"nolan void" wrote in message
...
Juan,

The information on AOPA has changed since my last medical, but only a
little. What you linked to is misleading. That is the protocol for a
*re-issuance*, not a first report issuance.

The same thing applies to hypertension. It's not a disqualifying condition,
it just requires the FAA to know that you are under treatment. Sleep Apnea
is even simpler than that... what does it require as treatment? Warm, moist
air down your airway when you go to sleep. A mask that makes you look like
one of Sigourney Weaver's acid-for-hemoglobin buddies. Doesn't even require
medication! And as a bonus, most people get their dreams back. Such a deal.

First issuance requires deferral and FAA decision, no matter what.

That doesn't mean that it is a disqualifying condition that requires a
special issuance medical. What you get after that is not a special issuance
medical. That's an entirely different animal.

Trust me, it *IS* a disqualifying condition. I have been through the
whole process. I get an authorization letter that's good for a year,
then I have to send in a report, then I get another year authorization.

Then you have another condition that has nothing to do with sleep apnea. If
you have to go through the special issuance process every year, what you get
when you get a special issuance is a medical certificate, but from the FAA
in OKC. I've never had to tell the FAA anything further about my sleep
apnea, but I have had to tell them about other issues.

Juan