Due to the self-reporting nature, the chances of getting caught lying on an FAA medical aren't very high. I hadnt had any issues or symptoms for over 10 yrs., doctors Id seen always pronounced me fit & healthy. Lie, definitely not. In certain circumstances, I wouldnt think twice about lying on the medical form, quite frankly. The FAA medical certification process has at times made me feel that I was in actual hell. That is the FAA point of view. If the FAA knew the real medical condition of most pilots, they would loose thier certificates too. 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. Lesson learned here is that not all Air Physicians are the same when it comes to evaluating pilots. I also think that the standards for commercial and airline pilots should be more stringent.. But most of disqualifying conditions can be dealt with, and your AME should help you do that. I fly for a living. All because of a blood pressure medication I put on my 2012 medical form. John has been quoted or mentioned in major publications, including Chron, Flying Mag, and National Review. Those pilots who lie on the FAA exams are likely to lie to themselves if/when they self certify etc. I fly a Cirrus, my wife knows how to pull the parachute. :-) However, since I do really like flying, it does make one avoid looking too hard for problems. Duuuuuuuuuh do fat babies fart? I can get it back, but I have to go through a fairly extensive bureaucratic morass to recover it, then jump through extra hoops over the years to keep it. Take two people, with same medical condition, one who has been denied previously and the other who has not. If you succeed in running that gauntlet, there is something else to consider. Due to the self-reporting nature, the chances of getting caught lying on an FAA medical aren't very high. The FAA is hopelessly stuck in the stone age, especially in the Aeromedical division. The med examination wasnt any different from the third class but the vision requirements are different. I found their reaction to my sleep apnea to be too late, ineffective, and over reacting. However, when it comes to flying without another capable pilot on board.only friends and family..that is another matter. While my husband sailed through after having lied. For airmen, this, like so many other aspects of aviation, is a judgment call'but one that also gets tangled up in personal ethics. Type II diabetes, coronary artery stents, history of myocardial infarction (heart attack), various cancers, and several other diseases are disqualifying, but Special Issuance can be obtained by doing the hoop jumping that the FAA requires, such as providing a statement from your treating physician, listing the medications that you take, do you have any side effects from the medications, do the medications actually work. The additional costs associated with FAA medicals will reduce flying time for many of us there goes the proficiencey issue again. Both have risks. From open heart surgery and stroke to PTSD and diabetes, it is possible to qualify for an FAA medical certificate with more conditions than most pilots suspect. | site designed by. There shouldnt be different standards for flying than are for driving. Make a copy of the original and keep that in a safe place. The FAAs denial letter may look daunting, but time and time again, airmen with a history of ADHD are being issued medical certification following the appropriate presentation of the airmens fitness for flight. In our experience, only a small minority of pilots actually try to maliciously conceal significant active medical problems. Stan, what is the diagnosis for which you have special issuance? I do not think that there is anybody who does not lie or has not lied at one time or another. Question 17 can identify for the FAA that an individual is currently taking a disqualifying medication such as Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta, Strattera, etc, commonly used to treat ADHD. If your medical expires, there is nothing to stop you from continuing to fly. If this is a recurrent problem, getting a class 3 medical can be difficult. Water under the bridge now 19 years later. It can also ensure you keep flying for years to come. If they can get and autopsy on the pilot, they look for blood levels of the medications found at the crash site as well as illicit drugs that might be found in the pilots blood. Why? Avoid Medical Certification Delay. Due to the self-reporting nature, the chances of getting caught lying on an FAA medical arent very high. I think that FAA should be concerned about this difficulty in people. Further more, if an airman lies and is in a serious accident with injuries or fatalities, his entire medical history will be examined and subsequent legal action may not be beneficial to his or her heirs. They are soulless people that treat you as a thing, not a human person. The FAA is able to see what medication a pilot has been subscribed because they have access to the national prescription database. You want to make it more difficult? Speaking as a pilot, I think that there should be a way to maintain certification for those of us flying recreationally without having to see an AME every 2 years. Ill continue to go by the book until such time as the rules change, or I wish to no longer fly. Where is this regulation? Im due for a flight medical soon. You are very nave about physicians income from doing FAA medicals. While I share our concern about pilots going unconscious in flight, I have as much concern about FAA going unconscious while on the job. Aside from that, I think that few pilots lie but, as Huck Finn said of Mark Twain, there was things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth., See my comment about the unconsciousness question. They came within 2 weeks of revoking my medical. Where is the limit to government infringement? Yes, I lie about the counseling part. If youre over 40 and your first-class medical is not renewed within six calendar months, itll revert to the privileges of a second-class medical for an additional six months. It is a good thing that there are no sport airplanes to rent in your location. I took medication for years, before I decided I didn't like and chose to stop taking meds (with my parents). The next hell will be finding out what conditions they place on that SI. Flying is no more dangerous than driving when properly trained. However, if you do get caught, at best you will lose your license. whether, in their life, have they been diagnosed with, had, or presently have a history of ADHD. 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. There are two schools of thought on this issue: 'If you wanna fly, you gotta lie' versus 'honesty is always the best policy.' Note, denial is different from deferral. What makes an airplane as a machine so different. Pilots that I talk to share the same dreams as I do and we all began chasing the dream at an extremely young age. They have little to do but think up new restrictions, all under the banner of safety. If you are a student looking to get your first medical certificate issued, or a pilot who needs to renew your license, the same principles apply. If you are stupid and want to wait months for a medical waiver. AFAIK the FAA considers ADHD medications a serious issue. Skydiving. Of those, only a very small % are from medical causes. 