Aviation medicals

Designated Aviation Medicine Examiner/Designated Aviation Ophthalmologist
DAME Newsletter October 2001

Acknowledgement
Distribution
Administrative matters
TTMRA
AMSANZ CME Points
Systems Manager
Problems and Suggestions (Steel Magnolias)
Your Questions & Answers
Greetings from Netty
Feedback

Acknowledgment

DAMEs/DAOs should confirm receipt of this Newsletter, notating their DAME stamp number, per return mail to dame.liaison@casa.gov.au. Alternatively, please fax confirmation of its receipt to CASA AvMed at (02) 6217 1640.

Distribution

DAMEs/DAO should read and digest the contents of this Newsletter, retain it for future reference, and make relevant sections of it available to locums or to other staff members who have dealings with CASA on behalf of practice principals.

Administrative Matters

The DAME Liaison Officer is still receiving stationery orders. DAMEs are advised to use the CASA on-line store or download an order form. ANY faxed/posted orders received by CASA will not be actioned.

DAMEs & DAOs who do not have access to the CASA website please ring McMillan's on 02 9795 1200 for a form. Remember to put your DAME stamp number on the form.

O forms are to be used for Original medical examinations only, R forms for Renewal medical examinations only. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES are these forms to be substituted for each other.

Email address

Please advise CASA of your new email address if it has changed. Business email addresses are preferred, as home email addresses may not always be accessed regularly.

DAME Handbook

The DAME Handbook is available on the CASA website. It is time consuming to download if you need a hard copy. However, CASA recommends that its Section 1.4. 'Special Periodic Examinations Required' should be printed and kept ready to hand for reference.

TTMRA

A policy on CASA's treatment of applicants who apply to fly class 1 in Australia using the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Act (TTMRA) legislation has been developed.

CASA Aviation Medicine Section does not issue a civil aviation medical certificate. Civil Aviation Regulation (CAR) 5.04 empowers CASA to allow the holder of a flight crew licence, including a class 1 licence granted under the terms of the TTMRA, to exercise the privileges of a licence without the issue of a civil aviation medical certificate.

Thus CASA may allow the New Zealand TTMRA applicant to use his or her
New Zealand civil aviation medical certificate to validate a class 1 licence issued under the terms of the TTMRA until the NZ medical certificate expires (instead of issuing an Australian medical certificate).

Once the NZ medical certificate expires, the applicant is then required to undergo an Original Australian medical examination in the usual manner.

CASA District Office's will issue the affected pilot with a letter requiring the pilot applicant, whilst using his or her flight qualifications, to carry his or her New Zealand civil aviation medical certificate (including any New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority letter explaining the meaning of any condition(s) on the New Zealand civil aviation medical certificate). Additionally, this letter will inform the New Zealand applicant that this issue is a "one off" lifetime arrangement. This means that the applicant must obtain an Original Australian civil aviation medical certificate for any further flying after the expiry of the current class 1 New Zealand medical Certificate.

5.04 Medical certificate: flight crew licence

2. CASA may, on the written or oral application of the holder of a flight crew licence, permit the holder to perform a duty essential to the operation of an Australian aircraft during flight time without holding a current appropriate medical certificate if:
   1. in all the circumstances it is reasonable to allow the holder to perform the duty without holding the certificate; and
   2. the performance of the duty by the holder without holding the certificate will not adversely affect the safety of air navigation.

6.05 Medical certificate: application

A person may apply to CASA for the issue of 1 or more of the following:

1. a class 1 medical certificate
3. a class 3 medical certificate

6.06 Medical certificate: issue and refusal

1. Subject to subregulation (2), CASA must issue a medical certificate to a person who applies under regulation 6.05 if, and only if:
   1. the person submits to the relevant examinations; and
   2. the relevant examinations are carried out by a designated aviation medical examiner, or a medical practitioner, who CASA has directed may carry out the examinations; and
   3. the person answers all questions put to him or her by the designated aviation medical examiner, or medical practitioner, carrying out the examinations that are necessary for the examiner, or practitioner, to find out whether the person meets the relevant medical standard; and
   4. the person authorises the disclosure to CASA and to the designated aviation medical examiner, or medical practitioner, carrying out the examinations of any information concerning the person:
   1. that is within the knowledge of any medical practitioner; or
   2. that is within the knowledge of any other person who has carried out on the person a physical or psychological examination, or who has treated the person for any illness, bodily or mental infirmity, defect or incapacity; or
   3. that is held by any hospital or other medical organisation;
      being information that may help the examiner to find out whether the person meets the relevant medical standard; and
      5. the person meets the relevant medical standard; and
      6. the person has paid any charge under section 66 of the Act in relation to the person's application and any penalty payable under that section in relation to the charge.

