HIV positive man unable to become a commercial pilot

[Deleted]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-42325414

Campaigners are calling for a change in regulations after a Glasgow man was unable to become a commercial airline pilot because he is HIV positive.

The man, who wants to remain anonymous, had been offered a place on an airline's training programme.

But the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) refused him the medical certificate needed to gain a commercial licence.

The CAA said European regulations prevented it granting the certificate to someone who was HIV positive.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said it was considering a rule change.

Anthony (not his real name) said it was "utterly devastating" to discover that he could not take up the position on the EasyJet pilot training scheme.

He described the policy as "outdated" and "inherently discriminatory".

HIV Scotland has called for a change in the rules.

Why are HIV positive people unable to become pilots?
According to the CAA, which is responsible for aviation safety regulations in the UK, certain medical conditions prevent would-be pilots obtaining the necessary certificate. These include being HIV positive, organ transplantation or having type 1 diabetes.

Pilots who already hold a commercial licence but later develop one of the conditions would still be able to operate.

However their licence would change and only allow them to fly with a co-pilot. This is known as an operational multi-crew limitation (OML) licence.

Some flights are only possible with a pilot and a co-pilot, especially long haul and commercial flights.

Under the current rules, student pilots have to perform solo flights during their training and are therefore not allowed to have a condition that qualifies them to only fly with a co-pilot.

These rules are regulated by EASA and apply to Europe. The same restrictions do not apply in some countries, such as Canada.

The CAA said the EASA had confirmed that people making an initial application for a commercial pilot licence must have an unrestricted medical certificate.

A CAA spokesperson added: "We support a rule change in this area, where it is safe to do so, and will continue to work with EASA and HIV experts to reassess this regulation, with a view to enabling applicants to obtain an initial Class 1 medical certificate."

The EASA said it was considering a change to the rules.

In a statement, it said: "A rule change takes time, it needs to be considered by experts, and we need to plan it and prioritized by performing impact assessment.

"However, EASA and the NAA (National Aviation Authority) medical experts agreed that a rule change should be considered due to the availability of new HIV medications.

"These medications could provide for a more flexible regulatory approach and allow the need for an OML restriction to be determined on a case-by-case basis, largely dependent on the stage of the HIV.

"In future, this would allow some prospective pilots having HIV to obtain a license without an OML restriction."

EasyJet said it was a matter for EASA and the CAA, but added: "We welcome the CAA's support for a rule change where it is safe to do so."

Anthony's story
Anthony gained his private pilots licence aged 17, before he was able to drive. He has wanted to be a pilot since he was a child, and began flying when he was 15.

He was diagnosed with HIV three years ago, and wrote to the CAA under a pseudonym to ask about the effect his diagnosis would have on his dream.

Anthony said the CAA told him that he would be granted the medical certificate and could train, but that he would have to fly alongside a co-pilot.

Earlier this year he passed all the assessments at EasyJet, and gained a place on their training programme.

When Anthony was told his HIV would stop him becoming a pilot he was "very confused".

He said the disappointment was worse because he believed there was "no barrier if you're HIV positive to doing anything now that you wanted to do before".

"I had started to accept the diagnosis because of that."

He said: "In 2017, someone who is HIV positive and on successful treatment is medically no different to someone who isn't HIV positive."

What's your opinion? I am surprised outdated rules still exist

[Heladys]

WTF, is he expected to share his blood or semen with people while piloting? Because that's literally the only rationale for such a rule.

[Machismo]

That sounds like a pretty damn stupid rule.

[Binaris]

To argue a different side of things. Planes are nothing more than flying balls of germs contained in metal. If I was positive, I wouldnt want to subject my immune system to such a place. Norovirus runs rampant in spaces like airplanes and cruise ships.

[Heladys]

To argue a different side of things. Planes are nothing more than flying balls of germs contained in metal. If I was positive, I wouldnt want to subject my immune system to such a place. Norovirus runs rampant in spaces like airplanes and cruise ships.

To argue the different side of things effectively, you have to acknowledge the differences in transmission methods for different viruses. HIV is transmitted through exchange of blood or semen (let's just say bodily fluids). Unless you're bleeding into someone else's open wound or shooting your load into them, they aren't getting your disease.

If anyone knows any airlines where those things are happening, please let us know so we can avoid them.

[EyelessCrow]

To argue the different side of things effectively, you have to acknowledge the differences in transmission methods for different viruses. HIV is transmitted through exchange of blood or semen (let's just say bodily fluids). Unless you're bleeding into someone else's open wound or shooting your load into them, they aren't getting your disease.

If anyone knows any airlines where those things are happening, please let us know so we can avoid them.

You clearly didn't understand what Binaris was saying...

[Pyro1990]

To argue the different side of things effectively, you have to acknowledge the differences in transmission methods for different viruses. HIV is transmitted through exchange of blood or semen (let's just say bodily fluids). Unless you're bleeding into someone else's open wound or shooting your load into them, they aren't getting your disease.

If anyone knows any airlines where those things are happening, please let us know so we can avoid them.

He's not talking about the pilot transmitting his aides. He's saying that HIV hurts your immune system and he wouldnt want to be in a place infested with germs like an airplane.


Also, considering the other health issues mentioned that can disqualify you (diabetes and organ transplant) i dont think this is as much about him transmitting the disease and more about his physical health. Both diabetes and an organ transplant have complications that could render you unable to perform your job as a pilot. I think the idea here is that HIV can make you more succeptible to diseases and cause complications with your ability to pilot. Whether this is a reasonable cause to deny someone with HIV with our current knowledge and treatment of the disease I'm not as sure about.

