But the standards are not different. If Im not successful, well, I will probably just put the dream to bed again. A highly experienced AME, also a 747/DC-10 Captain for a major airline, once told me that crewmembers lose consciousness in the seat about half a dozen times every year. It has caused unnecessary pain and inhibits its mission to promote aviation. Too little or false information could park a pilot on the ground'permanently'and lead to fines and jail time if authorities detect a lie or deceit. I guess it was a bit negligent on my part to get so far into before getting the medical. My admitting to counselling halted my medical. Question 19 speaks to visits to healthcare professionals within the last 3 years. If on this question, an applicant identifies that he or she has been to see his or her doctor for treatment of ADHD, this will likely warrant deferral. For those who fly for a living, YOU are the natural enemy doctor. I also feel that anyone flying not-for-hire who can truthfully answer no to all the medical questions should be allowed to submit that form directly to the FAA and maintain his medical without needing to see his AME. Before treatment, when I was sleepy, FAA wasnt concerned. Youre making a mistaken assumption that its never a safety issue. It was a more difficult process than if I had done it 20 years prior. I have read articles online about pilots who get caught falsifying their medical. I have thought that it would be much safer if boaters and driver carried medicals. The all have SODA and continue to fly. It is possible that the Emirates authorities will check to see if he can make an attempt at a complete sentence with capitalization and punctuation. Also remember Ronald Crews 16 months in jail flying with Cape Air back in 2006 for lying about his diabetes on question 18k and then he had a diabetic seizure in flight but luckily there was a student pilot there to land the plane. The standards are too strict and the FAA bases thier decisions (especially on medication) on generalizaitons instead of listening to the pilots and doctors. I am an AME and 4,000 hour pilot. If you fly only pilot with family and friends, your Medical certification, whether with the AME/FAA or flight-to-flight, is about them. Really? maybe for some people want or need to lie, I jus cant do that..ur only foolin urself..I wud feel better knowin Im ok,,by bein checked..by doc,least bp anyway..if I dont feel good to drive then I wouldnt feel good to fly either..i know first hand,retired truck driver,been there done that,also their silent killers.pays to be checked by ur own doc..have idea where u stand medically.. get off fried foods n dont smoke is a BIG HELP..when I dont lie I feel better bout it too. The FAA can get your records from Social Security if you are on Medicare. One just hopes that the untruths are regarding minor medical issues they feel will disqualify them that wont compromise their safety as well as all others around them. Global misunderstands that Procedure codes, diagnosis codes and pharmacy codes were denied protections under to ACA of 2010. Mike F, I agree, Im probably taking the same medication, also works for IBS. We only use the I dont think its ever been a question about whether pilots lie. He showed no regard for the safety of others, nor did he feel guilty about lying, just relieved he passed. So why disclose it here on an open forum? Now Ive been unemployed for a couple months and who knows how long before some beaurucrat decides to actually look at my file snd say ok. Ive followed all the steps they dictated,all my tests and results are right on but because they wont simply look and see that Ive followed thrie rules and was honest,Im looking at becoming a burden to the system and living on public assistance until I get my medical back. N.C., one does not have the right to lie to the feds investigating an illegal act. I can empathize with that Louis. Again, Im not arguing against the need for medical certification, but the process needs some serious streamlining. FAA needs to justify their man hours.with scapegoats. Hell no!!! If the FAA ever decides to search to see if he is taking any prescription medications (which they dont do often, but they have the ability to do), they will most likely pull his medical permanently for falsification. So if there is cause, e.g a call to the FAA's hotline, an investigation will occur, and these will be seen and rather quickly. Skydiving. My new AME, (old one finally retired,) is a pilot, as is his wife, the office manager and head nurse. He never lied. Before I was flying my previous HMO physician told me I was the perfect patient for the insurance company because I hadnt shown up for seven years. Id probably be in better shape if I *wasnt* a pilot since Id feel free to take advantage of those things, whereas now theyre just traps, ways to lose the ability to fly. You would not be alone, as there are many older pilots that fly with conditions that would disqualify them from getting the Third Class medical. I look at the FAA as the enemy trying to take my life away. Just waht we need more busybodys like you who cant mind their own business. As John and Dickie do point out, there are rules and hence bureaucracy in place to protect the masses. There are two schools of thought on this issue: 'If you wanna fly, you gotta lie' versus 'honesty is always the best policy.' He knew it. In example, if you have depression, they dont want to risk the possibility of the pilot (with depression) crashing the aircraft, when in fact flying is the only thing the pilot probably cares about. Yet, until recently, the FAA wouldnt allow any pilot to be treated with an SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) a medication with an excellent safety record concerning