Bipolar/Schizoaffective Disorder and Soaring

I have followed this thread with interest. Although I am not an AME, I work
with pilots on FAA Medical Certification issues.

How 61.53 applies to glider pilots contains large gray areas, on which the
FAA has not provided clear guidance. You'll get different answers depending
on who you ask: AMCD, FSDO, DPE, etc.

Here's a point to remember: Don't force the FAA to clarify their guidance
61.53 and glider pilots! If you ask the question, you'll get an answer,
and probably one you won't like. Preserve your ability to apply judgment,
and leave it vague.

That stated, the issue here is not the meds for bipolar. Yes, all meds used
for bipolar are DQ (like the ones mentioned below). More important though is
the diagnosis itself. Part 67 is a very confusing regulation, and difficult
to read, but both it and the Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners (last
revised Sept 2003) make clear that there are 15 absolute disqualifying
diagnoses, one of which is bipolar disorder. Just about everything else that
they DQ for falls under an umbrella clause which gives them the authority to
DQ for things other than the 15 absolute DQ's.

As a CFI-G, when someone who has lost their medical asks about flying
gliders, I tell them that if they have one of the 15, they probably have
reason to know that they are not safe to operate a glider, especially if the
FAA has formally denied them certification. If it is not one of the 15, it's
probably their decision, but we discuss the details. Meds are also
discussed.

If a pilot with a well-diagnosed case of bipolar disorder came to a club or
commercial operation at which I was working as a CFI-G, I would refuse to
fly with that person, and recommend to the operators that that person not be
allowed to fly there.

Sorry, just my professional opinion.

Bullwinkle


On 6/11/04 9:53 PM, in article
, "B. Iten"
wrote:

Here is the scoop. I spoke with my medical flight examiner some time
ago about the use of medications that treat bi-polar syndrome and
taking them while operating an aircraft or glider. He was not 100%
sure on the ruling even though it is stated on the FAA's medical pages
that those drugs used to treat bi-polar syndrome are not allowed. He
then in turn contacted someone in OK city with the FAA and they told
him and I quote "If the person is on medications that are banned by
the FAA, they need to ground themselves for 30 days before flying".
The doctor then asked "What about flying gliders". The lady in OK City
said that "it did not matter what they were flying as you are not
allowed to operate an aircraft while taking medications banned by the
FAA".
If you want to fly and think this is a load of crap, contact your
local FAA medical examiner and ask them. I really hope that the people
on this page who say it is alright to take these medications and
operate an aircraft as PIC don't live in the United States. If you do,
and you make a mistake, you could screw everything up for everyone
else. Get the facts from the horses mouth which happens to be the FAA
or better yet, if you are in the United States and are a member of
AOPA, contact their legal office and ask them.


(DL152279546231) wrote in message
...
By the way my Psychiatrist is a pilot and feels I am safe to fly provided I
take my medicines daily and I do...

But, I do need some clarification.
A medical certificate is not required for soaring is what I have been told
reguardless of medications or illness provided the pilot feels he can fly
safely.

I have never heard of a list of medications which bar a pilot from flying
gliders...

However I have done some research and read the FAA won't even issue a medical
to an applicant on unipolar depression so I did not plan to apply to face
certain rejection

Also, however, I am wondering if these psychotropic medications don't cause
problems with heatstroke and dehydration

I was hoping maybe an annonymous person would step forward and say they were
flying and it was not a problem

Lithium, Effexor, and Zyprexa are the ones I have taken for over two years

Also, by the way, my Pyschiatrist said getting back into flying would be an
excellent anti-depressant

Sorry, just my professional opinion.


The question, of course is - if you're not an AME, just what is your
profession?

tony V.
http://home.comcast.net/~verhulst/SOARING

B. Iten wrote:

Here is the scoop. I spoke with my medical flight examiner some time
ago about the use of medications that treat bi-polar syndrome and
taking them while operating an aircraft or glider. He was not 100%
sure on the ruling even though it is stated on the FAA's medical pages
that those drugs used to treat bi-polar syndrome are not allowed.

