Frequency of convictions for lying on FAA medical form

Since you brought up anti-depressants...

Am I the only one here who finds it ironic that you can't get a medical if
you have your depression treated and control it with medication, but someone
running around with an untreated problem can?





"C J Campbell" wrote in message
e.com...
On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 07:49:58 -0800, Sally Grozmano wrote
(in article ):

Hi,

I am familiar with the potential penalties for lying on the FAA
medical,
but was curious if anyone had any stats on *actual* convictions that
have
occured for this, and what the associated penalties were? It seems to be
"common knowledge" that many pilots do lie, but I never hear of actual
convictions.

I would expect convictions to be rare. It is difficult to prove, since
your
medical records are confidential. Usually, if drugs such as
anti-depressants
show up in your medical tests they just deny a medical certificate.

One problem is just remembering when you went to the doctor to see if that
mole had grown any three years ago. Filling out those medical forms
implies
that you have either a perfect memory or that you keep far better medical
records than the average Joe.

That said, you are playing with your own life and with the lives of others
if
you are not medically fit to fly.

--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor

Since you brought up anti-depressants...

Am I the only one here who finds it ironic that you can't get a medical if
you have your depression treated and control it with medication, but
someone
running around with an untreated problem can?


Ironic is the word.

Actually, a lot of this thread would be funny--but it is too depressing.

Peter

Bill Denton wrote:
Since you brought up anti-depressants...

Am I the only one here who finds it ironic that you can't get a medical if
you have your depression treated and control it with medication, but someone
running around with an untreated problem can?

Exactly. I'd prefer to fly with a pilot who
is taking Prozac than one who should be taking
it and isn't.

Hello, fire department? Hey, we have a little smoke here.
If you get some time later today, could you, perhaps stop by
and see what is going here?



"Jim Stewart" wrote in message
.. .
| Bill Denton wrote:
| Since you brought up anti-depressants...
|
| Am I the only one here who finds it ironic that you
can't get a medical if
| you have your depression treated and control it with
medication, but someone
| running around with an untreated problem can?
|
| Exactly. I'd prefer to fly with a pilot who
| is taking Prozac than one who should be taking
| it and isn't.

"Jim Stewart" wrote in message
.. .
Bill Denton wrote:
Since you brought up anti-depressants...

Am I the only one here who finds it ironic that you can't get a medical
if
you have your depression treated and control it with medication, but
someone
running around with an untreated problem can?

Exactly. I'd prefer to fly with a pilot who
is taking Prozac than one who should be taking
it and isn't.

So, like, no one here actually knows the answer to the original question -
or did I miss it somewhere?

But, now that we have wandered off into never-never land, ADD is another
example - you can get a ticket and all the medicals you want as long as it's
undiagnosed and untreated.

--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

Jim Stewart wrote:
Bill Denton wrote:
Since you brought up anti-depressants...

Am I the only one here who finds it ironic that you can't get a medical if
you have your depression treated and control it with medication, but someone
running around with an untreated problem can?

Exactly. I'd prefer to fly with a pilot who
is taking Prozac than one who should be taking
it and isn't.

There is a counter argument...

Somebody who is chronically depressed and unmedicated is firstly
perhaps unlikely to be flying anyway becuase they simply don't want to.
A depressed pilot is probably less depressed when flying.
Medications for the treatment of depression can have undesirable
psychological effects for pilots. Two people died here locally in
exactly this way, pilot was on some anti-depressant, which had known
sideeffect of feelings of invincibility (of course this isn't the
technical description but you get the gist), pilot didn't tell anybody
nor disqualify himself, took one too many risks because he felt like he
could get away with it, stall-spin-splat, pilot and passenger both bit
the big one.

Sometimes the treatment can cause more problems from a safety
standpoint than the disease.

wrote:

Jim Stewart wrote:

Bill Denton wrote:

Since you brought up anti-depressants...

Am I the only one here who finds it ironic that you can't get a medical if
you have your depression treated and control it with medication, but someone
running around with an untreated problem can?

Exactly. I'd prefer to fly with a pilot who
is taking Prozac than one who should be taking
it and isn't.


There is a counter argument...

Somebody who is chronically depressed and unmedicated is firstly
perhaps unlikely to be flying anyway becuase they simply don't want to.
A depressed pilot is probably less depressed when flying.
Medications for the treatment of depression can have undesirable
psychological effects for pilots. Two people died here locally in
exactly this way, pilot was on some anti-depressant, which had known
sideeffect of feelings of invincibility (of course this isn't the
technical description but you get the gist), pilot didn't tell anybody
nor disqualify himself, took one too many risks because he felt like he
could get away with it, stall-spin-splat, pilot and passenger both bit
the big one.

Sometimes the treatment can cause more problems from a safety
standpoint than the disease.

Thanks. Good point.

Bill Denton writes:

Am I the only one here who finds it ironic that you can't get a medical if
you have your depression treated and control it with medication, but someone
running around with an untreated problem can?

There are many inconsistencies in this domain. The rules seem to date
from the 1800s.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:47:54 -0800, Bill Denton wrote
(in article ) :

Since you brought up anti-depressants...

Am I the only one here who finds it ironic that you can't get a medical if
you have your depression treated and control it with medication, but someone
running around with an untreated problem can?


Nonsense. You are not allowed to fly if you suffer from depression. The FAA
takes the position that if your depression is bad enough to require
medication then it is bad enough to keep you from flying. But if your
depression is that bad and you fly anyway without taking any medications then
the FAA would still consider you medically unfit.

--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor

The issue is not one of medical fitness.

The issue is that one cannot obtain a medical...



"C J Campbell" wrote in message
e.com...
On Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:47:54 -0800, Bill Denton wrote
(in article ) :

Since you brought up anti-depressants...

Am I the only one here who finds it ironic that you can't get a medical
if
you have your depression treated and control it with medication, but
someone
running around with an untreated problem can?


Nonsense. You are not allowed to fly if you suffer from depression. The
FAA
takes the position that if your depression is bad enough to require
medication then it is bad enough to keep you from flying. But if your
depression is that bad and you fly anyway without taking any medications
then
the FAA would still consider you medically unfit.

--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor