Hi,Was just curious. Are there any people here that wanted to be pilot, but they couldn't because of something medical or something else? Was just curious why flying schools wouldn't allow you...Unfortunately I will never be one for certain. I have an eye desease, which causes bad vision in light environments. :(

You can still get a student pilot certificate. You will however have to fly with a CFI and pay him on top of the plane rental.Anyone can partake in aviation in one form or another. I forget her name, but there is a young woman that was born with no arms and she fly's all the time in an Aercoupe. (no rudder pedals) she uses her feet on the yoke! Quite amazing to see! even flew to Oshkoh Airventure a few years ago. Search for armless pilot (sorry, sounds bad) but you will find her.Don't let anything keep you from flying! Cheers!

I would have loved to be a pilot, ever since i was a kid when mum and dad used to take us on holiday and in those days dad would get us a visit to the the flightdeck and the pilots would give us a mini questionare i thought..WOW this is what i want to do, i want to be in charge of all this power and take people abroad, i want people to look at me with respect for doing this amazing job, but unfortunatly i got in with the wrong crowd at school and partying was all i became interested in, so i didnt go for further education and ive always lacked a bit in confidence but boy........do i regret it now

My biggest dream ha always to be a pilot. unfortunately since I was small my eyes became worse and worse so now my eyes are so bad that even if they where laser corrected to 100% view I still wouldn't be allowed to become a Commercial pilot. Instead I am studying to the closest thing to a pilot and that is a maritime officer (aka captain).There are a lot of perks becoming a captain (or chief mate) since it is much easier to get a job and you don't have the problem of all that jetlag, long working time (you work for one month and then you are totally free for one month with pay) and pressure differences when climbing or descending. Also there is a lot more space on the bridge of a ship than on an airplane. In one point is is more fun than flying an airplane since there is no traffic control on the ocean so you have to be pilot and ATC (or equivalent) at the same time controlling radar, ECDIS, radio and different stuff. Also there is no type rating, once you have the master marine license you can steer any ship on the ocean and the education is paid by my country.Manfred

I am slightly colour deficient, so failed that "lanten" test, no pilot for me,However where I am in my life, quite happy about that

Passed the medical for the RAF, but not the interview. As far as going it alone and paying for licences, money would never allow. Now I'm just too old.

I always wanted to become an Airline pilot myself, also got accepted into a school a while ago, but the costs were just too much for me at that time, and i was also concerned about the job availability after graduating, especially after reading the different "horror stories" about people investing every penny they had into the education, and when they were finished they couldn't get a job anywhere.So, instead i went the maritime way. I'm now attending the last year of the maritime technical college where i live and after that hopefully going out as a cadet somewhere. At least that education is free (with the exception of Books and charts) and the chance of getting a job after passed exams is relatively good.I may go for the PPL license at some point, but i'm not going to aim any higher than that.

I'm 13 right now and want to become a pilot. Reading this is quite emotional because you all felt like me right now and I can feel what it's like being told I cannot fly. I would be really really sad if that happens. That's why I fear the medical exams the most (that's right! Not ghosts or zombies but the Pilot medicals!)

I'm 13 right now and want to become a pilot. Reading this is quite emotional because you all felt like me right now and I can feel what it's like being told I cannot fly. I would be really really sad if that happens. That's why I fear the medical exams the most (that's right! Not ghosts or zombies but the Pilot medicals!)

Zombies are no joke! They'll fod a turbine faster than you can say "go for its head!"I wanted to be a pilot in my youth (not commercial), even logged a bunch of hours on the cheap in civil air patrol. Money got in the way but I'm still thinking about it. Should have the house paid off in 10-12 years, then I might go for ppl/multi and buy a small used twin prop.

Well, taken from the FAA.gov website. These are basically the main disqualifiers for a flight medical:

• Angina pectoris
• Bipolar disease
• Cardiac valve replacement
• Coronary heart disease that has been treated or, if untreated, that has been symptomatic or clinically significant
• Diabetes mellitus requiring hypoglycemic medications
• Disturbance of consciousness without satisfactory explanation of cause
• Epilepsy
• Heart replacement
• Myocardial infarction
• Permanent cardiac pacemaker
• Personality disorder that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts
• Psychosis
• Substance abuse
• Substance dependence
• Transient loss of control of nervous system function(s) without satisfactory explanation of cause.

The more impressive list is what you *can* fly with. Recently a friend/fellow CFI suffered from a pulmonary embolism. Long story short: Though he can't currently act as PIC after the episode, he'll be back to flying PIC with primary students in next to no time.To the OP: Have you actually consulted a medical examiner about your disease?

Well, taken from the FAA.gov website. These are basically the main disqualifiers for a flight medical:

• Angina pectoris
• Bipolar disease
• Cardiac valve replacement
• Coronary heart disease that has been treated or, if untreated, that has been symptomatic or clinically significant
• Diabetes mellitus requiring hypoglycemic medications
• Disturbance of consciousness without satisfactory explanation of cause
• Epilepsy
• Heart replacement
• Myocardial infarction
• Permanent cardiac pacemaker
• Personality disorder that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts
• Psychosis
• Substance abuse
• Substance dependence
• Transient loss of control of nervous system function(s) without satisfactory explanation of cause.

The more impressive list is what you *can* fly with. Recently a friend/fellow CFI suffered from a pulmonary embolism. Long story short: Though he can't currently act as PIC after the episode, he'll be back to flying PIC with primary students in next to no time.To the OP: Have you actually consulted a medical examiner about your disease?

