Yes, but all women will still have to use the scale before entering the plane :-)
Only that in Europe you can loose your medical class 1 for being over BMI30 and class 2 for being over BMI35.
It’s quite easy for a fit, strong man (body builder) with a BMI of 30 so I hope they factor this in (and that BMI >= 30 doesn’t necessarily mean unhealthy). However, looking at the pilot population, I think I’ve yet to see a pilot with a BMI of 30 who happened to be that BMI because of muscle…
http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2013/December/05/bill-to-stop-new-sleep-apnea-policy-moves-forward.aspx
Pilots impacted by the FAA’s proposed new obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) policy can expect to pay some $2,000 to more than $5,000 for testing and, if needed, equipment for treatment, according to an AOPA investigation.
At the moment, there is (at long last) a lot of attention being paid to the US Federal Executive Branch using ‘policy-written-as-new-law’ to bypass Congress and proper process, so I think you can expect some sort of ongoing food fight on this FAA proposal, including AOPA and Congressional claims of severe financial impact. Right now, they are trying to force FAA to use their own rule making process, and then once they are I believe public review etc comes into play.
Why? It’s always achievable.
Losing weight is really hard. A pleasing proportion of my patients have given up smoking. I could count on the fingers of one hand the number who have lost truly substantial amounts of weight (e.g. bmi of 40 down to 25) without surgical intervention.
Mixed feelings about it in terms of regulation, but when your BMI is 40 serious health problems are not far off.
God if there ever was mind numbing do gooders overreach by a Govt agency this is the finest example.
Ive been dead set against this whole witch hunt approach just to take the heat off the air carriers for their lousy approach to Human resource management.
Getting to the source of why this whole thing was implemented shows the stupidity of some members of this agency.
How to get a good nights sleep and rest.
1. Not worrying about a lousy forecast for tomorrows wx for flying.
2. Not having family problems which forces you to twist and turn all night.
3. Being given adequate number of hours to rest before a flight. Which involves not having or not doing the following:
a. Jet lag
b. having to stay at a roach motel cause your employer is too cheap to pay for something better.
c. having to sleep in an airport pilots lounge because all the hotels in town have no vacancy.
d. staying up partying all night.
Of course if you have sleep apnea in addition to what was mentioned above I can see where the pilot would be a total mess. Not sure how they could possibly survive.
If the FAA wants to do something to show or just to make a good show, they should take on the carrier industry and how their work policies affect pilots and not go off on a tangent chasing windmills.
By the way part of the reason GA is dying in the US is because obesity now is 25% of the US population in many states.
The reason I am an AOPA member and contribute to their PAC is to be able to push back.
