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On the Flying Injured List

With Steve and Rei after the “forced landing” at Newark. Dick Karl
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The author developed trauma-induced glaucoma in his left eye due to a college-era squash injury, which required surgery that subsequently impaired his vision and jeopardized his FAA medical certificate.
  • He faced significant bureaucratic hurdles and delays with the FAA in obtaining a Statement of Demonstrated Ability (SODA) to continue flying.
  • A chance encounter with an FAA official from a different district provided the necessary intervention to schedule and complete the required medical flight test.
  • The author successfully demonstrated his flying ability in a simulator, leading to the approval of his SODA and the reinstatement of his medical certificate.
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It all started with a girl in high school. She was cute, and her father was athletic. He worked in the court system just across from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, and at lunchtime he would play a game of squash. I had no idea what that was, but he encouraged me to find out when I got to college. To impress his daughter, I did, and for the next 45 years I enjoyed this exhausting game that is much like racket ball except the ball doesn’t move, so you have to.

Dick Karl

Dick Karl is a cancer surgeon who appreciates the beauty and science involved in both surgery and flying. Dick’s monthly Gear Up celebrates the human side of flying. He writes about his enthusiasm for both the machines and the people who fly and maintain them.

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