X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Sender: To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 11:00:42 -0500 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from p3plsmtpa07-04.prod.phx3.secureserver.net ([173.201.192.233] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 6.0.7) with ESMTP id 6603901 for lml@lancaironline.net; Mon, 18 Nov 2013 09:19:49 -0500 Received-SPF: none receiver=logan.com; client-ip=173.201.192.233; envelope-from=jayph@fastairplane.net Received: from shuriken ([69.92.48.82]) by p3plsmtpa07-04.prod.phx3.secureserver.net with id r2KD1m00a1mPo4M012KEMh; Mon, 18 Nov 2013 07:19:14 -0700 From: "Jay Phillips" X-Original-To: "'Lancair Mailing List'" References: In-Reply-To: Subject: RE: [LML] Sleep apnea X-Original-Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 07:19:15 -0700 X-Original-Message-ID: <015d01cee469$29925d00$7cb71700$@fastairplane.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook 14.0 Thread-Index: AQGpHXcQBEf8QqTV5N624EGzQ/W0DJp2leIQ Content-Language: en-us 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 -- For archives and unsub http://mail.lancaironline.net:81/lists/lml/List.html