skater d00d) that was repaired with the usual metal plates, which he
still has.

Should this impact his flight eligibility? She's got great health
insurance and is tempted to have them removed if it does.

TIA.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall
"I'm not proud. We really haven't done everything we could to protect
our customers. Our products just aren't engineered for security."
--Microsoft VP in charge of Windows OS Development, Brian Valentine.

[Dave Kearton]

"Raptor" > wrote in message ...
> My gf has a kid who's an airplane nut. He just enrolled in JROTC in his
> high school and is suddenly motivated about school. He had a broken arm
> (skater d00d) that was repaired with the usual metal plates, which he
> still has.
>
> Should this impact his flight eligibility? She's got great health
> insurance and is tempted to have them removed if it does.
>
> TIA.
>



Would be interesting watching the boy try to get through airport scanners.



Cheers

Dave Kearton

[Gene Storey]

"Raptor" > wrote
>
> My gf has a kid who's an airplane nut. He just enrolled in JROTC in his
> high school and is suddenly motivated about school. He had a broken arm
> (skater d00d) that was repaired with the usual metal plates, which he
> still has.
>
> Should this impact his flight eligibility? She's got great health
> insurance and is tempted to have them removed if it does.

I don't think you'll be able to find a Dr. in the U.S. that would be willing
to remove the the parts. A fracture that requires pins and rods is a
permanent thing.

I don't know the answer to your question, but I think a flight surgeon
would probably approve any case which didn't cause a weakness in
one arm versus the other. The young man should probably begin some
type of therapy (even on his own) where his capability to lift and
extend (range of motion) is the same in both arms.

[Bill Silvey]

"Gene Storey" > wrote in message

> "Raptor" > wrote
>>
>> My gf has a kid who's an airplane nut. He just enrolled in JROTC in
>> his high school and is suddenly motivated about school. He had a
>> broken arm (skater d00d) that was repaired with the usual metal
>> plates, which he still has.
>>
>> Should this impact his flight eligibility? She's got great health
>> insurance and is tempted to have them removed if it does.
>
> I don't think you'll be able to find a Dr. in the U.S. that would be
> willing to remove the the parts. A fracture that requires pins and
> rods is a permanent thing.
>
> I don't know the answer to your question, but I think a flight surgeon
> would probably approve any case which didn't cause a weakness in
> one arm versus the other. The young man should probably begin some
> type of therapy (even on his own) where his capability to lift and
> extend (range of motion) is the same in both arms.

I could see potentially horrible things happening to that poor kid's arm if
he ever had to eject at high speeds...

--
http://www.delversdungeon.dragonsfoot.org
Remove the X's in my email address to respond.
"Damn you Silvey, and your endless fortunes." - Stephen Weir
I hate furries.

[walt moffett]

On Fri, 12 Sep 2003 20:48:03 -0600,
Raptor > wrote:
> My gf has a kid who's an airplane nut. He just enrolled in JROTC in his
> high school and is suddenly motivated about school. He had a broken arm
> (skater d00d) that was repaired with the usual metal plates, which he
> still has.
>
> Should this impact his flight eligibility? She's got great health
> insurance and is tempted to have them removed if it does.
>

it could. he and his mom need to sit down and talk with the treating
orthopod and discuss the issue.

however he has time and who knows by the time he is ready to raise his
right hand, he might decide being a tank gunner is better.

interesting site that discusses this sort of thing from the navy perspective
is:

www.vnh.org/AeroWaiverGuide/toc97.html

[Gene Storey]

"Bill Silvey" > wrote
>
> I could see potentially horrible things happening to that poor kid's arm if
> he ever had to eject at high speeds...

Not many regular humans fare well :-)

I know of two cases where pilots who ejected and were mangled enough to
take years of surgery and made it back into the fighter cockpit.

The difference there being that the injured was already trained, but I can't
see having a pin or rod making one disabled, unless they lost strength or
motion, which is often the case, as the rod and pins usually replace the
part of the bone that is missing, or too mangled to fuse back together.

I would probably encourage the youth in JROTC, but not pin his hopes on
one career at this stage.

[Kurt R. Todoroff]

>> My gf has a kid who's an airplane nut. He just enrolled in JROTC in his
>> high school and is suddenly motivated about school. He had a broken arm
>> (skater d00d) that was repaired with the usual metal plates, which he
>> still has.
>>
>> Should this impact his flight eligibility? She's got great health
>> insurance and is tempted to have them removed if it does.


