How's the Flu Hitting You?

Me, I'm livin' dangerously -- no shot, just Vitamin C, warm clothes, and
occasional applications of medicinal barley water.

I've been taking multi-vitamins and 500 mg of Vitamin C every day (plus,
more recently, an aspirin) for over 20 years. I'm rarely sick, and have
never missed a day of work, at any job I've ever had -- ever.

Medicinal barley water (with a dash of hops) works for me! :-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Gary L. Drescher" wrote in message
news:JoZCb.537679$HS4.4093142@attbi_s01...
"Rob Perkins" wrote in message
...
I don't know about you, but my new FBO doesn't permit rental of
aircraft if the PIC is sick.

How sick? Are you allowed to fly if you have a slight cold?

For me a cold is a cold and I chose not to fly. I have one now and I am
dreading Thursday when I fly to the US for my holiday. 11 hours of flying
even as a passenger does not thrill me. I just know that pressure changes
will cause me sinus pain. It seems that anything involving more than 2000ft
in pressure changes with a cold becomes uncomfortable.

I just know my limits

Dave

On Sun, 14 Dec 2003 13:16:25 GMT, "Gary L. Drescher"
wrote:

I don't know about you, but my new FBO doesn't permit rental of
aircraft if the PIC is sick.

How sick? Are you allowed to fly if you have a slight cold?

It's in the terms of the rental contract, which doesn't specify how
sick. I'd guess the determination is a combination of personal
assessment and what the FBO desk guy can see when he hands you the key
to the airplane.

Rob

Dave wrote:

For me a cold is a cold and I chose not to fly. I have one now and I am
dreading Thursday when I fly to the US for my holiday. 11 hours of flying
even as a passenger does not thrill me. I just know that pressure changes
will cause me sinus pain. It seems that anything involving more than 2000ft
in pressure changes with a cold becomes uncomfortable.

Try a double dose of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (if it's available there).
Take it several hours before boarding and follow the directions for repeat doses
until you land. Its major side-effect is insomnia.

George Patterson
Great discoveries are not announced with "Eureka!". What's usually said is
"Hummmmm... That's interesting...."

"Dave" wrote in message
...
For me a cold is a cold and I chose not to fly... I just know that
pressure changes
will cause me sinus pain.

That makes sense, but for me there's no apparent correlation between
pressure-change sensitivity and having a cold. I've piloted several times
with a significant cold, never with any resulting sinus pain. I've had
descent-induced sinus pain on only two occasions (both times as a passenger,
once on an airliner), without having a cold either time. So unless I'm ill
enough to feel run-down, I don't avoid piloting just because of a cold.

--Gary

I cite as reference the front page story from the Denver Post, dated
Sunday, Dec 14 (you can check its website for the details). Briefly,
the article explains 2 issues involved with the current flu problems.

But before we launch into this, a short explanation how the
vaccine is produced. By Federal law, it can only be manufactured
using chicken eggs to ensure consistency and avoid impurities or
contamination. More on this later.

First, there are only 2 vaccine manufacturers left in the USA and they
produce vaccine in quantities defined by health professionals plus about
a 20% reserve. Last year 40 M doses were produced, we had a relativelys
mild flu season and 8M doses were destroyed. The past 3 years have
been moderately mild, so production was lower than ususal.

Second, at the time of the "definition" or composition of the vaccine
(which must be signed off by the FDA) there was concern about the
Fujian strain. In fact you might even go so far as to say there was
major concern by some members of the panel. However, at the time,
there was no way to get a sample of the virus from a human source.
It had been detected in canine livers (which, according to the article,
is a common way to detect and analyze). The opinion was that taking
the virus from the canine and incubating and producing within the
chicken eggs might have included other contaminants. Only after
the vaccine forumula was approved and produce began that the Japanese
were able to isolate a human sample.

Go read the entire article. Fascinating!

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:OUjCb.517762$Fm2.503505@attbi_s04...
Over 1/3 of my son's middle school went home (or called in) sick
yesterday.
It's all over the news that this is the worst flu outbreak since the
killer
1918-1919 flu epidemic. (Which, incidentally, claimed my grandfather, and
very nearly killed my grandmother, while she was pregnant with my Dad.)

My CFI buddy said that half of his students cancelled lessons in the last
few days, and there was only one other person in the pattern with us
yesterday, on a CAVU afternoon. (Of course, the icy runways may have had
*something* to do with it!)

How's it in your neck of the woods? Anyone ever been hit with the flu (or
similar) while airborne?

Hasn't _bugged_ me or the family a bit (knock on wood).

Tom
------
F33A @ 00V

"G.R. Patterson III" wrote in message
...


Dave wrote:

For me a cold is a cold and I chose not to fly. I have one now and I am
dreading Thursday when I fly to the US for my holiday. 11 hours of
flying
even as a passenger does not thrill me. I just know that pressure
changes
will cause me sinus pain. It seems that anything involving more than
2000ft
in pressure changes with a cold becomes uncomfortable.

Try a double dose of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (if it's available
there).
Take it several hours before boarding and follow the directions for repeat
doses
until you land. Its major side-effect is insomnia.

We have that here its called Sudafed, not only does it cause insomnia, it
causes me nightmares too. Wont do ranting on the plane at 35,000 ft.

Dave

Take the old Air Force remedy along. Afrin nasal spray. It will clear up
most sinus blocks right now. Major downside...It will cause a rebound effect
and it is habit forming. Throw it away after the flight.

--
Kevin McCue
KRYN
'47 Luscombe 8E
Rans S-17 (for sale)




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Take the old Air Force remedy along. Afrin nasal spray. It will clear
up
most sinus blocks right now. Major downside...It will cause a rebound
effect
and it is habit forming. Throw it away after the flight.

Boy, THAT'S for sure.

A couple of years ago I discovered Afrin during hay fever season. I thought
my life-long problems with allergies were solved, boy! The stuff literally
clears your head instantly!

Until it wears off. THEN your head is TWICE as stuffed up, so you need to
have another "hit". And so on.

I finally had to get off it "cold turkey", and walked around with an
absolute, 100% head/ear block for a few days until my "habit" was broken.
It was awful, and I now never touch the stuff unless I'm about to sit down
to a five-course meal and I'm stuffed solidly.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"
"Kevin McCue" wrote in message
...

--
Kevin McCue
KRYN
'47 Luscombe 8E
Rans S-17 (for sale)




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