I have had several pilots request a reprint of an article I wrote a couple years ago on hypertension. Hypertension) (high blood pressure) is certainly the most commonly encountered problem I see in my aviation medical practice. Sometimes a pilot just has “white coat syndrome” which means whenever he or she comes into a doctor’s […]

You know the drill…every few months or couple years, depending on your age and class of pilot license, you show up at your AME’s office. Usually this is not a happy event. You make sure you don’t overload on coffee or donuts before the exam, you shower and put on clean clothes, and despite the […]

It is a common misconception that over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are not only safe, but are also FAA approved to use while on flight status. After all, if a medication were harmful, wouldn’t it require a prescription? Not necessarily so! Many OTC drugs can actually be quite dangerous, especially when used inappropriately in relation to flying. […]

Last week, one of my “regulars” came in for his Class I flight physical. I was glad to see him, as I knew him to be young and healthy. It was a busy Friday and I was already a bit behind. I was looking forward to an “easy” case to catch up. However, this was […]

I know this isn’t particularly related to Alaskan aviation, but the topic of space tourism is increasingly coming up on my radar screen, and I find it an incredibly interesting subject. I recently attended a “Humans in Space” conference in Austria, and it brought out the space groupie in me again. I promise to come […]

Life is sweet, especially when one lives in Alaska and has an opportunity to fly wonderful airplanes to incredible places. However, when sweetness affects your body, not only is your health in jeopardy, but so is your Medical Certificate. As an Aviation Medical Examiner, I have encountered many diabetic pilots in my 20 plus years […]

There is some evidence that a moderate intake of alcohol offers some health benefits, although it is also a well-established fact that too much of a good thing, or a good thing at a bad time can be quite dangerous. Alcohol is a major factor in motor vehicle deaths, and still is a significant causative […]

Ophthalmologists have come a long way in the past 20 years since they began reshaping corneas for improving vision. Initially this was performed by actually cutting slices into the cornea by hand, like spokes on a wheel, in a procedure known as radial keratotomy (RK). Now much more highly sophisticated technical equipment is used, such […]