the hearing impaired airline pilot
graham.cresswell@flybmi.com
flybmi.com
extent of the problem
case 1
bilateral cholesteatomas
case 2
sudden acute-onset sensorineural deafness
flybmi.com
case 1
bilateral cholesteatomas
flybmi.com
low cost without the low expectations flybmi.com
Washington, Chicago flybmi.com
case 1 – bilateral cholesteatomas
Jun 97 - modified radical mastoidectomy for left cholesteatoma - hearing
stabilised
Jan 03 - noticed reduced acuity right; audiogram showed deterioration
across the spectrum - referred to ENT
Apr 03 - combined approach tympanoplasty
Jun 03 - medical flight test; relicensed SSL AUD; contemplating hearing
aid
Feb 04 - re-exploration - “further small pearl of cholesteatoma removed in
its entirety”
date: 0.5L: 1kL: 1.5L: 2kL: L 3k: 4kL: 6kL: 8kL: 0.5R: 1kR: 1.5R: 2kR: 3kR: 4kR: 6kR: 8kR:
04-Sep-00 55 25 30 40 60 65 85 80 35 20 15 15 25 25 50 35
30-Aug-02 25 15 30 40 65 70 70 75 5 5 5 15 10 45 30 30
29-Jan-03 55 50 65 70 80 90 90 35 30 35 25 45 50 60
26-May-03 60 50 45 45 65 80 80 99 40 50 50 65 65 60 99 99
26-May-04 65 60 60 60 65 75 80 90 40 40 40 40 45 50 60 65
03-Mar-05 60 55 55 65 75 75 75 40 45 40 50 50 55 65
Las Vegas, Antigua flybmi.com
using the aircraft audio fit
we can make use of the flexibility of the audio
facilities to allow this very experienced pilot to
continue flying
flybmi.com
using the aircraft audio fit
Barbados, St Lucia flybmi.com
audio set up on the F/O’s side
Mumbai, Riyadh flybmi.com
F/O’s intercom microphone switch
Alicante, Amsterdam flybmi.com
audio set up on the F/O’s side
Belfast City, Brussels flybmi.com
captain’s intercom microphone switch
Dublin, Hannover flybmi.com
audio set up on the captain’s side
Milan, Naples flybmi.com
using the aircraft audio fit
Nice, Palma flybmi.com
case 2 – acute onset idiopathic sensorineural
deafness
Oct 03 – 1 day h/o sudden loss of hearing acuity in the R ear with no
apparent precipitating cause
admitted Radcliffe same day for bed rest, high dose dexamethasone,
acyclovir, SERC (betahistine) and inhaled Carbogen
MRI “no intracranial cause for his symptoms”
Nov 03 – medical flight test; relicensed SSL AUD/OML
Mar 05 – BAHA installed
date: 0.5L: 1kL: 1.5L: 2kL: L 3k: 4kL: 6kL: 8kL: 0.5R: 1kR: 1.5R: 2kR: 3kR: 4kR: 6kR: 8kR:
11-Jul-01 20 10 5 5 5 10 5 5 15 10 0 0 5 5 10 5
11-Jul-03 15 10 5 5 10 10 10 5 15 10 5 5 5 5 5 5
07-Oct-03 30 10 5 10 10 10 20 10 80 75 75 70 70 65 65 50
06-Nov-03 20 15 5 5 10 10 5 10 70 65 75 65 65 70 70 70
30-Dec-03 15 10 5 0 10 0 10 10 80 65 75 60 70 65 60 70
31-Mar-04 15 15 5 5 5 0 5 10 70 65 60 55 60 60 70 65
Paris, Venice flybmi.com
Bone-anchored hearing aid - BAHA
domestic services throughout UK and Northern Ireland flybmi.com
normal BAHA sound routing
flybmi.com
Contralateral routing of signal - CROS
BAHA is being used to route signal from the right
side via the skull to the left cochlea
flybmi.com
BAHA in the flight deck
still the world’s only airline with in-flight telemedicine flybmi.com
the hearing-impaired airline pilot
Graham Cresswell
flybmi.com