accidents. We have a very good AME in our area. Driver licenses are not issued by the Feds. If the FAA finds out that you failed to disclose something that you should have disclosed, not only does it mean that you can lose your license, but you may also face a hefty fine or even criminal prosecution. Generally, first-class is designed for the airline transport pilot; second-class for the commercial pilot; and third-class for the student, recreational and private pilot. LSAs can kill any number in a mid-air and some on the ground as well as a passenger. Information on the certificate will be populated from data that has been entered into the electronic form. That cost me about six months of flying. Im a 24 year old healthy male non smoker athlete with 20/20 vision and I cant fly because I took adderal as needed for help concentrating in school. I used to go up about twice a week; now I havent flown since August. I agree the sport licensse should include at least up to a 152, super cub and all two seat trainers. Your family and friends consider you more important than any flying you may do. That is approximately the same magnitude as deaths from lightning strikes, or falling out of bed (literally). An attorney that focuses on FAA medical denials may be able to guide you through the process and work with the FAA to achieve certification. If you can afford to own or rent an airplane, you can afford to pay an AME. I hid it from the FAA for 12 years They found out I didnt disclose it and revoked ALL my certificates ATP multi-single engine land, Commercial rotorcraft and glider as well as all my flight instructor certificates. I think that increasing the value of a worn out C150 to about $100K (which would happen the day they were included in the category) would take most of the trainer fleet out of circulation and the already paultry number of students would dry up completely. Im applying for a job where they train you to be a helicopter pilot. Of course, as others have posted here NO ONE can truthfully answer no to all the questions because of ever. Furthermore if one has the right against self-incrimination in court testimony, why should one be forced to self-incriminate before a Federal Agency that is extremely bureaucratic, slow to change, and out of touch with reality? If your medical expires, there is nothing to stop you from continuing to fly. Why would you need to report that? astronaut training. The entire aeromedical FAA staff can go kill themselves for all I care. How is THAT not a red flag to someone??? You can be a Sport Pilot if you have never had your FAA medical denied. Im not saying I have a medical cert, but if I did this is what I would do. So, easing up on the medical requirements would be based on real world situations. Bluskye, the FAA does not have the personnel to handle things quickly.. The guy who is lying about hypertension is making a huge mistake. Taint worth messing up folks. Then we really would have a pilot shortage, now wouldnt we. I stopped learning to fly as I did not have the additional funds to have the CAA medical. You tell me how can a lighting designer be daltonic? then are able to re-apply. Self certification is where the FAA should focus their energy. The AME might be required to defer your Medical Certificate, but you will be 3-4 months ahead by having the AME submit your medical information along with the 8500-8 rather than waiting for the FAA to ask for the information. That question cant be removed from the form easily, so you have the option of clicking the box labelled International or declining to provide and leaving the field blank. What I think is if a driver goes to the DMV to go get his eyes checked then that drivers license should be his medical as his third class and it would save the government money because there wouldnt be as many pilots to go after it would just be the professionals. Returning home, the Civil Aviation Medical Board cleared me for flying. There is no rule to disclose insulin dependence for a drivers license and a drivers license, not a medical certificate, is all that is required to fly as a sport pilot. You are assumed to be lying. How does the FAA find out what medications you are on? If you you diagnosed with some sort of Learning Disability like ADD,ADHD,OCD,LD it doesnt make a difference. There are too many who are afraid of liability. But sharing them with the FAA is detrimental to your health. Im 64 and working on my PP license. The real problem was that I also am prescribed anti-diarrhea medication and I take it as needed. So why are private pilots singled out for this rediculous harrassment ? Did you tell the FAA you snore? In everyones childhood years a lot of people are diagnosed with child Asthma so come on people who is the one really lying here YOU ARE. After you complete your MedXPress application, you will need to schedule an FAA flight physical with an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). I can understand, in the last 5 years, but most of my things are now 20 years old and I still have to report them-no change. This is just as important an issue as the proverbial get homeitis problem so many flyers seem to have. I was told at a young age I could not fly with one eye, but latter in life I found out I could with a medical waver. Since I asked to have myself tested for apnea, and found it was a problem, and now use a Constant Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) machine, FAA dogs me annually. By the way a friend of mine died 2 hours after acquiring his 2nd class medical. I understand why a lot of this stuff, like the sport pilot initiative, takes so long and always falls short, but cmon, this one is easy and its gonna bite them in the ass. This is very true if you were to tell them everything that