Frequency of convictions for lying on FAA medical form

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.