Problematic medical for potential new student?

Jimbob wrote:

3) Explain to your chosen AME that you want a regular medical, not a
flight medical. Explain also that your interested in a flight med.
but would like an evalauation first so you don't ruin your chances for
sportpilot. DON'T FILL OUT ANY FAA PAPERWORK UNTIL THE DOC HAS SEEN
YOU AND YOUR CHARTS!!!!!! (You may have to pay twice, but it will be
worth it)

Another option I've heard used is to request a DOT physical (what truck
drivers get), which has very similar standards. This allows you to
further increase your "plausible deniability" in case any red flags
come up.

-cwk.

"Mike Gaskins" wrote in message
oups.com...
I wonder what the following situation would be:

Lets say you have a valid medical, go in, and are denied the next one
(for some improvable reason, like you failed the eye exam or high blood
pressure). You then later return and pass the medical. After the
valid one expires, can you then fly Sport Pilot?

Yes. The requirement is that you not have been denied for your most recent
medical certificate application. Previous denials would not be relevant.

All of which is stated very clearly in the relevant FAR, of course.

Pete

"Mike Gaskins" wrote in message
oups.com...
I wonder what the following situation would be:

Lets say you have a valid medical, go in, and are denied the next one
(for some improvable reason, like you failed the eye exam or high blood
pressure). You then later return and pass the medical. After the
valid one expires, can you then fly Sport Pilot? It would really bite
to not have the option if someone failed an eye exam or something 20
years ago because they didn't know they needed glasses yet.


It basically boils down to how your last medical expired. If it expired and
wasn't denied or revoked your good to go. So in the case you outline above
you are OK.

Another example would be Joe Blow gets a waiver for a condition and then
lets the medical and the waiver attached to it expire he is still good to
go.

wrote

Another option I've heard used is to request a DOT physical (what truck
drivers get), which has very similar standards. This allows you to
further increase your "plausible deniability" in case any red flags
come up.

You have heard wrong. The DOT physical is laughable, in comparison to the
FAA physical.
--
Jim in NC

Doug S wrote:
So, after a few years of putting it off (actually..."after a few years of
saving enough $$$"), I decided I want to get a private pilot cert.
Welllll...from the time that I first wanted to do that (about 10 years ago)
until now, I've had some changes in my medical status, which will
*definitely* require a waiver. The question to the group is, what are my
chances? In other words, I don't want to go through the hassle of getting
all my records together if there's not much of a chance I will receive the
waiver. On the other hand, if people think that the waiver is probable,
what steps should I take? Should I get the records together first and then
take the medical? See, I don't want to even start taking instruction (and
spend the $$) if there's not much of a chance that I'll be able to get the
cert...

In a nutshell:
31 year old otherwise healthy male (6'3" 190 lbs).


[--snip--]


So currently, my medical status is:

1) Fatty liver: Stay away from products containing Acetomenaphin , and also
alcohol.
2) Borderline high cholestorol: My GP wants me on Lipitor, but due to the
liver side effects I am wary. I have not started taking the drug, but am
first trying to lower it through diet and exercise
3) History of migraines. Controlled by acute intervention medications. No
attack in the past four months, could be related to the drug switching.
4) Osteoarthritis in the knees. Controlled by Daypro with no discernable
side effects except upset stomach if I don't take it with food.


What do y'all think, is it possible, or just a pipe dream?


After having just gone through FAA Medical Certification Hell, here's a
couple of thoughts, tips, etc. I can't say if it's possible or not, but
hopefully I can give you an idea of what's involved. It's been a pain
in the butt for me, but it's well worth it to be able to fly an airplane
by myself.

* Start this process as soon as you even think you might possibly
contemplate take a lesson. I started the medical certification process
at the same time I started taking lessons. It took me almost a year to
get my medical certification (special issuance actually) and I've been
wasting some time in my flying becuase I couldn't solo until recently.
(On the up side, my landings have been really good becuase my CFI and I
have been doing *lots* of pattern work waiting for my medical clearance).

* Talk to an AME (Airman Medical Examiner) ASAP. He/She will be able to
tell you what your chances are. Just be honest with them and they
should tell you what to do to make it happen (if you're in the SF Bay
Area, I would wholehartedly recommend my AME).

* Join and work with the AOPA. They have lots of medical resources on
their Web site. You can request that their medical people talk with the
FAA to provide updates so you have some visibility into the process,
which otherwise is like dropping an application into a black hole and
hoping it reappears as a medical certification three months later.

