Re-current training while grounded?

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Airmaster23

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Hi,

I got a concussion almost a year ago, and I have been dizzy/lightheaded almost every day since. Hence, I am grounded. All the docs tell me the dizziness will eventually go away on its own (there's nothing they can do for it either).

So, in the meantime, what are some things that I should be reviewing to keep my knowledge fresh and maybe even to help my flying skills from deteriorating?

I have been renting airplanes, although I was thinking about buying a share in a Cessna 150 when I got the concussion. However, because my return to flight status is still months or maybe even 1-2 years away, I don't know what aircraft I'll be flying when I recover.

I have my private pilot's license with about 100 hrs. I would like to fly a lot more cross-countries, and maybe work towards my commercial.

I have been reading a bunch flying books like The Art of Flying, The Killing Zone, and Stick Rudder.

If I owned a plane, or knew, for example, that I'd be flying C172 or C150 when I recover, then I'd spend time reviewing checklists and doing flight planning and performance calculations for that aircraft type. I'm an aerospace engineer, so I don't really have much trouble with the math or the physics behind it. It would be more for getting familiar with the numbers, although no plane performs like the numbers in the book.

What would you do to keep fresh if you knew you wouldn't flying for 6-12 months?

Maybe even go for a flight once or twice a month with an instructor to keep fresh?

Thanks for your ideas.
 
Airmaster23 said:
Hi,

I got a concussion almost a year ago, and I have been dizzy/lightheaded almost every day since. Hence, I am grounded. All the docs tell me the dizziness will eventually go away on its own (there's nothing they can do for it either).

So, in the meantime, what are some things that I should be reviewing to keep my knowledge fresh and maybe even to help my flying skills from deteriorating?

I have been renting airplanes, although I was thinking about buying a share in a Cessna 150 when I got the concussion. However, because my return to flight status is still months or maybe even 1-2 years away, I don't know what aircraft I'll be flying when I recover.

I have my private pilot's license with about 100 hrs. I would like to fly a lot more cross-countries, and maybe work towards my commercial.

I have been reading a bunch flying books like The Art of Flying, The Killing Zone, and Stick Rudder.

If I owned a plane, or knew, for example, that I'd be flying C172 or C150 when I recover, then I'd spend time reviewing checklists and doing flight planning and performance calculations for that aircraft type. I'm an aerospace engineer, so I don't really have much trouble with the math or the physics behind it. It would be more for getting familiar with the numbers, although no plane performs like the numbers in the book.

What would you do to keep fresh if you knew you wouldn't flying for 6-12 months?

Maybe even go for a flight once or twice a month with an instructor to keep fresh?

Thanks for your ideas.
Click to expand...

Tough break. Fly right seat with a friend or maybe even left, with a CFI as PIC?
 
Someone really rang your bell if you're still dizzy for this long. Care to share what happened?

Right seat sounds like a good option. Do you know if the dizziness will be compounded by flying?
 
Question for Dr. Bruce; Any medical certificate issues the OP should be aware of? Any items he should be gathering to bring for his next exam?
 
Good choice to self-ground. You can't act as PIC, but you can certainly fly with someone else acting as PIC.

That said, I echo the concerns about the length of your recovery. Hope your recovery comes quickly!
 
Thanks for the responses.

I have a thread in the medical forum, but it seems the only thing I can do is wait until I'm not dizzy anymore.

On March On March 13, 2011, I suffered a mild concussion with no unconsciousness. I hit the top of my head on the door frame of a Cessna 172. I was getting out after a flight, and I turned my body in the seat so I was facing the left wingtip with my legs dangling outside. I used my hands to pop myself off the seat and smacked the top center of my head on the door frame. I sat in the plane for 2-3 minutes to collect my bearings. Later that day I developed a headache and it resolved with rest and an Advil.

A couple days later (March 15, 2011) I had a migraine event with numbness in my right hand and and the right side of my face. I also had trouble speaking - slurred speech and even difficulty thinking clearly.

