United States Court of Appeals

FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

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No. 99-3105

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Rolland S. Schach, *

*

Appellant, *

* Appeal from the United States

v. * District Court for the

* Western District of Missouri.

Kenneth S. Apfel, Commissioner *

of Social Security, * [UNPUBLISHED]

*

Appellee. *

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Submitted: February 17, 2000

Filed: March 28, 2000

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Before WOLLMAN, Chief Judge, BOWMAN, and MORRIS SHEPPARD ARNOLD,

Circuit Judges.

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PER CURIAM.

Rolland S. Schach, a former airline pilot, applied for social security disability

benefits, alleging that he was disabled as of January 1, 1994. He asserted a

combination of exertional and nonexertional impairments, including blurred vision,

excessive tearing in his eyes, low back pain from herniated disks, pain in both

shoulders, numbness and tingling in his right hand caused by carpal tunnel syndrome,

and residual effects from a pronated right ankle.
1The Honorable Fernando J. Gaitan, Jr., United States District Judge for the

Western District of Missouri.

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The Administrative Law Judge ("ALJ") found Schach disabled and entitled to

benefits, but only as of February 18, 1996, Schach's fiftieth birthday. The Appeals

Council denied Schach's timely appeal, thus making the ALJ's decision the final

decision of the Commissioner.

Schach then sought review in the District Court pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 405(g)

(1994). That court1 affirmed the decision of the Commissioner. Schach appeals,

arguing that (1) the ALJ erred in relying on the medical-vocational guidelines in

concluding that Schach was not disabled prior to age fifty, and (2) the ALJ's finding

that Schach's testimony of disabling impairments prior to age fifty lacked credibility is

not supported by substantial evidence.

Having carefully considered the briefs and the record, we affirm. First, the ALJ's

finding that Schach's subjective complaints were not fully credible is supported by

several inconsistencies in the evidence. For example, Schach reported that he had

worked as an airline pilot for more than twenty years–a period of employment that did

not end until 1992–despite back pain and double vision; a medical report from

September 1994 indicated that Schach played golf and had no trouble walking; and

Schach had been laid off from his airline employment and did not quit working because

of his impairments. We are satisfied the ALJ properly assessed the credibility of

Schach's claims as to the severity of his subjective complaints of pain and other

symptoms under the standards of Polaski v. Heckler, 739 F.2d 1320, 1322 (8th Cir.

1984).

Second, because the ALJ properly discredited Schach's subjective complaints of

nonexertional impairments, application of the medical-vocational guidelines was
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appropriate. As directed by the guidelines, the ALJ found Schach disabled beginning

on his fiftieth birthday, but not before that date.

We conclude that the decision of the Commissioner is supported by substantial

evidence. Because an extended opinion would add nothing of value to the thorough

and well-reasoned opinion of the District Court, we affirm on the basis of that opinion.

AFFIRMED. See 8th Cir. R. 47B.

A true copy.

Attest:

CLERK, U.S. COURT OF APPEALS, EIGHTH CIRCUIT.