Fly Well: Off we go into the wild blue yonder

I always advise following what seems to me a rational prescription: eat healthily; exercise regularly; don’t smoke; drink alcohol in moderation; adopt a regime of regular screenings; and, genetics and happenstance aside, you will avoid the majority of ills to which flesh is heir. And if disease intervenes, take care of that first, and flight privileges thereafter. It surprises me when aviators ignore symptoms in trepidation of how it might affect their time aloft, instead of perusing how it might affect their time alive! My nonpilot aviation medical examiner (AME) is a delightful, excellent physician and when medical reform was first proposed, and he was quite animated in his opposition. In response, I pointed out that a quick medical every two years was just part of the picture, and we effectively self-certify every time we fly: “Am I fit to control an aircraft today, now?” And there’s the rub, in some ways this new approach will require pilots to take more responsibility for their wellbeing.

A quick medical every two years was just part of the picture, we effectively self-certify every time we fly: “Am I fit to control an aircraft today, now?”You must see a doctor at least once in four years, review a health checklist, and the doctor will examine and confirm that you have done so. Then log the event. Additionally, every two years, aviators must complete an aeromedical training course, logging that certification. AOPA will be working with the medical community to educate it about this change and what to expect.

The new regulations apply only to some aircraft (up to 6,000 pounds and six seats, any number of engines, and up to five passengers). However, the new thinking gives us a chance to adopt a healthier approach to life.

Recently, I had the privilege of hearing Blue Zones (www.bluezones.com) speaker Tony Beuttner address a group at the Aspen Brain Lab. He pointed out that 80 percent of factors impacting longevity are within our control. Blue Zones originally was a National Geographic study to ascertain factors impacting lifespan and health span—the amount of time we live productive and fulfilling lives. These zones are inhabited by people who live measurably longer and better, and reach age 100 at rates 10 times that of the United States. Places such as Sardinia in Italy or Ikaria in Greece where people forget how to die. It turns out that these blue zones have certain things in common: a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, with protein coming predominantly from fish; meaningful exercise (walking from place to place rather than hitting the gym); and close, loving circles of family and friends. Simple, really.

This lifestyle can be duplicated in American environments. In 2009 Blue Zones teamed up with AARP and the United Health Foundation to change things in Albert Lea, Minnesota. By encouraging community gardens; changing eating habits, including exercise; and socializing—even with brutal sub-zero temperatures—participants added 2.9 years of projected lifespan, healthcare claims for city workers dropped by half, and absenteeism rates dropped by more than 20 percent.

By changing your lifestyle, you can improve your health and reduce the risk of serious chronic disease. But if disease does declare itself, you must address the problem and report it appropriately; to fail to do so puts your life—and those of your passengers and people on the ground—at risk. And it risks undermining the medical reform program.

The final verse of Crawford’s anthem reads, “If you’d live to be a grey-haired wonder, Keep the nose out of the blue!” Don’t stall your aircraft, attend to your health, and continue to enjoy the wild blue yonder.

Email [email protected]