BMPA Newsletters

Newsletters  >  Summer 2003

From the Secretary:

And summer it is. Flaming June has burst out all over. It probably won't last. (It didn't but now it's July and flaming again)

Music in the air is arranged and eagerly anticipated by those who will be there. There is news from Sywell and of Brighton with its towers, onion domes, pier and beach. The programme notes and application form for the Latter are enclosed 29th 30th 31st August You will see that cunningly, times, except for Friday arrivals and Sunday departures, are conspicuous by their absence. More information on that will be available on arrival at Shoreham.

Firstly the great standing order crisis again. The number of paid up members has risen to 74. (Just over half what it was.) I am continuing to circulate all previous members but cannot go on doing so for ever. If you have not made a new order and wish to continue with your membership, please use the one enclosed.

Secondly, I now have a stock of 'blazer' badges which closely mimic our logo above but tastefully coloured. I find that they will equally do for a cap badge for baseball or Breton style sailing caps. If you are thinking of the latter the height is 1 7/8 inches. Price £11.86 each incl VAT.

Our spring meeting was held as last year at Sywell. The weather was not so good but the presentations were excellent. Contributions from 'volunteers' follow. So Sywell again provided a feast of new information and new ideas. I hope we shall be able to keep this standard up in years to come.

Please make out a fresh standing order if you are in any doubt. I can think of some long standing and active members who still 'have not got round to it'

In conclusion remember that the Association will pay landing and parking fees and for all children 13 years old and younger. This year it is also paying for your wine at Brighton. There are therefore four good financial reasons to join us there - 29th 30th 31st August.

Andrew Clymo

Sywell April 26th - 28th

Medicine at the Frontier; Importing illness. Dr Ewan Gerard, Port Medical Director, Gatwick Airport.

The first presentation was by Dr Ewan Gerard of Gatwick Health Control. Not only has he to man the frontier against imported disease, but also vector rodents and insects. He exposed the contrast between high rates of reported post travel illness, mostly gastro intestinal, and the low rates of airport reportage.

Incoming passengers include many migrants and some asylum seekers. Serious problems are malaria, hepatitis and amoebiasis. The media mislead the public because SARS is likely to be a lesser threat. The commonest infection among immigrants is tuberculosis and this requires post arrival surveillance. For this 'NHS direct' may play a role. The risk of disease transmission during flight is slight. The 'dread' diseases, mostly tropical zoonoses, were unlikely to be spread by air or used by terrorists and they present little real risk.

Dr Gerard reviewed the routine task of the Health Control Unit, treating ill passengers, screening some, and assisting Customs and Excise or Immigration Authorities. During discussion the specialist qualifications for the post were considered because it does not fit within the usual speciality structure.

Peter Saundby

Medical assessment for disabled pilots. Dr Paul Collins Howgill, Medical Dept, SRG, CAA.

Paul Collins-Howgill's lecture dispelled a long held myth, believed by many in aviation, that CAA stands for Campaign Against Aviation. He described his approach to assessing disabled pilots from the medical point of view, based on an individual assessment for each pilot of his/her ability to safely control an aircraft. This took into consideration the use of any approved appliances or modifications to the aircraft. He made it clear that the aim was to facilitate, where possible, the wish of disabled individuals to fly.

The flexibility applied to the usual medical standards is permitted by ICAO regulations. Medical experts and flying instructors are involved in the assessment. Examples of this flexibility cover a range of conditions from pilots with abnormal colour vision to pilots, private and commercial, with paraplegia. There are currently two paraplegic commercial pilots in the UK, one CPL and one ATPL.

The current situation under JAA is that a disabled pilot will train in a similar fashion to an able-bodied pilot until he/she is ready to go solo. At this point he/she will fly with a Flying Instructor Examiner and will be required to demonstrate: If these conditions are met the Safety Pilot Limitation on the pilot's medical certificate will be removed. Some pilots will be limited to specific aircraft types, to aircraft with specific modifications or to the use of an approved prosthesis.

The main reasons for disabled people wanting to fly were mentioned, the freedom of flying, the ability to compete on a level playing field with other pilots, the achievement of getting a pilot's licence, but mostly, because it is fun.

Paul left us reassured that the Medical Division of the CAA will do all in its power to help disabled people wishing to fly achieve their aim.

Norena McAdam

The Examiner's View. Derek Davidson, CFI, Bournemouth.

Derek Davidson, a chief flying instructor at Bournemouth gave us some interesting insights into the problems he faces with student pilots. Pilots' mental attitudes gave him most concern and he highlighted three topics:
  1. concern about intelligent citizens in prominent jobs who appear to lack the ability to do repetitive tasks.
  2. Lack of pre-flight preparation and a tendency to forget things like radio frequencies time and time again.
  3. Fear which causes deterioration of flight performance and renders the pilot incapable. He felt that pilots need to talk through their fears and apprehensions. Many students were more concerned about failing the flight test than the catastrophic results which could follow engine failure. 'Listen, say nothing and let the student pilot learn by his mistakes' was his message
His final plea was for more women to learn to fly as they only represent about five percent of the pilot population. Men tend to be on an ego trip and by implication don't know when to stop! Women learn because they want to fly and stop if they don't like it. There is a moral in this story.

