Safety and Aero Medical issues go hand in hand for every aspect of flying. I have been asked to be the medical representative for the IBDA. I am going to try my best to write a quarterly medical article. Hopefully these will be of use to all. I'll try to make them interesting and relevant to those who enjoy flying the Birddog. Many of us are past, or nearing, the 50 year mark. If you watch your health while flying and fly healthy, you will be able to enjoy the wonderful tail dragger longer.

Anyone, please feel free to request information at anytime. If you are interested in a certain topic and ask me about it, there are others out there who are to shy to step forward. You may want to know if Rogaine or Viagra will affect you flying (besides a hairy or hard landing). If I don't know the answer, I'll find out and write an article about it or contact you directly. My background includes 17 years of Active Duty in the U.S. Army and 13 years of Reserve Duty in the Indiana Air National Guard. I was an Artillery Officer in Viet Nam and flew 5 months in the 0-1 Birddog. That helped me to decide that I needed to go back to school. I also flew Hueys and Cobras in the Army. The Indiana ANG was also a great flying experience. I flew WSO in F-4E's for 8 years and as a Flight Surgeon in F-16's for 5 years. I was a Senior Flight Surgeon and I am now retired from the military and an orthopedic surgeon. You will never hear any more about me (unless we are "discussing" war stories or the difference between Army O-1 pilots and weird Navy pilots, who wear buttons on their underpants). There are many "typical" Flight Surgeon talks. I will cover all of them and try to do it with a "flair" that is fitting a "more mature" man or woman, who can handle a tail wheel.

Topics that will be covered (in no particular order):

1. Fitness (Or, "get the chub off" and see if you can get back into that old uniform. We, as older, more mature individuals, need to get fit before the MI or stroke, not after it is too late.)
2. Alcohol (Most of us do it. It makes our "War Stories" more believable.....especially to ourselves. It doesn't do our flying any good)
3. Medications (What do they do to you and how they can kill you and your Birddog.)
4. Fatigue (It has been a hard, long week at work. It is summer and Friday and it stays light of a long time. I think that I can fly the good old Birddog for three or four hours and have a head start of the weekend. Dumb, dumb,dumb! Get the picture? If it is you in the picture, you are dumb.)
5. Spatial Disorientation (This is going to be a good subject for those who are flying in the O-1 formations. If you haven't felt the giant hand trying to pull you......you will.)
6. Motion Sickness (This may not be a big item. But, some medicines may put you into a problem that is new for you.)
7. Hypoxia (Usually not a problem with 213 HP engine, but you never know.)
8. Hyperventilation (This may occur if you have an unusually exciting landing.)
9. Circadian Rhythm (Jet Lag Fatigue will probably not catch the Birddog.)

As I said before, this is a "standard issue" list of medical articles that we have all heard before. I hope that I will request from out there is "e-mail land" and we can discuss more interesting topics.