Orthopaedic Disorders and Flight Fitness
Pilots have a reputation for avoiding doctors. Whether or not they deserve this reputation, pilots, like few other professionals, face a double jeopardy in case of illness, because illness for pilots is more closely linked to career disability. While financial risks can be covered by loss-of-license insurance policies, being barred from the cockpit can remain a painful gap in the life of a pilot. However, even a temporary unfit-to-fly classification can lead to considerable problems in a pilot's professional and social environment. The fear of being labeled unfit to fly leads many pilots to trivialize the early symptoms of various disorders - especially symptoms of an orthopaedic nature - and postpone decisions to seek medical advice.
Taking a Smart Approach to Orthopaedic Disorders That Could Compromise Flight Fitness
The introduction of all diagnostic and therapeutic measures must take place in the context of a doctor-patient relationship that is based on trust and the doctor's obligation to maintain confidentiality. Doctor-pilot relationships have regrettably been strained in the past. This is because pilots, once they were assessed as temporarily unfit-to-fly, had to endure extremely time-consuming and bureaucratic assessment procedures to have their clearance for flight reinstated. We therefore see it as essential to first draft a provisional therapeutic plan that includes a precise account of the nature and extent of any conditions that could lead to a lack of flight fitness. A precise course of treatment can then be selected by the pilot in close consultation with the physician and, if appropriate, with the pilot's employer. This enables one to limit the financial consequences and the loss of time associated with a temporary lack of flight fitness. It also removes the personal tension involved and allows the patient to concentrate on recovery.
What Makes Us an Ideal Partner for Commercial Pilots?
It's quite simple: we know your concerns. Our team includes both private and commercial pilots. We also work together with physician pilots who fly for renowned German airlines in addition to practicing medicine. We are therefore well aware of the flight-fitness issue and of the workplace conditions that can lead to specific disorders in pilots. Moreover, we work together with our partner Reha-Süd in Freiburg in offering an occupation-specific program for returning to the cockpit. Unique in this context is the cockpit training unit that we developed to provide physical therapy for pilots wishing to prevent or recover from shoulder and spine injuries.
Happy Landings!