Flying Sick

jumperdumper · Post by **jumperdumper** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 9:24 am

I have recently been sick with a cold and have continued to fly, what are other pilots doing if they get sick?
Taking time off or sucking it up?

flynbutcher · Post by **flynbutcher** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 9:46 am

depends if you are union or not!

Jaques Strappe · Post by **Jaques Strappe** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 9:52 am

Do your co-workers a favour.........stay home. I hate working with guys who are sneezing flem all over the place. Thanks to this guy not taking a sick day, everyone he flies with may become sick.

If your boss can't appreciate that, he is an idiot.

Union or not, it is common courtesy and will probably save your bass the hassle of losing several guys at once.

shimmydampner · Post by **shimmydampner** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 9:53 am

Sucking it up for the last few days, mostly because I don't have much choice.

Miss Mae · Post by **Miss Mae** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 9:55 am

I'd say you know your body best, and it also depends on what kind of flying you do. Be very careful with sinus colds though, I had a bad one a couple years ago and continued to fly, ended up in an ear infection which lead to a ruptured eardrum, that grounded me for 10 days.

, Hope you feel better soon!

jumperdumper · Post by **jumperdumper** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 10:04 am

I don't want to make anyone else sick but i still have a responsiblity to get the job done with limited staff. I remember being asked to fly by an owner just hours after a root canal. MOST PAIN I HAVE EVER FELT!!! but the pressure was on because it was a lucrative chrater and we hadn't flown in a while. Sound familiar anyone?
I have been sucking it up for the best of the company for the last 13 years and i was curious what others are doing and how they feel about it?

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 10:34 am

I just can't wait to see where this thread goes.

How can such a simple issue become a problem, if you are sick enough to have to question if it is safe or sensible to fly there is only one answer, don't fly until you are over whatever illness you have.
Cat

Snowgoose · Post by **Snowgoose** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 12:19 pm

If there's pressure in the tube and the ol' sinuses are acting up, it time for a day off. Did it once, I thought what's the worse that can happen. Ended up with bruised eardrums. Not to mention pins and needles in my forehead and the feeling my eyeballs were about to ricochet off the windscreen while on descent.

TI-ANB · Post by **TI-ANB** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 2:13 pm

Please don't fly sick...

I know you are getting pressure from your boss, but remember that you have lives depending upon your ability to fly, including yours (I know you know that).

Please don't fly sick...

co-joe · Post by **co-joe** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 2:44 pm

I'd be curious to see what most bosses would say if you told them you were too sick to fly. Tough titties comes to mind...

My boss would likely require a doctor's note, possibly from an AME, but legally he probably would have to cave in if push came to shove. Come to think of it, I know one of our pilots got some nasty GI bug in a third world country and they had to fly someone else in to replace them.

pretty sure they never sent that pilot overseas again.

Northern Flyer · Post by **Northern Flyer** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 5:55 pm

My problem is, how do you know how sick is to sick?

I've taken sick days, where I work thats acceptible. But how sick do you have to be? You got a head cold, not really to big a deal, you fly lower and plan your decent a little different. What if you have the flu? Are you going to shit yourself? That wouldn't be very good, but if your guts are just a bit sore whats the big deal?

What I'm trying to say is, you can't be 100% every day. Were do you draw the line?

Right Seat Captain · Post by **Right Seat Captain** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 7:40 pm

Northern Flyer wrote:My problem is, how do you know how sick is to sick?

I've taken sick days, where I work thats acceptible. But how sick do you have to be? You got a head cold, not really to big a deal, you fly lower and plan your decent a little different. What if you have the flu? Are you going to shit yourself? That wouldn't be very good, but if your guts are just a bit sore whats the big deal?

What I'm trying to say is, you can't be 100% every day. Were do you draw the line?

Interesting point. Can you plan to fly when you're not 100%. Sure you can plan it, but what if something happens. For example, you have a head cold, blocked sinuses...So you're able to plan your route lower and plan descents to accomodate your cold. Then something happens during the flight...you have to divert over higher terrain, and climb higher, and descend rapidly to your destination. Now you possibly have a bad situation gone worse once your ear drums rupture. Or ATC needs you to climb higher, descend more rapidly. What do you tell them? "Toronto Center, sorry I can't do that because of my head cold..."

I have to agree it is very difficult to know where to draw the line. But my personal general rule is, if I have to think twice about something, it's time to say no. If you need a note from your AME, so be it. From my experience, there are far more understanding doctors than there are managers out there.

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Tue Mar 01, 2005 7:58 pm

Quote R.S.C. :

" But my personal general rule is, if I have to think twice about something, it's time to say no. "

Exactly...it's that simple.

Cat