Tag Archives: aeromedical

The Flight Instructor Who Gave Selflessly

Guest Post: By Stephen Hopson Today I was going to write about the success of the “Flight to Hartford” project with my church (you can find it listed under my name) and tie it into the universal laws of attraction and giving. But something else came up, taking priority. I just learned that a man

How to protect your Hearing in Aviation industry

Limiting duration of exposure to noise. OSHA established permissible noise exposure limits for the workplace (including the cockpit of an aircraft). Use Hearing Protection Equipment. If the ambient noise level exceeds OSHA’s permissible noise exposure limits, you should use hearing protection devices—earplugs, earmuffs, communication headsets, or active noise reduction headsets. Even if an individual already

Types and Effects of Noise exposure in Aviation

In one of my previous articles we talked about the Sound, Hearing and Noise in aviation. You can read that article by clicking here. Let’s talk now about the types and effects of noise. Types of Noise Steady: Continuous noise of sudden or gradual onset and long duration (more than 1 second). Examples: aircraft power

Selecting Sunglasses for Pilots

While adding to the mystique of an aviator, sunglasses protect a pilot’s eyes from glare associated with bright sunlight and the harmful effects from exposure to solar radiation. Lenses for sunglasses that incorporate 100% ultraviolet protection are available in glass, plastic, and polycarbonate materials. Glass and CR-39® plastic lenses have superior optical qualities, while polycarbonate lenses are lighter and more impact-resistant. The choice of tints for use in the aviation environment should be limited to those that optimize visual performance while minimizing color distortion, such as a neutral gray tint with 15 to 30% light transmittance. Polarized sunglasses are not recommended because of their possible interaction with displays or other materials in the cockpit environment.

Aviators’ Sunglasses Lens Material Options

In one of my previous post – Sunglasses for Pilots, we talked about why it is extremely important for a Pilot to be very careful about choosing proper quality and material for the Sunglasses. The American Optometric Association recommends wearing sunglasses that incorporate 99 – 100% UVA and UVB protection. Fortunately, UVC, the most harmful form of ultraviolet radiation, is absorbed by the atmosphere’s ozone layer before it reaches the Earth’s surface. Some scientists believe, however, that depletion of the ozone layer may allow more ultraviolet to pass through the atmosphere, making 100% ultraviolet protection a wise choice when selecting eyewear.

Hypoxia – Oxygen deprivation

Breathing is one of the most automatic things we do — over 20,000 times a day. Each breath does two things for our body. It expels carbon dioxide when we exhale, and takes in oxygen when we inhale. It’s a delicate balance. Exercise or stress increases the production of carbon dioxide, so we breathe faster

Pilot Vision

Vision is a pilot’s most important sense to obtain reference information during flight. Most pilots are familiar with the optical aspects of the eye. Before we start flying, we know whether we have normal uncorrected vision, whether we are farsighted or nearsighted, or have other visual problems. Most of us who have prescription lenses—contacts or

Laser Eye Surgery for Pilots

Currently, about 55% of the civilian pilots in the United States must utilize some form of refractive correction to meet the vision requirements for medical certification. While spectacles are the most common choice for aviators, recent studies show a growing number of pilots have opted for refractive surgical procedures, which include laser refractive surgery. The information in this brochure describes the benefits as well as possible pitfalls laser refractive surgery offers to those considering these procedures.

Medications and Flying

Does this story sound familiar? It’s Sunday morning, the last day of a three-day trip. You have four hours of flying ahead of you to get back home, but something about the air conditioner last night has left you with stuffy nose and sinuses this morning. You know from your training and experience that flying

Hearing and Noise in Aviation

HEARING The term hearing describes the process, function, or power of perceiving sound. Hearing is second only to vision as a physiological sensory mechanism to obtain critical information during the operation of an aircraft. The sense of hearing makes it possible to perceive, process, and identify among the myriad of sounds from the surrounding environment.