Objectives:
Upon completion of this lesson, the student will:
•	Have an understanding of the effects of general health and well being and medication on the pilot:
•	Effects of stress and fatigue
•	Effects of common medications
•	Effects of Alcohol and rules pertaining to its use with respect to flying
•	Know the causes, symptoms and ways to avoid or correct:
•	Hypoxia
•	Hyperventilation
•	Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
•	Middle Ear Discomfort or Pain
•	Motion Sickness
•	Spatial Disorientation and Illusions
•	Decompression sickness after diving
•	Know the regulations regarding pilot medical certificates.
Elements:
•	General health as it relates to flying
•	Medical problems that can be caused as a result of flying
•	Pilot medical certificates
Schedule:
•	Introduction					00:05
•	General Health, Medications, Alcohol		00:15
•	Medical Problems Caused by Flying		00:20
•	Medical Certificates				00:10	
•	Summary and Review				00:10
Total:	01:00
Equipment:
•	Chalkboard and Chalk
Instructor Actions:
1.	Introduction
•	Present lesson objective.
•	Give an overview of what will be covered (include importance of the material)
2.	Discuss General Health, Medications, Alcohol
•	Discuss the negative effects of:
•	Illnesses such as common colds, allergies, flu and the medications commonly used to treat them particularly antihistamines.
•	Stress and Fatigue; Job pressures; problems at home; lack of sleep.
•	Self medication or prescription drugs.
•	Alcohol
•	No alcohol may be consumed within 8 hours before flying. This includes alcohol in medicines such as cough syrup, etc. (FAR 91.17); Longer is better.
•	Maximum blood alcohol content by weight 0.04%; Half the legal limit for driving in many states (FAR 91.17).
•	Also consider effects of hangovers
•	Passengers who have consumed alcohol shortly before flying may feel exaggerated effects at higher altitudes; FAR 91.17 also prohibits carrying passengers who are intoxicated or under the influence of drugs (not as a result of being under a doctor’s care).
•	Stress use of a Personal Minimums Checklist (FAA-P-8740-55)
•	IM SAFE
•	Illness
•	Medication
•	Stress
•	Alcohol
•	Fatigue
•	Emotions
3.	Discuss Medical Problems Caused By Flying
•	Hypoxia
•	Lack of oxygen; Affects brain and vision, particularly night vision; There are four kinds of Hypoxia.
•	Symptoms might include general feeling of well-being, dizziness, headache, dullness or tunnel vision.
•	Onset is insidious, that is it tends to come on slowly and is not easy to recognize.
•	Most obvious indication may be blue/black color on fingernails.
•	A given individual will generally experience the same symptoms in the same order whenever suffering from Hypoxia.
•	Aggravated by other conditions such as anemia or smoking,
•	If it occurs, get to a lower altitude.
•	Night vision can be affected at altitudes as low as 5,000 ft.
•	FAA Flight Physiology course is highly recommended
•	Hyperventilation
•	Breathing too rapidly brought on by high anxiety.
•	Occurs more frequently in student pilots
•	Causes a decrease in CO2 in the blood, which regulates the breathing process.
•	Can be cured by consciously slowing the breathing rate by breathing into a bag or talking out loud.
•	Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
•	CO is present in the exhaust gasses and can be induced into the cockpit by leaks in the exhaust system. 
•	Particularly a problem in the winter as cabin heat is produced by air ducted over the exhaust system.
•	CO poisoning reduces the ability of the blood to carry oxygen and therefore can produce all the same symptoms as Hypoxia.
•	If suspected, get on the ground ASAP and seek medical help. It can take days to rid the body of the CO.
•	Use CO detectors in the cockpit.
•	Middle Ear Discomfort or Pain
•	Caused by an imbalance of pressure outside and in the inner ear (Eustachian tube)
•	Can be aggravated by colds or allergies which prevent the Eustachian tube from opening completely.