One of my classmates from the Air Force Academy (class of 79) suffered a severe
broken leg during one of his jumps while on the jump team. The flight surgeon
installed several pieces of steel and screws in his leg. After recovery, he
was good as new. He graduated from the Academy with our class and went off to
pilot training with the rest of us. He graduated pilot training and flew the
C-141 for several years.





Kurt Todoroff


Markets, not mandates and mob rule.
Consent, not compulsion.

Remove "DELETEME" from my address to reply

[[email protected]]

"Gene Storey" > wrote:

>"Bill Silvey" > wrote
>>
>> I could see potentially horrible things happening to that poor kid's arm if
>> he ever had to eject at high speeds...
>
>Not many regular humans fare well :-)
>
>I know of two cases where pilots who ejected and were mangled enough to
>take years of surgery and made it back into the fighter cockpit.
>
>The difference there being that the injured was already trained, but I can't
>see having a pin or rod making one disabled, unless they lost strength or
>motion, which is often the case, as the rod and pins usually replace the
>part of the bone that is missing, or too mangled to fuse back together.
>
>I would probably encourage the youth in JROTC, but not pin his hopes on
>one career at this stage.
>
Yes...all true...but very strange medical things have happened in
the Canadian Military. We once had a very experienced VPCC
(Maritime Patrol Crew Captain) lose sight in one eye when he 'bit
the dust' in Bermuda while driving a moped (what ASW guy doesn't
know those?). Anyhow, he cracked his skull which cut off one
optic nerve. They instantly grounded him and installed him into
an LMD in OPS. He fought tooth and nail for a couple of years and
got reinstated. I know him well, great guy, I was still amazed at
his accomplishments. I've never heard of any other. Last I heard
of him he was an Instructor Pilot at the school in Greenwood.
--

-Gord.

[[email protected]]

(Kurt R. Todoroff) wrote:

>>> My gf has a kid who's an airplane nut. He just enrolled in JROTC in his
>>> high school and is suddenly motivated about school. He had a broken arm
>>> (skater d00d) that was repaired with the usual metal plates, which he
>>> still has.
>>>
>>> Should this impact his flight eligibility? She's got great health
>>> insurance and is tempted to have them removed if it does.
>
>
>One of my classmates from the Air Force Academy (class of 79) suffered a severe
>broken leg during one of his jumps while on the jump team. The flight surgeon
>installed several pieces of steel and screws in his leg. After recovery, he
>was good as new. He graduated from the Academy with our class and went off to
>pilot training with the rest of us. He graduated pilot training and flew the
>C-141 for several years.
>
>Kurt Todoroff

Not to sound too negative but there's a huge difference in what
the Military will accept when you're already a member and before
you are one.

I know, having battled a high-pitch hearing loss at every annual
aircrew medical for years.
--

-Gord.

[Billy Beck]

"Dave Kearton" > wrote:

>"Raptor" > wrote in message ...
>> My gf has a kid who's an airplane nut. He just enrolled in JROTC in his
>> high school and is suddenly motivated about school. He had a broken arm
>> (skater d00d) that was repaired with the usual metal plates, which he
>> still has.
>>
>> Should this impact his flight eligibility? She's got great health
>> insurance and is tempted to have them removed if it does.

>Would be interesting watching the boy try to get through airport scanners.

I've got a little more than two pounds of stainless steel bolted
to my right hip where I broke it in a bike crash. The airport
scanners see it maybe a little less than two times in five, on
average. (I estimate because I fly a lot but I don't keep count.)


Billy

http://www.two--four.net/weblog.php

[Cub Driver]

>Yes...all true...but very strange medical things have happened in
>the Canadian Military. We once had a very experienced VPCC
>(Maritime Patrol Crew Captain) lose sight in one eye when he 'bit
>the dust' in Bermuda while driving a moped (what ASW guy doesn't
>know those?). Anyhow, he cracked his skull which cut off one
>optic nerve. They instantly grounded him and installed him into
>an LMD in OPS. He fought tooth and nail for a couple of years and
>got reinstated. I know him well, great guy, I was still amazed at
>his accomplishments. I've never heard of any other. Last I heard
>of him he was an Instructor Pilot at the school in Greenwood.

