Prodded and poked

So, this post is going to be about the not-so-scary process of getting your Initial Class 1 Medical. It's been a while since I went for mine - so long, in fact, that I'll need to renew it before I start in January. You'll be expected to travel down to the CAA headquarters at Gatwick Airport, to a place called 'Aviation House', however I believe you can also do initial medicals at some NATS centres now.  Getting there is the first major hurdle, as the temptation to watch the aircraft landing and taking off as you drive past the runway is very difficult to overcome - keep your eyes on the road! It all starts with signing in at the front entrance. You'll be issued a security pass and have your bag searched, then be escorted to the medical area. You should get comfortable here, as you'll spend quite a while waiting.

Aviation House, CAA HQ

After signing in at the medical office, I was taken to the loo and asked to wee in a cup (and here is my first piece of advice - arrive with a full bladder, just incase you get a case of pre-game nerves). So, bacon sandwich digesting nicely, a now empty bladder, and initial nerves settling down, I was called in for the first test - the eye exam (part 1). This tests your peripheral vision, and is very tiring. You have to place your head in a machine, after which one eye is covered. You'll be given a clicker, and then the fun begins. A laser will point a red dot somewhere in the machine, and when you see it you have to click. This goes on for about 10 minutes (I said it was tiring!). After this has finished, you'll have to repeat it with the other eye. Once this has finished, you'll be taken back to the waiting room -this becomes a common theme...

Entrance hall at CAA Headquarters

So, about 15 minutes later it's time for test 2! Time for my ECG (Electrocardiogram). I'd already had one done for my Class 2 medical (not a requirement, but I thought it might be a good idea), but was nervous nonetheless when I was taken in. You'll have some sticky pads put on you in certain places, and then the machine will measure the electrical impulses in your heart, do magical medical things and make some squiggly lines that mean you either pass or fail. If there is a cause for concern, then you'll be referred to a cardiologist, and have to undertake further tests. Now, an ECG is completely painless (unless you have a hairy chest). Unfortunately, I fall into the category, and the nurse was sadistic enough to make me take off the pads myself! With the news that I (still) have a healthy heart, and with a couple of new bald patches, I was again taken to the waiting room.

Next up was the audiogram, where I was put into a soundproof booth and given some headphones to put on. Second piece of advice here - as soon as the nurse stops talking to you, be ready. I was probably sat there for 30 seconds waiting for some voice to say 'Start' through the headphones before I realised it had started! When you hear the tone, you have to click on the clicky thing you're given (much like the eye test). Each tone will be repeated a few times, and they will progressively get lower. I was given the results after, and I was all good! I'm sure you can guess what happened next... back to the waiting area!

Next up was the eye exam, part 2. This was just a full eye test that you can get at your local optometrist (which I did... I didn't want any unexpected results). It included the standard 'cover one eye and read the 5th line', a colour vision test, close and distance vision etc. My favourite was having an exceptionally bright light shone in my eyes for an extended period of time while the optometrist looked at them through some odd looking tool... Anyway, given the all clear and I get to go back to my favourite place.

One of the last hoops to jump through, next was the lung spirometry. This basically involves blowing into a tube (well, it's actually more like coughing into a tube). This measures your lung capacity, peak flow rate and probably many more things that I know very little about. Unless you smoke 3 packs a day, or you're missing a lung, this one is pretty simple.

The penultimate assessment! This was one of the easiest, as it involved being weighed and having your height measured. There was also the small matter of being stabbed in the finger and bleeding out (okay, a small sample of blood being taken), to make sure you're not anaemic and you have a good amount of blood cells and haemoglobin and other medical things.

After another 30 minute wait, I got to see the doctor. This was the part I was most worried about, as my flying instructor thought it'd be funny to tell me you have to have a prostate exam... Thankfully, all that I had to do was have my blood pressure taken, and give my medical history. After this was done, I was told I was healthy and given my shiny new Class 1 Medical certificate!

Here's some advice if you're having your medical soon;
1) Have some food before you go. You'll probably be in there for about 3 hours (although I've heard it's a lot quicker at the NATS centres)
2) Try not to wee on the cup, it may annoy the nurses and cause them to make you wait longer...
3) Get rid of chest hair, having it pulled out after the ECG is not pleasant
4) Have anything that you can checked out before you go (e.g eye exam) to avoid any nasty surprises and circa £350 down the drain
5) Try not to worry too much, it's not actually that bad

Here are some links for additional reading;
Class 1 Medical requirements
Class 1 eyesight requirements
Class 1 renewal information
CAA Initial applicants page

Sorry about the long post about nothing particularly exciting! I'm sure things will be more interesting come January when I start - speaking of which, I've been enrolled on CP129, which begins right at the end of January, with our meet and greet on the 29th! Things are moving along nicely, the only thing left I need to start sorting out is my insurance. My next post will be about my assessment day(s), and should be up within the next couple of weeks.

Adam