Brian,

I am having trouble finding this FAA list of banned medications. Could you
point me to it? A URL or specific section in the FAR would help.

Thanks.

-Doug

Doug,

You're having trouble finding the FAA medication list, because it doesn't
exist. Various groups, such as AOPA and Virtual Flight Surgeon's at
http://www.aviationmedicine.com , have UNOFFICIAL lists of approved and
disapproved medications, but they are swags which don't bear the approval of
the FAA. All such unofficial lists contain errors, because the FAA policies
are in such a constant state of re-review.

The FAA won't publish such a list because their internal, secret, but
official list changes so frequently (new drugs to either be approved or
banned; old previously approved drugs with newly found side effects, which
are now banned; etc).

Groups trying to publish such lists do so by submitting a waiver request
for, say, Zestril (a blood pressure medication). When it comes back
approved, they put zestril on the list. Then they submit someone for
depression with, say, Zoloft. It comes back disapproved, and they put Zoloft
on the no-go list. Over time, a rough approximation of FAA medication policy
is built up, but it is never 100% accurate.

Hope this clears things up.

Bullwinkle

On 6/12/04 3:24 AM, in article , "Doug
Hoffman" wrote:

B. Iten wrote:

Here is the scoop. I spoke with my medical flight examiner some time
ago about the use of medications that treat bi-polar syndrome and
taking them while operating an aircraft or glider. He was not 100%
sure on the ruling even though it is stated on the FAA's medical pages
that those drugs used to treat bi-polar syndrome are not allowed.

Brian,

I am having trouble finding this FAA list of banned medications. Could you
point me to it? A URL or specific section in the FAR would help.

Thanks.

-Doug

Thanks. Yes, that does help a great deal. And I'm not at all surprised
that this whole topic is a very grey area (that topic being piloting gliders
and medical conditions and medications and so forth).

My work involves dealing with US and state government regulations in a
totally different discipline (motor vehicle emissions), but my experience
there has also been the government regs are often very unclear and subject
to a great deal of interpretation.

Off this topic but sort of related: I know this is stating the obvious, but
I'll do it anyway. Even if someone has no illness and is taking no
medications, it could very well be that at some given times they are not
"fit to fly". Reasons include mental duress due to work or personal
reasons, lack of sleep, and so forth. I'll not get into the old age issue
as I believe that has been adequately covered on r.a.s. before.

Thanks again.

-Doug

Bullwinkle wrote:


Doug,

You're having trouble finding the FAA medication list, because it doesn't
exist. Various groups, such as AOPA and Virtual Flight Surgeon's at
http://www.aviationmedicine.com , have UNOFFICIAL lists of approved and
disapproved medications, but they are swags which don't bear the approval of
the FAA. All such unofficial lists contain errors, because the FAA policies
are in such a constant state of re-review.

The FAA won't publish such a list because their internal, secret, but
official list changes so frequently (new drugs to either be approved or
banned; old previously approved drugs with newly found side effects, which
are now banned; etc).

Groups trying to publish such lists do so by submitting a waiver request
for, say, Zestril (a blood pressure medication). When it comes back
approved, they put zestril on the list. Then they submit someone for
depression with, say, Zoloft. It comes back disapproved, and they put Zoloft
on the no-go list. Over time, a rough approximation of FAA medication policy
is built up, but it is never 100% accurate.

Hope this clears things up.

Bullwinkle

On 6/12/04 3:24 AM, in article , "Doug
Hoffman" wrote:

B. Iten wrote:

Here is the scoop. I spoke with my medical flight examiner some time
ago about the use of medications that treat bi-polar syndrome and
taking them while operating an aircraft or glider. He was not 100%
sure on the ruling even though it is stated on the FAA's medical pages
that those drugs used to treat bi-polar syndrome are not allowed.

Brian,

I am having trouble finding this FAA list of banned medications. Could you
point me to it? A URL or specific section in the FAR would help.

Thanks.

-Doug