A small survey of student pilots working toward aviation careers found that 89 were aware that self-medication is a danger to flight safety, and 78 percent said they did not use over-the-counter drugs while flying, according to a report on the survey.1
However, the 97 student pilots – enrolled in ab initio programs at five flight training organizations in Turkey – also said that a fear of medical disqualification and subsequent job loss is the most significant contributor to self-medication among ab initio pilots, said the report, published in the March issue of Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance.
“Pilots are subject to a great number of physiological stresses of flight including hypoxia, circadian rhythm disruptions, cosmic radiation and heat stress, which may affect their health,” the report said. “Pilots seek to protect themselves against the aforementioned threats either by consulting an aeromedical examiner (AME) or by self-medi…