[Binaris]

To argue the different side of things effectively, you have to acknowledge the differences in transmission methods for different viruses. HIV is transmitted through exchange of blood or semen (let's just say bodily fluids). Unless you're bleeding into someone else's open wound or shooting your load into them, they aren't getting your disease.

If anyone knows any airlines where those things are happening, please let us know so we can avoid them.

You misunderstand. It is not about infecting others with HIV. It is about having an immune compromised pilot getting crap from everyone else. Possibly in air, on long flights endangering himself and in turn others. Entire cruise-lines get shut down for days for cleaning after a norovirus breakout. it is very common. The risk is quite high.

[zenkai]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-42325414



What's your opinion? I am surprised outdated rules still exist

Wow there is a pilot shortage too! I say it's a stupid rule.

[Quibble]

To argue the different side of things effectively, you have to acknowledge the differences in transmission methods for different viruses. HIV is transmitted through exchange of blood or semen (let's just say bodily fluids). Unless you're bleeding into someone else's open wound or shooting your load into them, they aren't getting your disease.

If anyone knows any airlines where those things are happening, please let us know so we can avoid them.

He wasn't talking about passengers getting HIV..
He wass talking about the pilot.

AIDS is a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive.

[Hiricine]

If theres a high enough rate of debilitating illness that could potentially place passengers in danger it would make sense. If you're talking a long flight (8-9 hours) its very possible someone with the illness could board without symptoms (or mild symptoms) and be extremely ill before landing.

[Quibble]

Why are HIV positive people unable to become pilots?
According to the CAA, which is responsible for aviation safety regulations in the UK, certain medical conditions prevent would-be pilots obtaining the necessary certificate. These include being HIV positive, organ transplantation or having type 1 diabetes.

Pilots who already hold a commercial licence but later develop one of the conditions would still be able to operate.

However their licence would change and only allow them to fly with a co-pilot. This is known as an operational multi-crew limitation (OML) licence.

Some flights are only possible with a pilot and a co-pilot, especially long haul and commercial flights.

Under the current rules, student pilots have to perform solo flights during their training and are therefore not allowed to have a condition that qualifies them to only fly with a co-pilot.

OP and Heladys, you might want to reread the above..

The reason wasn't that he was "gay", or had the "gay virus".

It is because there are rules that say someone with that condition can not fly without a co-pilot..
And a consequence of that is that anyone with such a condition can not pass a solo flying test, since they would obviously not be able to fly solo.

[belfpala]

WTF, is he expected to share his blood or semen with people while piloting? Because that's literally the only rationale for such a rule.

No. If you read the article:

certain medical conditions prevent would-be pilots obtaining the necessary certificate. These include being HIV positive, organ transplantation or having type 1 diabetes.

The latter two can cause debilitating conditions suddenly. In the case of Type 1 Diabetes, going too low or too high in blood sugar can cause cognitive impairment and even coma. That's not something you want in a pilot.

At this point, HIV is considered a completely treatable condition. The contention in this is that the rule is outdated. This isn't 1989 where many people thought even proximity to an HIV patient was going to kill you.

[Utinil]

I think it is a non-story. The rules were put into place back when HIV medications weren't very good and extremely expensive (not that they are cheap now) and there was a concern that it could cause him to get sick while flying. Most rules don't get reevaluated unless someone questions them, so it has remained on the books. It seems that they are being reevaluated and the agency is helping make sure that it goes through, they just have to follow the process to make the changes.

If it doesn't get changed then there is a story, but until then it is just a matter of bureaucracy in action.

[Heladys]

You clearly didn't understand what Binaris was saying...

He was saying infected people might choose to self-select out of the situation. Which is fine, but which has to be informed by logic.

Unless the person self-selecting intends to come or bleed all over people of course, which is a different kind of airline entirely.

[Swalload]

What's your opinion? I am surprised outdated rules still exist

I'm not, there's plenty of outdated rules out there.

[Deleted]

OP and Heladys, you might want to reread the above..

The reason wasn't that he was "gay", or had the "gay virus".

Eh I didn't say it was?

[Puri]

Many laws especially concerning HIV are simply outdated, and come from the late 80s/early 90s where aids was considered the scourge of mankind.
So this is just subject to change, now as the problem surfaced (thw first time in 20 years?), as many other strange laws considering HIV.

[Quibble]

I think it is a non-story. The rules were put into place back when HIV medications weren't very good and extremely expensive (not that they are cheap now) and there was a concern that it could cause him to get sick while flying. Most rules don't get reevaluated unless someone questions them, so it has remained on the books. It seems that they are being reevaluated and the agency is helping make sure that it goes through, they just have to follow the process to make the changes.

So is the medication today 100% effective? Such that the medication won't stop working because he has to increase the amount, or that he forgets the medication one day and as a result catch ill?

[Ætherknight]

To argue a different side of things. Planes are nothing more than flying balls of germs contained in metal. If I was positive, I wouldnt want to subject my immune system to such a place. Norovirus runs rampant in spaces like airplanes and cruise ships.

He is HIV+, on successful treatment, and does not exhibit AIDS, therefor his immune system is fine. Living HIV+ today is much different than in the past, and successful early treatment leaves your immune system intact.