Medical renewal - war story

I have been a private pilot for about 20 years.
My usual practice is to go for a medical in the
beginning of the month in which my current medical expires.
That way I get the full 24 months of coverage (class 2).
Bad idea.
This time, my AME decided that he needed to send
my case to the FAA for review (an arguable choice).
This started a chain of delays and requests for additional
info that went on for months.

Lesson1: Don't wait until your medical is almost up
before renewing. Hence a 24 month medical should more
realistically be 22 months, if you want un-interrupted flying.

It does not take much to trigger this process and it
is hard to predict, as the rules seem to be a moving target
and un-evenly enforced.
In my case, I started taking a medication for a very
marginal case of high blood pressure.
Neither my primary doctor or myself thought this was
a big deal, mostly precautionary. Apparently this sets
off alarm bells at FAA. They wanted an EKG, a plethora
of lab tests, repeated blood pressure readings, etc.
(I eventually was issued a medical, but only for 12 months.)

Lession2: I also learned that you need to find an AME who
understands the FAA polices and procedures.
This makes a huge difference if any issues arise.
Mine turned out to be surprising clueless and handled the
matter in an inappropriate manner, which caused some extra delay.
I would still be going around in circles if another MD/pilot
friend of mine stepped in and wrote a medical report that
properly addressed the FAA requests.

We need a way to identify the better AMEs.

For more details, contact me off-list


Joel Williams

Well yes, the strategy is to find an examiner who counts arms and legs
rather than examines them.

You can see well enough to find the door? Good enough.

Hear well enough to know how much his fee is? Also good enough.

You're not actually having a stroke in the office? Exam over, here's
the certificate.

Now that I've moved to LA, I'll need a new examiner too. I don't know
which I'll go to but my impression is that the way to do it is find
someone who makes his living from giving FAA exams, not someone who has
a real medical practice but can also do an FAA exam. The former won't
see anything he doesn't have to see. The latter has different
priorities.

Richard Riley wrote:
If LA is Los Angeles, I have a guy for you. If it's Louisiana, not so
much.

His posting IP address is coming from Granada Hills, CA -- in the SoCal
area...

http://www.geoiptool.com/?IP=24.165.80.78

The AOPA members section has a ton of info on just what is
required to allow issuance in cases like yours, what
documents you need to take in, etc. They also have staff
doctors to talk to for help. They have a list of acceptable
to the FAA medications.
www.aopa.org

They can provide a list of doctors to you.



"joel williams" wrote in message
...
|I have been a private pilot for about 20 years.
| My usual practice is to go for a medical in the
| beginning of the month in which my current medical
expires.
| That way I get the full 24 months of coverage (class 2).
| Bad idea.
| This time, my AME decided that he needed to send
| my case to the FAA for review (an arguable choice).
| This started a chain of delays and requests for additional
| info that went on for months.
|
| Lesson1: Don't wait until your medical is almost up
| before renewing. Hence a 24 month medical should more
| realistically be 22 months, if you want un-interrupted
flying.
|
| It does not take much to trigger this process and it
| is hard to predict, as the rules seem to be a moving
target
| and un-evenly enforced.
| In my case, I started taking a medication for a very
| marginal case of high blood pressure.
| Neither my primary doctor or myself thought this was
| a big deal, mostly precautionary. Apparently this sets
| off alarm bells at FAA. They wanted an EKG, a plethora
| of lab tests, repeated blood pressure readings, etc.
| (I eventually was issued a medical, but only for 12
months.)
|
| Lession2: I also learned that you need to find an AME who
| understands the FAA polices and procedures.
| This makes a huge difference if any issues arise.
| Mine turned out to be surprising clueless and handled the
| matter in an inappropriate manner, which caused some extra
delay.
| I would still be going around in circles if another
MD/pilot
| friend of mine stepped in and wrote a medical report that
| properly addressed the FAA requests.
|
| We need a way to identify the better AMEs.
|
| For more details, contact me off-list
|
|
| Joel Williams

There is a way to keep flying (for fun) during these months between
old cert expiring and new cert wending its way from St Louis: rent a
Cub or other LSA.

I ran into the same mindless events that you mention, but with respect
to exercise-induced asthma. If I didn't exercise in cold weather, I'd
never know I had asthma. Never been hospitalized, never lost a day's
work or a night's sleep, never had an attack that I didn't bring on
myself. But I need to inhale albuterol before aerobic exercise. This
was true from the beginning of my flight training. But last year, the
FAA reached down *after* I had walked out of the AME's office with a
two-year renewal and demanded all sorts of new stuff and, when they
got it, decided that a special issuance was in order, with an annual
physical. No way! I will be flying under sport pilot privileges after
December. In December 2011, when the special issuance expires, I'll
plan my next move.

See the one at RAL he is there a couple days a week.
"xxx" wrote in message
ps.com...
Well yes, the strategy is to find an examiner who counts arms and legs
rather than examines them.

