Fitness waiting periods after medical events
Medical events carry their own minimum wait, on top of ordinary fitness.
| Event | Wait before flying | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| Spinal or general anaesthetic, or any serious operation | No fixed hours: fly only when doctor says safe | TC AIM AIR 3.11 |
| Extensive local anaesthetic work (e.g. several wisdom teeth) | At least 24 hr (common sense) | TC AIM AIR 3.11 |
| Blood donation | At least 48 hr | TC AIM AIR 3.12 |
| Immunization, no reaction | None: fly immediately | TC AIM AIR 3.13 |
| Immunization, unwell or adverse reaction | 24 hr and health-care provider assessment | TC AIM AIR 3.13 |
- Local anaesthetic (minor or dental): hard to generalize.
- Blood donation: active pilots generally should not donate.
- Immunization: stay at clinic for time health-care provider recommends, typically 15 to 30 min.
Trap: treating all three as one fixed number. Serious-procedure anaesthesia is the doctor's call; only blood donation is a flat 48 hr; immunization is 24 hr only after a bad reaction.
References
- TC AIM AIR 3.11
- TC AIM AIR 3.12
- TC AIM AIR 3.13