has happened to you in the past medical histories etc. According to Pilot Self-Grounding Requirements (CFR 61.53), pilots have the duty to ground themselves and report to the FAA any changes in their medical condition before they are able to fly again. While the bills in Congress to eliminate the Class 3 Medical Certificate are progressing slowly, the FAA is taking steps to minimize the bureaucratic red tape involved with certain illnesses, such as prostate cancer. Yes, they do. So do we really want 10+% of our commercial pilots to be flying with untreated major depressive disorders? A large gray area separates these two extremes, however. My first flightdoctor told me he was very happy about having pilots as clients. A simple clerical error!!! The premise of someone getting over long-term depression is laughable. There are about 450-500 deaths per year in ALL of general aviation. Port St. Lucie, FL 34988 If this is a recurrent problem, getting a class 3 medical can be difficult. Military veterans should also be aware that the FAA now routinely cross-references your VA disability rating when determining your eligibility for a medical certificate. Of course they do. And two complete submittals of blood tests. On the part of most pilots here its not lying. However, if you are involved in an accident, incident, or disciplinary action, you can bet that the FAA and the necessary authorities will take the time to investigate, and things you didnt disclose will come out. Youd think somebody in the FAA would be ashamed of being this dumb and show a little initiative and courage to fix such obvious issues instead of burying their tiny little heads in the sand. No, I have never lied on the medical application because I understood the ramifications in the event of an accident. The same diseases that the FAA uses to ground pilots should restrict driving. It was less rigorous than a regular over 40 physical, so I took one of those too. The AOPA and the EAA are going to propose an exemption to the third class physical exam that would allow us to use our drivers license as our medical to fly recreational. I fly for a living. The MedXPress application In order to understand how likely it is the FAA would catch you lying, it is important to understand how they would catch you. Until the rules change, abide by them, and make sure you self monitor. An example is the FAAs recent rule change on anti-depressant use. If you were diagnosed with ADHD when you were in school but havent taken medication or experienced symptoms in 15 years, you still are required to answer yes to question 18m. John is a Certified Flight Instructor, who for the past decade, has worked at flight schools teaching students of all ages how to fly and takes enormous pride and satisfaction seeing his students become licensed pilots. If one does lie this is an example of what could happen facing fines of up to $250,000,and possibly up to 5 years of federal imprisonment,and certificate revocation. They will also review how your current application compares to the ones you have submitted in the past and your driving record. At worse, you may face a hefty fine or even criminal prosecution. Others have their dreams dashed who lived years longer flying ultralights. Brian, you are right on about AMEs being able to grease the wheels for pilots with the FAA medical people. Additionally, the one who was honest is punished. The big question is whether it matters. In my opinion the medical standards of evaulating pilots needs to be changed in light of new treatments. While not endorsing that, it is understandable at the emotional level. One had sleep apnea that resolved with weight loss and the other no longer has type 2 diabetes. It does nothing to me other than help prevent the gotta go right NOW urges. Question 18m. Since my late 30s, I have taken meds to control my blood pressure. Another friend had accompanied me to this testing and he sat across the table from me so that he could see the doctors actions. So how many depressed pilots (especially those who do it for a living) are flying? No legal issue or problem is too small or too large for The Ison Law Firm. The Aircraft Registration Branch maintains registration records on individual aircraft and serves as a repository for airworthiness documents received from FAA field offices. It was OK to fly without government harassment. For Uncle Sam, though, this is anything but a judgment call. Multiple assaults or domestic convictions might indicate some psychiatric disturbance that requires looking into. It is against the APC Forum Rules to advocate any labor action which is not authorized by the RLA/NMB. Why would I want to go through the unbelievable hassle of explaining myself to a bunch of know-nothing bureaucrats and internal medicine doctors who dont know their ass from their elbow about depression beyond some laughably simplistic characterization of the disorder in a diagnostics manual? I would have assumed since this person had been flying for awhile, and flying solo that they would have imposed sanctions such as the ones discussed above. In-case if you ever get into an accident the FAA/NTSB will look through all your medical history and do a thorough check on that pilot meaning they want to look at every doctor visit and all medications you have been on. This is one of those typical government deny-theres-a-problem attitudes that eventually comes to a head when something major and catastrophic happens. Signed, RN/PPSEL/IFR. That means, 1) applying for brand new medical, 2) taking the written exam (s) over; and 3) taking the check ride (s) again. Such a persons private physician(s) might not think so, but those physician(s) have no say in the matter. Im not dumb enough to eat a big meal then jump right into a plane for the flight back unless it is one with a toilet and someone else is flying! Some records reviewer in OKC can not guarantee those in my aircraft a safe journey only I can do that. This exemption is exactly what I need to keep flying, and I am sure there are many others like me. The 8500-8 of necessity must be brief and it is very difficult to get authorization to change it. 11-06-2013, 09:45 AM #7 ackattacker. 