Getting a Flight Physical Waiver

[KIR]

I'm interested in flying again after 30 years on the deck. I haven't taken
the Cat III physical as I know I'll need a waiver from the FAA because I
have a pacemaker implant. I know waivers are possible and I know what the
waiver protocol entails. It's very involved and costly. I'm willing to go
through this process if I know I have a reasonable chance of getting the
waiver. So what I'm looking for is someone who can tell me what my chances
are of getting approval. Here's the problem: From the protocol I know the
FAA wants to know, among many other things, how often the pacemaker is in
operation. In my case, it is working almost constantly. One of my Dr. says
this will kill my chances, but another Dr. says this should bode well for me
because it tell them that the pacemaker is working. This is the only part of
the protocol that I'm concerned about. So here I am, not knowing if I have a
chance or if I'm dead in the water. Any info on this will be greatly
appreciated.

BTW, I'm 63 and flew in the Air Force.

Thanks,
Ken

[EDR]

Join AOPA. They have an division that can assist you.

[PaulH]

I'm 67 and had bypass surgery 3 years ago. I received my Special
Issue about 8 months later (there's a mandatory 6 month waiting period
after any surgery).

The tricky part is getting the FAA the information they want. AOPA
has an extensive Medical Section dealing with cardiovascular issues.
But if you omit something in your submission, you get into back and
forth mode via snail mail with the FAA.

If you don't mind spending the money, go to Leftseat.com. They will
tell you exactly what information is needed by fax and e-mail and
telephone. Once it's assembled, they walk the package over to the
medical office and you can have your special issue in a week. Once
you have the special issue, you can go see your AME.

Generally for cardiovascular conditions you have to pass an annual
Stage 3 Bruce Protocol on a treadmill with no evidence of abnormal EKG
plus submit a cardiologist's opinion and assorted blood tests.