I'm in codger mode, triggered by social media selfies and videos taken by gloveless military pilots in single-seat fighters. When did we quit wearing gloves? Aren't we supposed to keep our sleeves rolled down and wear gloves to protect our skin in the event of fire? What happened to the be-no rule against still and video cameras in single-seat cockpits? Goddamned whippersnappers.
And what's this about avoiding health care to keep flying? There's no avoiding annual flight physicals, not even in today's gloveless check-out-my-YouTube-channel Air Force, so what exactly is Air & Space Forces Magazine talking about?
Flying is one of many professions where a medical problem, particularly anything mental health-related, can result in grounding and forcible retirement, but it's the only one I can think of where your doctor goes out on the job with you. Flight surgeons are actual rated aircrew members who can and will jump in the jet with you. Not only do they fly with you, they generally love it and go up every chance they get, then pal around with you and the other pilots after work. Which means lots of exposure.
In movies and TV shows, we see cops get sent to the shrink after shooting and killing perps. What you never see are shrinks going along on patrols and stakeouts, becoming buds with the cops. Cops know shrinks are the enemy and keep their guard up around them. I'm betting that applies to doctors as well.
But your friendly base flight doc? The guy or gal who just spent the morning in your back seat on back-to-back BFM training missions, who helped check your six as you went in for a gun shot, sat through the debrief like a regular member of the flight and bought everyone a beer after work? Yeah, sorry ... still the enemy. The flight doc knows you better than you might think, and is always watching and listening.
In flying, basic health care is unavoidable. You lay off booze and hard partying for a week or two before your annual flight physical, and whatever you do look and act confident, at the top of your game. Never ask questions or share health concerns. Outside of that, watch what you do and say when you're flying or socializing with the flight doc. If you do have a medical or mental health problem to work through, do it outside military channels.
Sometimes, as the headline suggests, this results in not getting the care you need, and of course that can be dangerous to you and others. But anyone who works in a profession where medical and mental issues can end your career understands why people decide not to seek help for problems they know they have, and I don't see things changing soon.
Everybody knows this is how shit works. Surprised they felt a need to do a study to prove it.
p.s. I come across as more hostile toward flight surgeons than I actually am. They’re doing their job, and pilots I know who’ve been medically grounded and/or retired probably needed to be. I was happy to be friendly with the ones I flew with. And the ones I worked with really did love to fly … I even know one who was both a Navy flight doc and a fully-qualified F-14 Tomcat pilot, a rare bird indeed. I flew to San Diego to attend his retirement ceremony at NAS North Island, and he flew to Las Vegas to attend mine at Nellis AFB … we were, and remain, fast friends.