General

LESSON 1.

AVIATION MEDICINE PROGRAM

TASK:

To evaluate an aviation medicine program recognizing the

duties and responsibilities of the flight surgeon and medical

restrictions to flight.

OBJECTIVES:

You will know the aims of the aviation medicine program, the

functions of the flight surgeon and be able to list the

factors that require flight restriction.

CONDITION:

You may use the text and references to complete the review

exercise.

STANDARD:

You must answer correctly at least 8 of 10 review exercise

questions.

REFERENCES:

AR 40-5 (Sep 84)(with changes), AR 40-8 (Aug 76), AR 385-95

(Dec 82)(with changes), U.S. Army Safety Center Publication,

Aeromedical Aspects of Aviation Safety (Jun 80).

LESSON TEXT

1.

GENERAL

Man and his environment are stable with respect to each other. The

human animal, as we know him, has evolved over thousands of years to become

an efficiently functioning organism under the conditions as present on the

surface of the earth (gravity and atmospheric pressure). However, man has

been released from the bonds of earth by flight and is traveling into space

and even to the moon. While aircraft and aircraft systems have steadily

improved, the human body and mind have remained essentially unchanged with

little change expected during the next several centuries. This leaves us

with an aviation subsystem (man) that possesses known limitations around

which aircraft must be designed and operated. Since the human operator is

an integral subsystem, it becomes obvious that the individual deserves the

same care and attention as other subsystems. If a few basic rules and

guidelines are disregarded an accident can occur. This is not to say that

the individual is always responsible, but man is frequently the weak link in

the man-machine relationship.

a. Aviation Medicine Program Requirements. The requirements for the

procurement (initial entry physical qualification), inspection (annual

physical examination), maintenance (physiologic and physical fitness

training) and repair (clinical care) of aircrew members are established by

AR 40-5. The aviation medicine program is a vital part of the Army aviation

safety program and is designed to reduce the number of accidents resulting

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