CAMEs ‘Fit to Fly’ Standards for post surgery recovery after significant injury?

[Waterboy]

So no joy on exhaustive research on TC’s website and here. Does anyone know if there are written standards for a Fit to Fly after major orthopaedic surgery and rehab? Or is it a judgement call on the CAMEs part? I would imagine a post operation surgical report would be required from the surgeon and a report from post op physiotherapist. I’d like to get all my ducks in a row and meet the ‘standard’ before presenting myself before the CAME to renew my Cat 1.

Anyone else with their story on renewing medicals after significant injury/orthopaedic surgery?

Incidentally I’m hearing horror stories from my benefit providers on current pilot files they are handling, who have lost their medicals due to injury, are now fully recovered but experiencing stunning delays from TC in their medical reissue. I’d like to avoid ending up in this crowd.

[PilotDAR]

Yeah, I accidentally became an expert in aspects of this. My doctors were fantastic, my CAME was excellent, the St. Mike's records lady was the best!, and the TC doctor well was.... Um.... Let me think about that.... - No, I'd rather not.

Look here:

https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/public ... s-tp-13312

In TP13312 find the TC medical standards which are applicable to your recovered injuries. Take them to your family doctor first, and/or a qualified "Physical Demands Assessment" person (your physiotherapist will know one). Ask them if anything about your condition might be disqualifying based upon what that standard says. If they say you should be okay, then go and see your CAME. If you are not confident that your CAME is working in your interest (as opposed to TC's), find another CAME.

Have access to your medical files, should TC ask for copies. For my experience, I was the subject of 800 pages of medical records in the first eight days I spent in hospital. It dialed back after that. St. Mikes in Toronto wants $0.25 per page to copy, though might send a few pages to your family doctor upon their request. The most helpful person on earth works in records there, and found for me the fifteen pages about my recovery which really mattered, and those satisfied TC, after months of back and forth about it.

Spend the money for the examination with the CAME, it's worth it. If they find you fit, they will support that assessment with TC. I can't promise that TC will advocate for you, you may have to rise to your own defense. That said, if your injuries did not make you more likely to suffer incapacitation, or loss of consciousness, the TC doctor is probably not too concerned. As long as you are able to fully and properly control the plane, and aren't going to lose consciousness, it's likely that you're "fit".

A medical flight test is also a thing, though I don't know who does them.

Remember (from another unpleasantry), your CAME does the examination, TC issues the medical. The CAME's stamp in your booklet is the record of the examination, which validates the medical which was already there, issued by TC. The CAME does not issue your medical.

[Conflicting Traffic]

A medical flight test is also a thing, though I don't know who does them.

Medical flight tests are normally (always?) Done by a Class 2 or Class 1 flight instructor. I've conducted a few over the years. They're not a big deal if you have to do one. TC issues a letter stating exactly what you have to demonstrate during a flight, you do the flight with the instructor and demo anything that's required, and the instructor writes a letter for TC. The instructor does not have to form any kind of medical opinion. You either can or cannot demonstrate the required items.

[Monkey_in_a_suit]

I had ACL reconstruction after suffering full grades tears of the ACL and MCL ligaments from a cross country riding incident. From what I found most regular doctors don't want to touch the liability issue with a 90 foot pole so they are more than happy to give you a sick note for however long I needed. Having full range of motion and stability were the elements they were looking for to be satisfied I wasn't going to have any issues flying. Coincidentally I had recurrent medical around the same time. The doctor didn't sign my medical that day. He also didn't file anything with TC. After doing physio and being cleared by the orthopaedic surgeon I went to the CAME. He checked the range of motion and knee stability and I was good to go with my medical signed off. Had my recurrent medical not have been due I probably could have done the whole process without talking to a CAME. The surgeon involved was easily able to assess my medical fitness and clear me for return to work. I was off for 2 months after the injury, did physio and got a return to work with no ACL. Post surgery it took another 2 months to return to work with a tendon holding it all together and I didn't speak to the CAME this time.

[Waterboy]

Greatly appreciated guys. This is what I was looking for - certainly provides context on how to manage my medical and get myself back on the line.

[RatherBeFlying]

Poilievre in his victory speech last night pointed out that the government can't run a passport office. Same applies to TC Aviation Medicine.

[dash8dave]

Waterboy if you're still here I sent you a PM.

[broken_slinky]

If you're needing to give TC a nudge to get a medical processed, perhaps try COPA? I haven't heard whether it's successful or not but the squeaky wheel gets the grease. https://copanational.org/medicals-and-licensing/