air law - why cant pregnant women fly?

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Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 68

I was studying air law in ground school the other day and came across the bit that says you cant fly as soon as you find out you are pregnant! Can anyone tell me why or this just one of the CAA`s archaic outdated rules? Obviously I can understand in the later stages when you wouldnt fit in a cessna!!! But cant understand why in the first few months! :confused:
P.S. Just in case my other half is reading this and panicking I`m NOT!!! ;)

Original post

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

Restricted yoke movement?

Moggy

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 158

Restricted yoke movement?

Moggy

So why not ground Mr Ivory? he looks about 8 months! :D

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

So why not ground Mr Ivory? he looks about 8 months! :D

:D :D :D :D :D

Moggy

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 244

You're right BeeBee, it does seem a bit odd! You are supposed to tell them immediately and your medical gets suspended doesn't it??? It doesn't seem to make sense when for the first couple of months you would be absolutely fine!

Member for

20 years 3 months

Posts: 1,452

Anything to do with blood pressure (pre-eclampsia etc) and hormonal changes and/or problems etc?

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 158

Anything to do with blood pressure (pre-eclampsia etc) and hormonal changes and/or problems etc?

But that happens if they miss Eastenders anyway!

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 244

Anything to do with blood pressure (pre-eclampsia etc) and hormonal changes and/or problems etc?

That's a good point actually. But you can go on an airliner when you're pregnant can't you???

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,606

why cant pregnant women fly?

...because they'd get too emotional
...because they'd nag ATC too much
...because they'd eat something critical through a craving
...because having airsickness and in the morning would be too messy

;) ;) ;)

Just because something is law it doesnt follow that there is a tangible reason for it.

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 158

...because they'd get too emotional
...because they'd nag ATC too much
...because they'd eat something critical through a craving
...because having airsickness and in the morning would be too messy

Now look Mr Robin, we are talking about preggers ladies, not you when you are flying! :)

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 68

...because they'd get too emotional
...because they'd nag ATC too much
...because they'd eat something critical through a craving
...because having airsickness and in the morning would be too messy

;) ;) ;)

Just because something is law it doesnt follow that there is a tangible reason for it.

You male chauvinist pig you are not getting an invite to our private fly-in/ barbecue!!

Moggy is we like him! :)

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 68

That's a good point actually. But you can go on an airliner when you're pregnant can't you???

Yes you can go on an airliner right up till about 6 weeks before without problem and then after that you need a doctors certificate.

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 68

Anything to do with blood pressure (pre-eclampsia etc) and hormonal changes and/or problems etc?

High blood pressure and pre-eclampsia are all near the end problems when you would be too big anyway. I am talking about the first 5-6 months. Obviously as you are checked regularly all the way through anyway (and would obviously stop if you had any problems) I can see no reason for this ban.

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 2,529

Bee Bee: I'm just trying to suss out if I know you. Were you flying a Chipmunk in 1995?

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 68

Bee Bee: I'm just trying to suss out if I know you. Were you flying a Chipmunk in 1995?

where do you think I was flying this chipmunk?

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20 years 7 months

Posts: 2,529

Elstree.

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

You male chauvinist pig you are not getting an invite to our private fly-in/ barbecue!!

Moggy is we like him! :)

Oh good-o! I love barbecued privates :eek:

Moggy

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 2,623

That's a good point actually. But you can go on an airliner when you're pregnant can't you???

LOL Moggy

I guess when you go on an airliner when you're pregnant you're not part of the aircrew ;)

Member for

19 years 9 months

Posts: 108

Some more information...

Browsing the Internet a bit, I have found quite a few articles that deal with the quantity of certain radiation that aircrew and especially airline aircrew are allowed to be exposed to. In particular this article from the PPrune forum (I am not advertising it):

PPrune article about radiation received by aircrew

Here is also an extract about the same subject from a government site:

"7. Control of Occupational Exposures of Pregnant Women

7.1 It should be noted that the provisions of Article 10 of the Directive apply to pregnant air crew and, once pregnancy is declared, the protection of the foetus should be comparable with that provided for members of the public. This means that, once the pregnancy is declared, the employer must plan future occupational exposures such that the equivalent dose to the foetus is unlikely to be greater than 1 mSv during the remainder of the pregnancy. The cosmic radiation exposure of the body is essentially uniform and the maternal abdomen provides no effective shielding to the foetus. As a result, the magnitude of equivalent dose to the foetus can be put equal to that of the effective dose received by the mother. Some operators have determined that pregnant aircraft crew should cease flying duties on declaration of pregnancy. This is with regard to the requirement of keeping doses low as reasonably achievable. It should also be noted that the practice of grounding crew from the moment they declare pregancy may be based on other aviation physiological risk factors to the mother and foetus, including circadian dysrhythmia, hypoxia, dehydration, noise, vibration and turbulence, mental fatigue and injury through manual handling and exertion. The HSE has produced a booklet INDG334 entitled "Working safely with ionising radiation: Guidelines for expectant or breastfeeding mothers".

A very good article I have found on the subject, as it mentions circulation, g-force, etc...:

Pregnant Pilots

Never thought I'd be looking for that on the Internet today :)
Cheers,
Steph

Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 244

LOL Moggy

I guess when you go on an airliner when you're pregnant you're not part of the aircrew ;)

Again, a good point. I am not thinking this one out very clearly!!! Having never been pregnant I cannot speak with authority but pregnant people are not the most rational are they? So maybe it's a good thing!!!

Member for

19 years 2 months

Posts: 68

Elstree.

No sorry, never flown one or been to Elstree!