Brian Ireland

An aviator's perspective. Mr Philip Reeve, Chairman, British Disabled Flying Club.

It was a privilege to meet dine with and listen to Phil Reeve who is chairman of the British Disabled Flying Club. He told me that he had become paraplegic himself in a motorcycle accident with a complete T10 lesion. In spite of this he has over 300 hours solo in his logbook.

BMPA members, especially those who attend the "Summer Shenington Meetings " are not strangers to flying for the disabled but most of those can walk and climb into their gliders despite artificial limbs, totally disabled arms and untreated Parkinson's disease. The side effects of drug therapy for the latter may actually stop you flying and therefore if you are serious about your flying you do not take it. However when you are dealing with powered flying you are no longer dealing with a self governing body but the JAA and its agent the CAA. The pleasant surprise is that the CAA is actually quite supportive of flying for disabled pilots according to Phil, but this does not help with much needed financial support. Charitable finance is available and very helpful because simple modifications to adapt aircraft to the need of the disabled are expensive.

During his very informative talk one could immediately detect that many power flying organisations at different airfields were poorly informed about disabled flying and Phil's main task is to educate the flying fraternity of its possibilities and practicalities. As he points out a wheel chair bound paraplegic is a very obviously disabled person, but once they are in the air flying their aircraft they are equal to all other pilots in appearance and ability once a few minor mechanical adaptations have been performed.

The favourite aircraft for paraplegics in particular or any one with no or impaired leg function is first a low wing aircraft and particularly one of the Piper group because you can become completely independent in these. You can walk on your hands up the wing backwards and open the door. It is then possible to fold the wheel chair and put it in the rear of the plane, cross to the Left hand seat, retrieve your flight bag and your easy fit Vision rudder and start her up. (The Vision rudder can be fitted to the co pilot's Left hand rudder pedal and then operated by the right hand.) The other handy feature of Pipers is the hand brake for slowing and stopping. The Vision rudder is a simple device that can be fitted to almost any aircraft with little on not adaptation to the aeroplane itself and was designed with the help of engineers at Cranfield Also at Cranfield the engineers have produced specially designed prostheses for people with no forearms and 'hands' for tetraplegics. They have also produced a modification to the aeroplane so that the brakes can be applied by pushing a pressure pad with the back of the head.

The British Disabled Flying Club has, by design, no permanent base and is a travelling organisation that does a great deal for damaged people to be able to fly and function on a par with anyone in the UK. (In the environment which we in the BMPA particularly enjoy) I would like to think that any flying association with which we are involved would give them a warm welcome.

John Busby

Walking on Air. Joe Fisher, Chairman, Portmoak gliding centre, Scotland

At this point, possibly because of unclear instructions, the volunteers produced two items on the presentation by Carolyn Mclay and Bob Pettifer but none on that of Joe Fisher who under the title 'Walking on Air' described the origins travails and successes of the Portmoak gliding centre in Scotland in their efforts to provide gliding experience and tuition for physically disabled people. They have been successful in raising money, converting gliders, providing ground equipment (hoist and bus) and training a number of pilots who otherwise would not be able to fly, up to solo standard.

Andrew Clymo

An Alternative Gliding perspective. Carolyn Mclay and Bob Pettifer, Chairman BGA Instructor's Committee

Carolyn Mclay and Bob Pettifer presented the work done by the Bowland Forest Gliding Club by flying severely disabled individuals. Unlike 'Walking on Air', this day receives no external funding, depends on voluntary effort by club members and utilises club resources.

Carolyn works in the Southport Spinal Injuries Unit and she explained how new techniques such as phrenic stimulation enable patients to extend their activities. A day spent gliding could be a turning point for some, especially young persons depressed by their misfortune. Several case histories were given to illustrate this point and we will remember Pasty Faced Paul, Big Dave and Enthusiastic Hilda.

Bob described the practical problems of getting people in and out of aircraft, of restraining against involuntary movement, of communication and of ground handling - particularly in the wet. The appreciation shown by the patients was the reward for the Club members concerned and the day has become established as an annual event.

Edith Saundby

An Alternative Gliding perspective. Carolyn Mclay and Bob Pettifer, Chairman BGA Instructor's Committee

Carolyn Mclay and Bob Pettifer described how for the last 8 years (with the exception of 1 for foot and mouth) a unique flying day for spinal injuries patients has occurred, grown annually and been acknowledged by the patients as their greatest day of the year. Operating from a farm strip with many of the clubs 150 members helping, we heard how tetraplegic, paraplegic and muscular dystrophy patients were helped into cockpits, coping with leg spasms and communication difficulties. Instructors describing what may be felt rather than seen if blind or by signs if deaf. It's all done on a 'shoe string' giving patients an experience they will cherish.

Gordon Williams