I am a one-eyed pilot, and there are many others, including the late
great Wiley Post. Loss of vision in one eye doesn't disqualify an
airline pilot either.

I did have to take a "medical flight check" with an FAA examiner, who
asked me how high the cloud layer was and what was that stuff on the
athletic field below us, then said: "I'm going to give you a SODA."
(What? All this and he's buying me a Pepsi?)

(Statement of Demonstrated Ability)


all the best -- Dan Ford
email: www.danford.net/letters.htm#9

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

[Kurt R. Todoroff]

>Not to sound too negative but there's a huge difference in what
>the Military will accept when you're already a member and before
>you are one.
>
>I know, having battled a high-pitch hearing loss at every annual
>aircrew medical for years.
>--
>
>-Gord.
>
>

Hi Gord.

You're not sounding negative. In fact, your comments are appropriate to this
thread. I entered the Academy with 20/20 vision and graduated with 20/50
vision. I still attended and graduated UPT along with many other classmates
who were in this situation.

I offered the information to the original poster to assist in their decision
making process and to reassure them that their situation did not have a black
and white outcome.





Kurt Todoroff


Markets, not mandates and mob rule.
Consent, not compulsion.

Remove "DELETEME" from my address to reply

[[email protected]]

Cub Driver > wrote:

>
>>Yes...all true...but very strange medical things have happened in
>>the Canadian Military. We once had a very experienced VPCC
>>(Maritime Patrol Crew Captain) lose sight in one eye when he 'bit
>>the dust' in Bermuda while driving a moped (what ASW guy doesn't
>>know those?). Anyhow, he cracked his skull which cut off one
>>optic nerve. They instantly grounded him and installed him into
>>an LMD in OPS. He fought tooth and nail for a couple of years and
>>got reinstated. I know him well, great guy, I was still amazed at
>>his accomplishments. I've never heard of any other. Last I heard
>>of him he was an Instructor Pilot at the school in Greenwood.
>
>I am a one-eyed pilot, and there are many others, including the late
>great Wiley Post. Loss of vision in one eye doesn't disqualify an
>airline pilot either.
>

Well Dan, it sure as hell grounded this one, whether wrongly is
another question though, one thing that it does of course is
narrows your peripheral vision on the blind side.

>I did have to take a "medical flight check" with an FAA examiner, who
>asked me how high the cloud layer was and what was that stuff on the
>athletic field below us, then said: "I'm going to give you a SODA."
>(What? All this and he's buying me a Pepsi?)
>
>(Statement of Demonstrated Ability)
>
>
>all the best -- Dan Ford

And by that test he demonstrated his lack of knowledge about
'depth of vision'. I tried to find the data but haven't yet but
I'm pretty sure that the maximum 'depth of vision' for a human is
something like 18 feet so you didn't need your 'depth of vision'
to judge the height of the clouds.
--

-Gord.

[Cub Driver]

>>I am a one-eyed pilot, and there are many others, including the late
>>great Wiley Post. Loss of vision in one eye doesn't disqualify an
>>airline pilot either.
>>
>
>Well Dan, it sure as hell grounded this one, whether wrongly is
>another question though, one thing that it does of course is
>narrows your peripheral vision on the blind side.

I am sorry to hear it. (In my case, I do have peripheral vision, but
as you suggest below, the FAA guy didn't really grasp the difficulties
posed by having good vision in only one eye.)
>
>>I did have to take a "medical flight check" with an FAA examiner, who
>>asked me how high the cloud layer was and what was that stuff on the
>>athletic field below us, then said: "I'm going to give you a SODA."

>And by that test he demonstrated his lack of knowledge about
>'depth of vision'. I tried to find the data but haven't yet but
>I'm pretty sure that the maximum 'depth of vision' for a human is
>something like 18 feet so you didn't need your 'depth of vision'
>to judge the height of the clouds.

He was still at it after we landed: "How tall is that flag pole?"

Where my lack of binocular vision really hurts is when I'm running the
Cub into a tie-down slot. I can't tell how far my wing-tip is from the
next guy's wing-tip.

Getting through life with just one eye is really a job of working
experience into habit. It took me a number of years to learn to
parallel-park a car.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: www.danford.net/letters.htm#9

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com