You can see well enough to find the door? Good enough.

Hear well enough to know how much his fee is? Also good enough.

You're not actually having a stroke in the office? Exam over, here's
the certificate.

Now that I've moved to LA, I'll need a new examiner too. I don't know
which I'll go to but my impression is that the way to do it is find
someone who makes his living from giving FAA exams, not someone who has
a real medical practice but can also do an FAA exam. The former won't
see anything he doesn't have to see. The latter has different
priorities.

joel williams wrote:
I have been a private pilot for about 20 years.
My usual practice is to go for a medical in the
beginning of the month in which my current medical expires.
That way I get the full 24 months of coverage (class 2).
Bad idea.

That's why I've let my class 2 privileges lapse. Got my last medical in
November of 2004, and since I was diagnosed with allergies in January of
2005, I've been putting off going in again. Oh, well. I have 13 months
left to sit around and worry about it, right?

As long as you go in before it expires, even if your new medical is
deferred, you can use your old one, correct? I guess then, going in
early can save you hassle.

On Sat, 21 Oct 2006 03:36:31 -0500, "Jim Macklin"
wrote:

The AOPA members section has a ton of info on just what is
required to allow issuance in cases like yours, what
documents you need to take in, etc. They also have staff
doctors to talk to for help. They have a list of acceptable
to the FAA medications.
www.aopa.org

These people are well worth talking to.


I had pretty much the same situation as the OP but with an entirely
different outcome.

It's two things. The first just like taking the PTS is "be prepared"
and the second is finding an examiner who knows what needs to be done
and in what order. With the be prepared, we should all have regular
checkups with our own doctor. If anything turns up, get it taken care
of. It's rare for something like high blood pressure to just suddenly
turn up...well with a few exceptions like heavy traffic or a good
argument.

I had been diagnosed with mild hypertension (high blood pressure)
My doctor (he reads this NG) put me on medication and I set up an
exercise program. My BP went down and although it varies it's well
within acceptable limits. Now if those damn cookies would stop
jumping out and into my hands every time I pass the pantry it'd
probably be even better. I know my weight would.

I called the AOPA as I knew this *could* become a problem at medical
time. They have a "Hypertension" worksheet on line as a pdf. After
talking with them on the phone I printed it off, set up a schedule
for an EKG, and other tests that would be required including three
separate BP readings. My doctor filled out the work sheet and
included a letter stating the BP was controlled using medication and
exercise.

I took the paper work to the AME who did the regular check up, I could
find the eye chart (actually improved to 20:20 at distance but still
need glasses close up), my BP was fine. Every thing was in order. She
sent in the paper work along with the exam results and told me I'd
probably hear from the FAA within a few weeks if they had any
questions. That was two medicals ago and they still seem happy.

I think diet and exercise are as important as the medication or even
more so when it comes to lowering the BP.

But again...particularly for those of us over 40, OK way over 40 it's
a good idea to have regular checkups and if there are any questions
call the AOPA well ahead of time.

They can provide a list of doctors to you.



"joel williams" wrote in message
.. .
|I have been a private pilot for about 20 years.
| My usual practice is to go for a medical in the
| beginning of the month in which my current medical
expires.
| That way I get the full 24 months of coverage (class 2).
| Bad idea.

Usually I go within a day or two of expiration, plus or minus. On my
schedule I will have had a regular physical within a couple of months
prior to taking the medical so I should have a good idea if there may
be problems or not.

Another thing is to be conscious of the repercussions for any
medication. Don't make the mistake of assuming that because your
medications have been OK for the last 15 years they are still OK. I
had been taking a nasal spray for congestion due to allergies for some
years. I check regularly but a year of so ago when I checked it had
moved from the acceptable to the banned list. So I immediately called
the Allergist and had my prescription changed to an acceptable spray.
Of course the acceptable spray costs more.


Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

joel williams wrote:


Lession2: I also learned that you need to find an AME who
understands the FAA polices and procedures.

Agreed. My medical got bolluxed up because I had to get the
turd AME for the one medical where it made a difference. I
would have known I was in trouble when his secretary insisted
I pay before they'd let me start filling out the application.
The stooge never returned any of my calls while I was trying
to unravel the screw up.

I can give you Lesson 3: Contact the regional flight surgeon
for you area. They will have someone who's job it is to help
pilots and can help you decode the letters at the bottom of
those letters from Joklahoma city.

We need a way to identify the better AMEs.

Ask around.

By the way, keep hammering on them to undo the special
issuance. I finally got them to remove it after my
new AME (and these were the words used in the letter)
declared the previous determination as a "bull****
diagnosis."

On Sun, 22 Oct 2006 11:19:33 -0400, Ron Natalie
wrote:

I can give you Lesson 3: Contact the regional flight surgeon
for you area. They will have someone who's job it is to help
pilots'

The FAA guy? Gosh, that's where my troubles began.