Can A Kid With Cerebral Palsy Become An Airman?

5 Responses for "Can A Kid With Cerebral Palsy Become An Airman?"

1. pilot T December 16th, 2009 at 2:05 pm

   CP is a physical disability like any other physical disability and must be evaluated on an individual basis as far as the FAA medical exam. It is disqualifying initially. He would need a special waiver and would need to jump through some hoops with the FAA to get his medical certificate waivered for CP. The AME would need to sign off everything else but hold off on the certificate – the FAA would then send him an authorized medical certificate once the appropriate paperwork and additional tests were completed.
   He may need to have some special equipment to fit in a cockpit that assists him depending on the severity of his disability and what limbs it affects. There are currently pilots with CP that have a medical waiver.
   Check out this website of a pilot with CP: http://www.palaestra.com/flying.html
   In some cases, genetic defects may contribute to brain malformations and “miswiring� of nerve cell connections in the brain, resulting in cerebral palsy. Other cases are caused by injuries to the developing brain, such as a fetal stroke.
   Call a local AME and ask what medical forms are necessary from his doctor and the AME to get the CP waiver process started. It will take more money, testing and many, many months.
   *edit* It sounds like you looked into this and the FAR requirements. So the next thing you should do is call around to several AMEs and get their answers to how they sign off someone with CP. That should tell you if it is as simple as getting an AME to sign it off or if more is required. I still think he’ll need to get a waiver to satisfy the FAA and FAR part 67.109.
   Techwing is right, passenger safety is paramount, waivers are scrutinized by the airlines, that’s how it is.

2. David G December 16th, 2009 at 5:08 pm

   I just want to say, I’ve been trying to watch all the CP related queries lately, and this is by far the most productive and useful discussion I’ve seen.
   Thanks to you all for helping restore my faith in the internet.

3. Techwing December 16th, 2009 at 10:21 pm

   As you correctly observe, CP is a static neurological disorder that does not cause seizures or disturbance of consciousness in most patients (depending on the type of neurological damage done at or before birth).
   This being so, it’s possible to get a pilot’s license, but it’s a lot of work and red tape, since you have to demonstrate that you can operate the airplane correctly in real-world flight situations. This, too, depends on the exact characteristics of the CP, as some types of disability might make it difficult to manage the controls, whereas others might not. Every case of CP is somewhat unique.
   I’d expect a typical case to require both neurological evaluations and special examinations, and an extended medical history. If someone is persistent enough and doesn’t have any specific neurological handicaps that truly make it impossible for him to operate an airplane, he should be able to get a license.
   Things get more complicated if he wants to work as a pilot. Even if he demonstrates his ability and gets a first-class medical, employers might still be worried about the liability and insurance risks of hiring a pilot with CP, not to mention the PR effects if passengers see someone who doesn’t appear to be completely able-bodied entering or leaving the cockpit. He should be able to get a PPL, but he might have to settle for flying as a hobby rather than flying as a profession. Here again, with something like CP, it’s all in the details.

4. Jimmbbo December 17th, 2009 at 2:41 am

   Would be best to call an AME… 67.109 Neurologic.standards for a first-class airman medical certificate are:
   (a) No established medical history or clinical diagnosis of any of the following:
   (1) Epilepsy;
   (2) A disturbance of consciousness without satisfactory medical explanation of the cause; or
   (3) A transient loss of control of nervous system function(s) without satisfactory medical explanation of the cause.
   (b) No other seizure disorder, disturbance of consciousness, or neurologic condition that the Federal Air Surgeon, based on the case history and appropriate, qualified medical judgment relating to the condition involved, finds—
   (1) Makes the person unable to safely perform the duties or exercise the privileges of the airman certificate applied for or held; or
   (2) May reasonably be expected, for the maximum duration of the airman medical certificate applied for or held, to make the person unable to perform those duties or exercise those privileges.http://www.landings.com/evird.acgi$pass*…

5. cherokee December 17th, 2009 at 3:06 am

   May 15, 2008
   Cerebral Palsy-Challenged Pilot Adele Schneidereit
   By Glenn Pew, Contributing editor
   Adele Schneidereit Wednesday carried her abilities over the hurdle of cerebral palsy (a birth defect that causes paralysis of one or more limbs) to earn her private pilot’s certificate — bringing her one step closer to a goal of piloting an aircraft around the world. And making a movie about it (watch the trailer, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMEzRvkxI… ). Aside from the physical challenges of flight, it took her 11 months to satisfy the FAA medical/SODA process. She also changed flight schools mid-stream, forcing her to re-fly her fundamentals with a new instructor who could then be confident signing her logbook endorsements. Schneidereit flies without the aid of cockpit modifications, but says she does “do certain things differently” and has become a master of trim — using trim “as a tool and not merely a labor-saving device.” Those skills should serve her well as she advances to her instrument rating and begins to train for her round-the-world jaunt with shorter trips to Mexico and Canada.