Unfit to fly in US but going strong in India

Mumbai: He has lost both his kidneys, lives on a transplanted one, is more than 60 years old and is now flying as a commander with a low-cost airline based in northern-India.
This commander is a citizen of the US where pilots are not allowed to fly commercial aircraft after they have crossed 60.
So the next best thing for many of these retired-in-the-US pilots is to get a licence in countries like India, where pilots can fly till they are 65 and do not have to undergo rigorous medical tests, say aviation industry experts.
“Moreover, the pilot also hid this fact, that he was living with a borrowed kidney, from his medical examiners. This is evident from his medical certificate,” a senior airline official said.
This pilot has a licence issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates aviation in the US, which allows him to operate flights other than those of commercial airlines. But the airline in India has chosen to gloss over this fact and has recruited him despite knowing his medical condition.
“There may not be any hazard if all other parameters, like blood pressure, are normal and the pilot’s body has taken well to the transplanted kidney. But then this person should be medically checked for these factors before she can be deemed fit to fly,” a nephrologist said.
01/11/07 Manju V/Times of India