Yes I have. I've been to a very professional eye instutute to let my eyes examine. It's not necessarily a disease, but it's more like a deviation (can't find the right word for it cuz I'm Dutch). What they found was so extremely rare, that they didn't even have a name for it. My problem is that I'm having difficulties with vision in light environments (when it's sunny for example). Inside the retina of the eye (inner tissue in the back of the eye), there are two types of cells. Cone cells and rod cells. My rod cells (responsible for dark environments, are working perfectly fine), but the cone cells, responsible for light and colors, are not working properly. Infact, there is a very strange problem with it. What cone cells are basicly doing is making pictures of the environment (maybe thousands each second), and then it's send to the brain. It's basicly like frames per second. But what my cone cells are doing wrong is that they make a lot fewer pictures than normal. Maybe about half of it. It's like low fps in FSX, :( But, I am not noticing unsmooth vision because the frame rate is still extremely high, so that I cannot notice it, but low enough that it can cause something like tunnel vision in light environments. When it's sunny I can just not see many things at the same time. So to solve that, I have to wear sunglasses so my vision gets darker. In this way, the rod cells in my eyes get active and my vision is perfectly fine. But I'm just not sure if it's allowed when becoming a pilot, to always wear sunglasses in order to attain perfect vision. In my opinion, it's very similar to normal glasses. It's just an eye correction I need to attain good vision. But I'm really afraid that this is gonna be a disqualifier for me. :(Pfff... this was complicated to explain, becaus english is not my mothertongue :)

Arjen, if English isn't your first language I couldn't notice!If you haven't actually gone to see a designated flight medical examiner and gotten their opinion, I wouldn't be so quick to rule out chasing your flying dream. That's why I listed the actual dis-qualifiers (there are a few others but they're mostly psychological/heart conditions). In other rules, go see a designated medical examiner if you're serious about flying.

Yeah, a lot of people write themselves off, but you have to fight a little bit harder than the first AME. Sometimes, people don't know everything, or in their best judgment you are unfit, but someone else may say otherwise, and so on. Another opinion couldn't hurt, and an organization like AOPA, among others, can offer medical advice through their legal team. If it's something you truly care about, it's worth a shot.To emphasize the point above, are charts required in aircraft when you're flying?Nope, but you'll even get DEs, CFIs and others telling you it's regulation that they're required.(with a few exceptions)

The FAA has rendered interpretations that have stated the foregoing. The subject of current charts was thoroughly covered in an article in the FAA's July/August 1997 issue of FAA Aviation News. That article was cleared through the FAA's Chief Counsel's office. In that article the FAA stated the following:

• "You can carry old charts in your aircraft." "It is not FAA policy to violate anyone for having outdated charts in the aircraft."
• "Not all pilots are required to carry a chart." "91.503..requires the pilot in command of large and multiengine airplanes to have charts." "Other operating sections of the FAR such as Part 121 and Part 135 operations have similar requirements."
• ..."since some pilots thought they could be violated for having outdated or no charts on board during a flight, we need to clarify an important issue. As we have said, it is NOT FAA policy to initiate enforcement action against a pilot for having an old chart on board or no chart on board." That's because there is no regulation on the issue.
• ..."the issue of current chart data bases in handheld GPS receivers is a non-issue because the units are neither approved by the FAA or required for flight, nor do panel-mounted VFR-only GPS receivers have to have a current data base because, like handheld GPS receivers, the pilot is responsible for pilotage under VFR.
• "If a pilot is involved in an enforcement investigation and there is evidence that the use of an out-of-date chart, no chart, or an out-of-date database contributed to the condition that brought on the enforcement investigation, then that information could be used in any enforcement action that might be taken."

If you, as an FAA Safety Inspector, Designated Pilot Examiner, Flight Instructor, or other aviation professional are telling pilots something other than the foregoing then you are incorrect.

Source: FAANow don't get me wrong. I'm not saying flying without charts is recommended or smart. I'm using this as an example of something many assert is an FAA regulation (to include those employed by, or certified to instruct by the FAA), but it is clearly not. AMEs are subject to the same misconceptions and missteps.

Well in Australia we have the sport aviation option that basically only requires a person to have a current drivers licence and sign a declaration confirming that they no of no known medical condition that would prevent them from flying. Eyesight wise, if you are comfortable and allowed to drive a car then you can (in Australia) undertake flight training and earn your sport avaition pilots certificate, that allows you fly sport aviation category aircraft two seat aircraft, 600kg MTOW, not above 10,000 feet and not in controlled airspace (A,B,C and D). This has been very successful here and has enabled a lot of seniors to realise a long held dream.Neil Bradley

Well in Australia we have the sport aviation option that basically only requires a person to have a current drivers licence and sign a declaration confirming that they no of no known medical condition that would prevent them from flying. Eyesight wise, if you are comfortable and allowed to drive a car then you can (in Australia) undertake flight training and earn your sport avaition pilots certificate, that allows you fly sport aviation category aircraft two seat aircraft, 600kg MTOW, not above 10,000 feet and not in controlled airspace (A,B,C and D). This has been very successful here and has enabled a lot of seniors to realise a long held dream.Neil Bradley

Keep in mind that failing the medical makes you ineligible to exercise the privileges of a sport pilot license. I'm sure you're aware.Also; other fears come to mind when talking about the license you mentioned. in the US, the minimum time needed for the license is 20hrs. That's next to nothing. I also question some of the folks who seek a sport pilot's license initially, as *most*(not all) of the fellows I've met here at the "light sport" flight school on field are nincompoops and shouldn't be legal to touch an aircraft. (Actually, my least favorite sport pilot augered the SportCruiser into the runway 4 weeks ago [i had actually had a face to face with him about his poor skills prior to that]...)As for seniors that use the privileges of a sport pilot license: I have no qualms except that some folks really aren't in good enough health to operate an aircraft.In short, I hate the idea of someone in initial training receiving a sport license. I don't mind so much the idea of someone who initially had a PPL or better exercising the licenses' privileges.