614-497-4088 Most of us fly for recreation and a burning fire within to fly, and the Sport program can be just the ticket. I do recommend that you do ask your AME any questions regarding your medications and or your medical history and assist in the gathering of medical records relating to what condition you may have and also the same for your arrest/and or correctional history to explain why on the medical form in the explanations page. I sympathize with you. It revealed an abnormality. I then had to take an echo, which revealed I was even healthier than I thought! before an incident so we know how to correct. Its about cooperating with your doc so you can keep doing what you love. I have informed my regular doctor to please clear with me anything they might write in my record, as it could affect my FAA medical. If the AME says that you do need to provide X, Y, and Z, get all of that together before going in to see the AME. I think its a very poor decision to falsify your medical. Thank you for allowing me to share. What objective proof can they present that Im actually depressed or for that matter no longer depressed that would otherwise qualify me for a medical? A pilot might reason, for example, that the antidepressant he's taken for months hasn't caused any side effects and actually makes him more mentally fit to fly, a safer pilot. There are heart transplant pilots flying. Some of the disqualifying conditions are definitely going to keep someone from getting a medical certificate, but these are illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. I am not an AME but am a flying physician with long experience chairing and serving on the EAA Aeromedical Council. The bottom line is,if you cant be truthfull to yourself,you cant be truthfull at all. You can ask the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute for statistics on fatalities in which medical conditions were either the direct cause or a contributing factor. KL, As a 74 year old pilot, I feel that seeing the Aviation Doc every two years is good for my health. You said they can search, where do they find that information? Often it is not a case of pilots intentionally lying or withholding information that can get them into trouble, but ignorance of what they need to report. https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/SAFE_PILOT_Testimony_july17.pdf. They, and AOPA, worked with me to get it corrected. I have to do the same stuff to go ice diving. But then how would all the AMEs and some people in the FAA make a living??? As a pilot for over 13 years and now an AME as of this month, I understand your concern. Willy post had only one eye should he have been grounded.??? On the subject of medical self certification, read the announcement by the AOPA and the EAA. Most get grounded for a year? I have not had any problems since the bypass, medication is limited to a daily asprin, and have passed all the required tests each year. the third class should go away. How about providing you SSAN when the FAA does not need it? They ask about frequent or severe yet dont define how frequent is frequent or how severe is severe. The FAA makes it clear what counts as a disqualifying condition. One will get a license. In other words, bigger name on the other line. I flew for 16 years in the Air Force with a known heart murmur that I know would preclude me form a civilian 1st class. in detail and conduct a physical exam. hej Jim, you couldnt describe better the current situation: from Aryan superman to weelchair pilot. Your signature at the bottom authorizes the FAA to search the National Drivers Registry for violations involving alcohol or illegal drugs, for instance, so you may want to think twice about trying to conceal a drunk driving conviction. In the end, it all worked out, but I was frustrated about having to locate records from retired doctors across the country-all because a desk bureaucrat figured they knew more about my health than 3 doctors who had recently examined me with aviation in mind. If they have any concerns about your eligibility to hold a medical certificate, AMEs can also deny your application or defer your certification to the FAA for further review. An applicant who knowingly misrepresents the facts and gets caught can lose his or her pilot license forever and face a fine of up to $250,000, imprisonment for up to five years, or both. What a great time you both will have. Well, I believe we should have to have a medical to operate a car, a motorcycle, a truck, a bus, a train or any type of machine that is exposed to or involved in transportation. Everyone lies technically. FAA Current Detailed Clinical Progress Notes. 3. I WAS A BIRD DOG PILOT IN VIETNAM FOR 3+ YEARS WHEN I WAS SENT TO THE DECK BY SMALL ARMS FIRE. See Also: Do Flight Schools Drug Test Students? I was not asked or tested for alertness. Im old, crazy and hard of hearing bit like most experienced pilots I suppose. Neither IFA, nor Paul Engstrom assume any responsibility or liability for events that occur due to actions you or others on your behalf take based on the information given in this article. Personally, I feel that if I am medically safe enough to drive then I should be safe enough to fly. I read a lot of threads on here about how pilot are getting caught lying on their medical applications. 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