The IMSAFE framework applied concretely to the fit-to-fly decision on flight day: the six letters — Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion — with objective thresholds, a structured 2-3-minute self-assessment example, calibration by operation type (CAT, general aviation, instructor) and the role of peer-support programmes.
What to do if you feel tired before departure? A guide within EASA ORO.FTL + Part-MED MED.A.020: objective fatigue signs, validated scales (Samn-Perelli, Karolinska), immediate interventions (power nap, hydration, measured caffeine), chronic causes (sleep hygiene, OSA, jet lag) and long-haul management.
When is flight compatible with an acute viral cold and when must it wait? A symptom-based guide (fever, congestion, Valsalva, dyspnoea, otic pain), allowed vs banned medication, controlled seasonal allergy with non-sedating antihistamines, the IMSAFE checklist and practical pre-flight strategies for cold and allergy seasons.
EASA MED.B.080 standards for pilot hearing explained by certificate class: the 2-metre conversational test, pure-tone audiometry thresholds (35 dB at 500-2000 Hz, 50 dB at 3000 Hz), presbycusis, otosclerosis, ENT referral, the hearing-aid option and the HAL (Hearing Aid Limitation).
The AMC1 MED.B.070 rule explained by scenario: when spare spectacles pilots are mandatory, what “readily available for immediate use” really means in the cockpit, the strict rule for contact-lens pilots, presbyopia pairs and the UV-400 protection recommended for single-pilot night IFR flights.
EASA MED.B.070 standards for pilot vision explained by certificate class: visual acuity with and without correction, thresholds for myopia, hypermetropia and astigmatism, colour vision (Ishihara and Nagel anomaloscope), visual field, the mandatory spare-spectacle rule and accepted refractive surgery options.
A point-by-point guide to the AME reporting duty for pilots: the four situations where pilot mental health reporting is mandatory under MED.A.020, those that are recommended but not mandatory, and those outside the duty. Deadlines, minimum notification content and the concrete impact on the medical certificate.
How psychotherapy, peer support and psychiatric review differ under EASA Part-MED Starting a course of counselling is, statistically, one of the best moves a pilot can make for long-term medical fitness. Yet many flight decks avoid counselling for fear of an adverse impact on the medical certificate. This article sets out, based on Part-MED, AMC/GM […]
How AMEs evaluate a pilot anxiety episode or acute stress reaction under EASA Part-MED MED.B.055/060: the distinction between acute reaction, adjustment disorder and clinical anxiety disorder, permitted SSRIs (sertraline, citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine), OML/OSL limitations and the MED.A.020 reporting duty.
Safer substitutes for the everyday drugs that ground pilots. Aviation-validated alternatives for allergies and colds, acute and chronic pain, sleep and anxiety — with clear ground trial and AME reporting rules.
