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Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 19:42:36 -0500
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From: "Ken" <kkellner1@new.rr.com>
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Subject: Re: [LML] Sleep apnea
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Jay,

Not to worry about the expense.  I have it on good athourity that all of the 
testing will be covered under Obamacare.  And, if you like your pilot 
certificate you can keep it, period.

Ken Kellner

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jay Phillips" <jayph@fastairplane.net>
To: <lml@lancaironline.net>
Sent: Monday, November 18, 2013 10:00 AM
Subject: RE: [LML] Sleep apnea


>I don't disagree with you on anything you wrote, Doug.
>
> The article states that *all* pilots will be subject to this testing. BMI
> has nothing to do with it other than being the "camel's nose under the
> tent". So I will be forced to undergo this testing, at my expense, in 
> order
> to continue exercising my pilot 'privileges'.
>
> Jay Phillips
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lancair Mailing List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of R
> Douglas Owen
> Sent: Monday, November 18, 2013 6:45 AM
> To: lml@lancaironline.net
> Subject: [LML] Sleep apnea
>
> I have a comment regarding the recent FAA rule regarding sleep apnea.
>
> I am a senior aviation medical examiner, a board certified family doc, and 
> a
> IV-P turbine builder and pilot.
>
> During the evaluation of patients with sleep apnea, I have encountered
> people who have arousals (mini wake up episodes) as often as 30 to 60 
> times
> per hour. This could mean that the average length of restful restorative
> sleep amounts to one or two minutes at a time throughout the night. This
> condition is generally associated with low oxygen levels in the body. As
> aviators, we do know the ill effects of hypoxia on the body systems. 
> These
> individuals typically awaken with marked fatigue; often feeling just as
> tired when they wake up as when they went to bed.
>
> Morbid obesity [BMI (body mass index - a mathematical ratio of weight vs
> height)  > 40 - not just those of us who need to lose a few pounds] has a
> strong correlation with sleep problems.
>
> As a passenger on the flights that I am not able to take my Lancair, I 
> would
> like to hope that the pilot is at his best, having had more than a 1 
> minute
> stretch of sleep throughout the night. Typically I do not have the option 
> to
> check out the pilot and choose to stay behind if I wanted to.
>
> The FAA primary mandate is to try to assure the safety of the public. 
> Though
> not all morbidly obese people have sleep apnea, obesity is a significant
> risk factor - particularly for the morbidly obese with a BMI > 40. It does
> not seem unreasonable to me to apply some screening process to consider
> evaluation for pilots who may be  at risk.
>
> It is my understanding that this rule was presented after a commercial 
> crew
> (the captain did have a diagnosis of sleep apnea that was not treated, the
> first officer just was tired, but without sleep apnea) BOTH went to sleep
> and overflew the destination by 25 miles  before they happened to wake up.
>
> Though none of us appreciate the government poking its nose  into our
> business, in my opinion it is very logical to assess the morbidly obese
> pilot for a condition that may well be very critical to the safety of all
> aboard the aircraft.
>
> Doug Owen
> Sent from my iPad
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