Pilot (Aviation / Marine) Medical Examinations

CitaHealth employs Ministry of Transport approved doctors licensed to conduct both Marine and Aviation Medical Exams.

The medical standards are described by body system. Covering the most common medical problems seen by aviation/marine medical physicians, you must:

  • > Have adequate vision
    • Glasses are permitted; vision must be better than 20/30. If you have had laser eye surgery you may still be licensed.

  • > Have adequate hearing
    • Be able to hear whispered speech at 6m. If your hearing is not this good, there are practical tests which may be performed which will still permit you to be licensed, although you may be required to wear a headset when operating a radio equipped aircraft or vessel.

  • > Be free of any significant, ongoing illness
    • This includes any illness which might result in impairment of consciousness or inability to operate the aircraft/vessel safely. It is possible to be licensed with a variety of illnesses, as long as those illnesses are under good control.

    Medications are not permitted when they may have side effects or therapeutic effects which impair a pilot's ability to operate the aircraft/vessel. An example would be narcotic pain-killers. Secondly, certain medications may not be impairing in and of themselves, but their use implies an underlying illness which would not permit the safe piloting of an aircraft/vessel. An example would be chemotherapy agents for the treatment of active cancer.

    Blood pressure must be adequately controlled, although medications are acceptable.

    A past history of significant heart disease, or lung disease, will be thoroughly investigated to ensure that the pilot has recovered adequately, and is now safe. It is possible to be licensed to fly an aircraft or operate a vessel even after one has had a heart attack, provided certain criteria are met.

    Various handicaps such as missing limbs are also acceptable, provided the pilot is capable of moving all of the control surfaces of the aircraft/vessel through their full course of travel, and is capable of exiting the aircraft/vessel in an emergency. It may be necessary to be limited to certain, specially equipped, aircraft/vessels to permit handicapped pilots to fly/operate the vessel.