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? Have you ever been dizzy etc. I know a pilot who lost enough weight for his sleep apnea to disappear. Yes I can agree even thought I am a pilot right now I do want to work for the airlines one day so I will need a first class which I currently hold. When reading many aviation magazines and articles it seems likely that most accidents are a result of lack of proficiency rather than due to medical issues. I guess it was a bit negligent on my part to get so far into before getting the medical. No pill makes that any different no weekly conversation with an over-paid, disinterested asshole makes it different either. FAX your completed Request for Airman Medical Records Form to (405) 954-9326. If you are currently taking any of these medications or other type of stimulant, expect your Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) to defer your application and ultimately for the FAA to deny your application until the medication is discontinued (and potentially for at least 90 days thereafter). I read a lot of threads on here about how pilot are getting caught lying on their medical applications. We display medical information based on FAAs Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) medical records. What are the chances of getting caught lying on an FAA medical? Remove the AME from the loop, and there is no one but the pilot to judge whether the above situation is safe. Yes the present medical sytem sucks but, its all we have until better management goes to Washington. The message the FAA should be sending to pilots in my opinion is Manage your health. As the FAA put it, a pilot must ground themselves if they are unable to meet the requirements for the medical certificate.. But, its on the list that would prevent me from passing my medical, so I did not name them. Yes, most people that love to fly do what they can to preserve their ability to do so. Make no mistake: Form 8500-8 is a legal instrument, unlike many other documents. PIDGON IN A HAWK PACK, I love what my Union representative says, You should never lie, but there are many different ways of telling the truth.. Beyond criminal penalties and keeping your pilots license, there are many other reasons to be forthright with your FAA Aviation Medical Examiner (AME), but for now just as a thought experiment consider that you choose to falsify your medical certificate application. There shouldnt be different standards. I am probably am the only one who will answer that I like to go for the medical because if forces me to go to the doctor. In fact, as I write this, I see over on the corner of my screen a tweet entitled Older pilots are safe pilots. Theres also the issue of things that a doctor may speculate on that they have no training or qualifications to formally diagnose. Ok, I read the revised FAA 61.53 and I have been under a misconception; however, there are most likely many others who believe like I did. Never happens! https://www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/SAFE_PILOT_Testimony_july17.pdf. I was an investigator for the CIA from 2001-2006 and armed security for CIA facilities for 4 years after that. It sometimes gets people injured and sometimes gets people killed. The system is imperfect in many ways and should be fixed, I do not disagree with that. Wiley Post would have never passed a physical. Anonomous, It is none of their business. If they claim pilots and truck drivers are more important or have a larger impact then ask why the average federal bureaucrat is paid so much. Just do want everyone does to get into the military hide the truth. The reader should always consult his or her doctor before discontinuation of any medication. I know there are very experienced Senior AMEs out there who may have more influence with a phone call to Oklahoma City. Unfortunately, nuts-deep in lighting nowwhoo.. A few pilots are apparently blatant about this but I would wager that most just tell little white lies. 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. You never know what will happen to a pilot in flight with his medical conditions. We have a very good AME in our area. good for 2 years. I have been screwing around with Oklahoma City since May 2010 and I still really have not made a very big dent towards my certification. Remember that most pilots who have lost their medicals because they lied are probably not around here to talk about it. Those marathons at age 26 paid off. 614-497-4088 Skye, you may be a little over the top with your attitude but not by all that much. If your nephew had his medical denied for 10 years, he must have been found to have epilepsy. My father had passed his class 2 physical 3 weeks before having a massive heart attack and dieing at the ripe old age of 50. It is also very much a question of freedom. you disclose something that warrants further information or investigation, or something happens to you like an accident, incident, or disciplinary action which the FAA will then thoroughly investigate. I dont blame poeple for lying. But the standards are not different. Two of the pilots I know of with these problems have Class 1 Medical Certificates. Glider pilots, balloon pilots, and lately sport pilots have proven statistically that there is no reason to have the third class medical at all. If your application passes AMCDs scrutiny, the certificate your AME issued will remain valid for a period of time determined by your age and the type of certificate you applied for. I sure as hell would. Also, if I lose my medical, Id save a ton of money on flying and could retire a good 10-15 years earlier! I greatly respect him, and therefore, I must meter the information I give him about my own medical problems ungood! My first flightdoctor told me he was very happy about having pilots as clients. AS for moving the old trainers into the light sport rules is not really a great option either, just get some training and rent a light sport. But is the whole medical certificate process flawed? How is that fair? If you do or don't disclose, that's your business. Usually, that period of time is 60 days. If you have any concerns about your next FAA flight physical. According to Dr. Guillermo J. Salazar, the federal flight surgeon for the Southwest Region, applicants filling out Form 8500-8 often skip Block 17, which asks about medications, rather than spill the beans. If pilots routinely lie, but its never a safety issue, why do we have medicals in the first place? Pilot Health - Should I not disclose this on my FAA medical? Im another one that was originally honest and regrets it. If Im not successful, well, I will probably just put the dream to bed again. With over 20,000 hours of real world experience, much of it in Cessna 172s and P210s, Collins wrote about safety, weather and air traffic control from first-hand experience. Im a depressed individual Ive been formally diagnosed with dysthemic disorder, a long-term, low grade version of chronic depression that isnt helped with medications. I am hoping that they do the right thing when it comes to my health assessment. Never used my weapon except for training. I know of several pilots who have useful vision in only one eye or have amblyopia that makes it impossible for them to pass the eye exam. No, most pilots have few issues. Mike F, I agree, Im probably taking the same medication, also works for IBS. Costs associated with FAA medicals medicals because they have little to do but think up restrictions. To disappear pilot must ground themselves if they are unable to meet requirements! And could retire a good 10-15 years earlier: form 8500-8 is a good thing that is... 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