* Be prepared to work with your doctor(s) to provide *lots* of
documentation. And make sure to provide it by their deadlines. In my
case, I have Type-II Diabetes (orally controlled), hypertension, a
history of kidney stones and a family history of heart disease. I had
to provide:
1) a note from my doctor with a description of my current diabetes
and high blood pressure control, a statement to the effect that
the kidney stones were a one-time occurence, and a list of all
the medications I'm currently taking, with any side effects
(I don't have any).
2) lab reports with my current HbA1C results (indicates overall
glucose control).
3) a rather detailed eye examination (my optometest had never
before done some of the tests that they asked for).
4) results of a a resting electrocardiogram (ECG)
5) a maximal stress ECG
I had multiple issues, so I probably had to provide more documentation
than most, but just be prepared.

* If you get your medical certification, it will probably be issued
under "special issuance" which means that it's not valid for the normal
3 years. You will probably have to provide additional information on
your condition on a shorter basis. For example, I need to provide
information on my diabetes every 12 months and on my hypertension every
24 months, in addition to my three-year physicals.

Someone once told me that the FAA will issue a medical certification if
you are warm and standing upright. I don't know if that's true or not,
but I know that I was worried that I wouldn't get mine and I'd have to
give up flying even before I started. As it turns out, I didn't have a
problem getting the certification and I've got most of the FAA's "hot
button" health issues (diabetes, hypertension, kidney stones).

-- Bryan

On 11 Jul 2005 10:07:12 -0700, "Mike Gaskins"
wrote:

You then later return and pass the medical. After the
valid one expires, can you then fly Sport Pilot?

Isn't that a special-issuance medical? It scrubs the record clean.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
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the blog: www.danford.net
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Thanks for the story, Bryan. Wish I'd read it when I first decided to
get a certificate.

I was 66 at the time and likewise had to jump through hoops.

To your caveats about the FAA medical system, I'd add this one: some
conditions can come up to bite you years later. After I passed my
third biennial medical exam (which was done in the doc's office, like
the previous one), I got a letter from the FAA telling me that for my
next exam I must bring a narrative history of my asthma condition and
treatment. I was using an inhaler for exercise-induced asthma at the
time of my first medical, and still am, but for six years it was never
an issue. Now it is.

Who knows? Perhaps somebody at the FAA was shuffling through old
records. Or perhaps somebody, somewhere, crashed an airplane while
having an asthma attack, and the FAA did a computer search for
everyone on asthma meds.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com

Bryan Mason wrote:
Someone once told me that the FAA will issue a medical certification if
you are warm and standing upright. I don't know if that's true or not,
but I know that I was worried that I wouldn't get mine and I'd have to
give up flying even before I started. As it turns out, I didn't have a
problem getting the certification and I've got most of the FAA's "hot
button" health issues (diabetes, hypertension, kidney stones).


Wrong on both notes: the FAA is considerably pickier than just having a warm
upright body and you DID have a problem. Not having a problem would be the more
usual experience of going to see the examiner and walking out of his office
about $80 poorer but with a brand new medical in your wallet. Clearly, that did
not happen with you. Yours took a year or so.

Which is to say that your perserverance paid off and for that I congratulate
you. Many lesser beings would have given up.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

On Sun, 10 Jul 2005 12:26:26 -0400, "Doug S"
wrote:


There is obviously a bright red warning light flashing at you.

Heed it.

Mike Weller

Michelle P wrote:
Three years off medication and no symptoms of depression will be the big
hold up at this point.
Michelle

Doug S wrote:

So currently, my medical status is:

1) Fatty liver: Stay away from products containing Acetomenaphin , and
also alcohol.
2) Borderline high cholestorol: My GP wants me on Lipitor, but due to
the liver side effects I am wary. I have not started taking the drug,
but am first trying to lower it through diet and exercise
3) History of migraines. Controlled by acute intervention
medications. No attack in the past four months, could be related to
the drug switching.
4) Osteoarthritis in the knees. Controlled by Daypro with no
discernable side effects except upset stomach if I don't take it with
food.


What do y'all think, is it possible, or just a pipe dream?

Thanks...










Seems like 3 months off the meds does it. I had a deferral for
depression (should have said dysthymia which was the true diagnosis) and
had to go through the hoops for years. Finally I had a great AME who
said "losing 200 lbs of unneeded weight (refering to my X) sure makes
things better" and wrote such to the FAA. Now I have no problems with
my medical and a husband who flys!

Margy


Bereavement;
Dysthmic; or
Minor Depression
All
Submit all pertinent medical information and clinical status report
If stable, resolved, no associated disturbance of thought, no recurrent
episodes, and; a). psychotropic medication(s) used for less than 6
months and discontinued for at least 3 months - Issue
b). No use of psychotropic medications - Issue

Otherwise - Requires
FAA Decision