After the migraine, I went to the hospital and had both a catscan and MRI which were both negative.

On March 19, 2011 I woke up with dizziness/lightheadedness. It is not vertigo. I told the neurologist who ordered the MRI and he said that it was transient and would go away on its own. It has not gone away.

I have tried many therapies to combat my dizziness:

vestibular rehabilitation through a physio therapist
craniosacral massage
chiropractor
NUCCA - chiropractor that only adjusts your atlas/C1 vertebrae
acupuncture


I have also had blood work and an EKG which were both negative.

I have even tried an antibiotic prescription to see if my dizziness was caused by an ear infection, but it made no difference.

I have seen an ENT who has referred me for further tests. Both the VEMP and CDP were normal. I am on a waiting list for the ENG/VNG test. Because I live in Alberta, Canada the waiting list is 6-12 months.
 
In terms of everyday life, my dizziness is most apparent when I'm in a busy grocery store or crowd. Also, when I'm in a car and it stops at a light/stop sign, I feel a weird dizziness sensation. It is the classic "something just doesn't feel right". It makes no difference if I keep my eyes open or closed. Once the car starts moving again I feel fine.

There is no and never has been any rotational component to my dizziness.


Specific Areas/Times I experience dizziness (although I feel some dizziness right now as I type this at my computer).

Car:

Initially (last March/April) driving in the car was a very unsettling experience, especially if I wasn't driving. However, over time my dizziness has reduced. Now, I still feel somewhat off when stop at lights or stop signs - almost as if my body thinks it is still moving forward but my eyes show that I'm stationary. I don't experience this at every stop (although most). Also, if the stop/light is long enough I will no longer be dizzy. Regardless once I start moving again I feel fine. I suspect if I was to drive in busy traffic while it was raining hard and I needed to constantly be changing lanes and checking blind spots and look at mirrors I would become dizzy.

Flying:

I have flown commercially about 4 times since my concussion, with probably around 10 individual flights will all the connections. The only times I felt dizzy were when the aircraft made stops during taxiing and when it stopped at the gate at the end of the flight. I have flown in a Cessna 172 twice since the concussion: once last April after when the neurologist had "cleared" me to continue to flying. I don't recall being dizzy on the flight, but I did make a concerned effort to not think about being dizzy and to continue looking forward as much as possible - ie not spending time looking at the ground back over my shoulder. I also flew again last September with an instructor where we tried some maneuvers to see if it would provoke my dizziness. It did not. I didn't feel dizzy at all during that flight, even during the stops while taxiing.


Grocery store/crowded mall/Costco/etc.

I initially felt very dizzy in these places. Now, I still feel some dizziness although it is somewhat reduced.


Looking around:

Initially I felt very dizzy if I were to look up or down or back and to the left/back and to the right. Now, I am still a little dizzy doing those motions.


No change:

I would say that I still feel the same amount of dizziness as at the beginning in terms of walking in the dark, or being outside on a hot sunny day, or doing any sort of exercise (even a 10 min walk). Anytime my stress increases I get more dizzy - even if I'm just sitting in a chair in a room.


My medical expired at the end of April 2011, and the 5 aviation doctors I have consulted with have all said that:

1. I'll be denied renewal in my present condition no matter what tests or specialists say, as long as I still experience dizziness.

2. Once I am no longer dizzy, it should be pretty painless to renew my medical (I have a letter from a neurologist saying that I'm fine to fly)

Even if I did have a medical, I would self ground, because when my stress level increases I get a lot more dizzy - even if I'm sitting in a chair, on the computer.
 
My wife had a similar incident (top of head with mini-van door) back in early Sept 2011 and is still experiencing occasional issues. Initially, she couldn't work or drive. Looking at her laptop would make her nauseous.

These concussions are serious business. And from all we've heard, you just have to wait it out. There is no quick cure.

All the best to you in your recovery!
 
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