•	Can be aggravated by rapid ascents or descents
•	Can usually be cleared by swallowing, yawning, or trying to exhale with nose and mouth held shut; valvausa maneuver.
•	If trouble persists several hours after landing consult a doctor.
•	Similar problems can occur with the sinuses, particularly when suffering from a cold or allergies.
•	Motion Sickness
•	Generally not a problem for experienced pilots, but more common in student pilots or passengers.
•	Caused by continued stimulation of the inner ear, and aggravated by conflicting signals from the eyes.
•	Avoid over the counter or prescription motion sickness drugs; they cause drowsiness.
•	Open air vents, loosen clothing, use oxygen, keep eyes outside and avoid rapid head movements
•	Spatial Disorientation and Illusions
•	Occurs when the ability to see the natural horizon is impaired by clouds, haze, darkness, etc. or from various optical illusions such as:
•	Upsloping or downsloping cloud decks or terrain.
•	Reflections from water, particularly at night.
•	Inability to determine airplane attitude by feel; senses lie to you.
•	Fly by reference to instruments.
•	Avoid low visibility situations.
•	Other illusions that may not cause spatial disorientation, but that the pilot should be aware of
•	Reduced visibility causes things to appear farther away than they really are or the airplane to appear to be at a higher altitude than it really is.
•	Wider or narrower runways than the pilot is accustomed to.
•	Decompression Sickness (Bends)
•	Caused by the release of Nitrogen trapped in the blood while diving and breathing compressed air.
•	Divers should wait at least 12 hours after a dive not requiring a controlled ascent before flying at altitudes above 8,000 ft.
•	Divers should wait at least 24 hours after a dive requiring a controlled ascent before flying at altitudes above 8,000 ft.
4.	Discuss Rules Related to Medical Certificates
•	How to obtain a medical certificate and Student Pilot’s License
•	Classes and duration of medical certificates.
•	Medical certificate is invalid in the event of any change in health status that would prevent one from obtaining a medical certificate.
•	In some cases, waivers can be obtained for certain medical problems that might otherwise prevent one from obtaining a certificate.
5.	Summary and Review
•	Review and summarize material covered
•	Answer student questions
•	Evaluate student understanding by asking questions.
•	Explain what will be covered in the next lesson and assign reading material.
Student Actions:
1.	Introduction
•	Ask questions concerning previous lessons and/or this one.
2.	General Health, Medications, Alcohol
3.	Medical Problems Caused By Flying
4.	Rules Related to Medical Certificates
5.	Summary and Review
•	Ask questions about the lesson.
•	Answer instructor’s questions
Completion Standards:
This lesson will be completed when the student can demonstrate an adequate understanding of:.
•	The effects of general health and well being and medication on the pilot:
•	The causes, symptoms and ways to avoid or correct:
•	Hypoxia
•	Hyperventilation
•	Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
•	Middle Ear Discomfort or Pain
•	Motion Sickness
•	Spatial Disorientation and Illusions
•	Decompression sickness after diving
•	The regulations regarding pilot medical certificates.
References:
•	Flight Training Handbook (AC-61-21A); Chapter 
•	Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (AC-61-23C); Chapter 9
•	Medical Handbook for Pilots (AC-67-2)
•	Jeppesen Private Pilot Manual; Chapter 10, Section A
Possible Review Questions:
Alcohol of any kind must not be consumed _______ hours before flying.
Before flying, the pilot should use a ______________  ______________  checklist to determine whether or not they are safe to fly.
Hypoxia is a lack of ____________ .
Night vision can begin to deteriorate at altitudes as low as __________ feet.
Hyperventilation can be corrected by consciously _____________ the breathing rate.
Carbon Monoxide is more common in the _____________ months.
Motion sickness is caused by continued stimulation of the _____________   _________ .
Spatial disorientation is primarily a problem in _____   _____________ conditions.
A third class medical certificate is good for ________ years if the holder was less than 40 years old when the certificate was issued, and for _______ years if over 40.