CME points for AMSANZ

A total of 30 CME points have been provisionally approved by the RACGP for the recent conference. (This total includes points for the implantable contraceptive device seminar).

Systems Manager

Rod Carter, CASA's IT Systems Manager, is back from leave from a well-deserved rest. Rod has devised an improved system for the next Newsletter, which will benefit those DAMEs who experience difficulties with their email service.

A major irritation of the internet email service is coping with the (roughly) 10% of broadcast emails, which are rejected due to unrecognized addresses or to other communication failures.

IN future, CASA Aviation Medicine Section intends to automate Newsletter receipt notification by including a 'check-box' at the bottom of the letter. CHECKING the check-box will result in automatic return of a 'Newsletter Received' advice to CASA, to be recorded against your DAME database record.

CASA hopes that this procedure will simplify receipt notification at both ends of the line. (DAMEs who do not currently use the internet email service obviously will not be affected, although there are few examiners who now remain in this category).

DAMEs and DAOs should be aware that their appointments may be terminated if their emails are repeatedly rejected with 'No address found'. It is a condition of appointment as DAME or DAO to keep CASA informed of your current address.

Problems and suggestions

DAMEs are reminded of the following requirement spelt out in the DAME Handbook, which recent tragic events have made more important than ever.

1.1.4 Duties

1. To be satisfied as to the identity of each applicant for medial certification. (Applicants should be reminded to bring identifying documents when making appointments for medical examination.)
   
   Identifying documents might include the following.
   
   Passport - particularly when a non-Australian applies for an Australian medical certificate. Details of the country of issue and the passport number should be recorded.
   Driver's licence - details of the country of issue and the licence number should be recorded.

If ever you become suspicious of an applicant's bona fides, particularly when he or she does not wish to complete the medical examination when positive identification is sought, please telephone or email CASA with as much detail as possible. One DAME recently did so and CASA immediately began appropriate investigation of the incident. Thank you to the DAME concerned.

DAMEs' questions & answers

What barriers might be put in the way of a private pilot if he were to be commenced on Zoloft. (The DAME Handbook has no reference to depression and its various treatments. Could you give me CASA's policies on this topic)?

CASA will conduct a specialist review of psychiatric policies and procedures before the end of the year and provide an updated section of the DAME Handbook as soon as possible thereafter. In brief, we have accepted some applicants for class 2 certificates who have been taking Zoloft, but rejected others. Because of the specific aviation context (Silk Air etc), CASA requires a PSYCHIATRIST'S opinion that the applicant does not suffer from suicidal ideation. A limited validity period and requirement for periodic psychiatric review are also usual, when certification is approved.

Greetings from Netty

I have now modified my answering machine message at the end asking for your DAME number, this enables me to have your file on hand and data base details up before I answer your call.

COME UP AND VISIT US SOMETIME - if you are in Canberra we would welcome you to come into our office to meet staff and see how the system runs REPORTS. You will have to telephone first so a staff member can sign you in.

Dame Handbook 1.1.4 Duties No 6 - URGENT URGENT

All medical reports should be received in the CASA office within 14 days of the date of the medical examination - recently, a 'DNR' renewal arrived here just two days prior to expiry date. Such dilatoriness causes unreasonable distress to applicants and places unfair pressure on CASA avmed staff.

MRS Web Update (Feedback)

CASA's MRS Project Manager advised of the draft requirements specification for the MRS Web Interface in the July Newsletter. This also provided a survey for interested DAMEs to complete. The responses are hereunder summarised.

CASA received responses from approximately 150 DAMEs, and all their comments and suggestions have been conveyed to the project staff. The high level future timetable for the project is as follows:

Design and development: October 2001 - February 2002. During this time CASA may seek advice on design issues for the system. CASA will also review and amend its existing procedures for processing medical examinations, and may also seek further input or comment from DAMEs in this endeavour.

Test planning: January - February 2002. During this time CASA will finalise the scope and objectives of testing, including the beta testing to be undertaken by DAMEs. CASA will distribute test documentation for review by those DAMEs involved in testing as soon as possible.

Testing: March - April 2002. CASA has several levels of testing planned, a principal one being the testing by DAMEs. This is likely to occur in the second half of March, after initial user testing by AvMed staff has identified and resolved most of the functionality issues.

MRS Web Interface pilot: April 2002. CASA plans to have the web interface operational by late April next year, beginning with a limited number of users, and adding to them as the system is proven.

CASA will keep you posted as the project progresses, and if you have any queries about any aspect of the project or the MRS Web Interface, please contact the project officer, Elenore Karpfen, on (02) 6217 1354 or via email at karpfen_e@casa.gov.au

Peter Wilkins
Director of Aviation Medicine and Principal Medical Officer