ABSTRACT
An area that is not well understood, or at least not effectively recognized, is that accountability for fitness to fly does not end with the individual. Physical well-being for pilots, especially at the home residence, or at the beginning of a trip, is a fairly easy concept. The requirements to be well rested and alert and to have a current airman's medical certificate are individually reassuring. Professional pilots have a large stake in maintaining their ability to pass the required Federal Aviation Administration physical because it is a requirement for their job. Exercise and diet are two very important considerations in a professional pilot's career. Isometric exercises can be very effective in increasing muscle strength but do not aid in exercising the cardiovascular system or increasing endurance. The US Air Line Pilots Association, and other pilot representing groups, has developed very successful treatment programs that are available to their members.
