Help With Medical Problem Identified During Medical Exam

I'm taking flight lessons and was hoping to get my private pilot certificate
not too far down the line. Today I went in for my medical and was told by
the examiner I have a couple problems. Although I've been asymptomatic for
some time I'm on a medication that is not allowed by the FAA. When I went
to the physician who prescribed the medication (a non-pilot) he was shocked
that the FAA does not allow pilots to take it. Unfortunately he does not
recommend I discontinue its use. Nor is there an alternative medication
acceptable to the FAA.



Do I have any recourse other than discontinuing the medication even though
my physician recommends I stay on it or accepting that I won't be able to
fly. In other words is there any kind of appeal process provided I can get
the prescribing physician to state the medication does not impair my
abilities? This is particularly frustrating in that had I known the med was
not allowed, starting YESTERDAY I could have gone for a recreational pilots
certificate without a medical review, but now it's too late.



Any help will be appreciated.




--
Too many spams have forced me to alter my email. If you wish to email me
directly please send messages to pjbphd @ cox dot net

The person who can best advise you is the aviation medical examiner.
If you are a member of AOPA they can also give you lots of advice and
guidance.

HTH


Tony
--

Tony Roberts
PP-ASEL
VFR OTT
Night
Cessna 172H C-GICE

In article 9ZPZc.193012$sh.8999@fed1read06,
"pjbphd" wrote:

I'm taking flight lessons and was hoping to get my private pilot certificate
not too far down the line. Today I went in for my medical and was told by
the examiner I have a couple problems. Although I've been asymptomatic for
some time I'm on a medication that is not allowed by the FAA. When I went
to the physician who prescribed the medication (a non-pilot) he was shocked
that the FAA does not allow pilots to take it. Unfortunately he does not
recommend I discontinue its use. Nor is there an alternative medication
acceptable to the FAA.



Do I have any recourse other than discontinuing the medication even though
my physician recommends I stay on it or accepting that I won't be able to
fly. In other words is there any kind of appeal process provided I can get
the prescribing physician to state the medication does not impair my
abilities? This is particularly frustrating in that had I known the med was
not allowed, starting YESTERDAY I could have gone for a recreational pilots
certificate without a medical review, but now it's too late.



Any help will be appreciated.

"pjbphd" wrote in message Do I have any recourse other than discontinuing
the medication even though
my physician recommends I stay on it or accepting that I won't be able to
fly.

If your AME did in fact file the rejection with the FAA, you can ask for a
deviation from the FAA's aeromedical branch in Oklahoma City. Depending on
the medication, you may be successful. As others have mentioned, join AOPA
and let them handle the politics with Aeromedical.

D.

This is particularly frustrating in that had I known the med was
not allowed, starting YESTERDAY I could have gone for a recreational pilots
certificate without a medical review, but now it's too late.

(You mean Sport Pilot. Recreational Pilots have a 3rd Class Medical.)

I don't read your situation to say that your medical has been denied.
Has it been denied, or is it just stalled pending further information?

Perhaps others can dive in here. I've seen references to Special
Issuance applciations being "withdrawn", but this isn't a special
issuance, and you haven't withdrawn it.

What exactly has happened here? Was there a denial? Is there a record
of this application at the FAA? Does it really exist, or was it
aborted?

Anyone?

all the best -- Dan Ford
email: (put Cubdriver in subject line)

The Warbird's Forum www.warbirdforum.com
Expedition sailboat charters www.expeditionsail.com

Hi. I recently went through a similar process, but for a medication
that was neither specifically approved nor disapproved for my
particular condition. I was approved, but it took 4 months. Luckily I
still had time remaining on the third-class privileges of my 'old'
medical...I was just waiting on my second class, so I could still fly
and instruct. Here is my advice, for what it is worth.

1. Contact the AOPA, as other have suggested. They were a Godsend with
me.

2. Ask your AME to refer the problem to the regional aeromedical
office first, not OK City. Regional is often much faster.

3. Get a letter from your primary care physician *specifically*
stating the following:
a. The underlying disorder is not incapacitating, nor does it increase
the liklihood of sudden incapacitation.
b. That you have been asymptomatic for the underlying disorder (if
true) for how long you have been.
c. Thet he knows of no issues regarding either the underlying disorder
or the treating medication that would make it unsafe in any way to
operate a car or aircraft.
d. That you suffer no side effects from the use of the medication, and
have not suffered any adverse reactions in how long.
e. That you have been stable on this medication for how long you have,
and that it has been effective in the treatment of your disorder.
f. That your physician has been treating you for however long he has
been.

4. If the FAA requests any reports from specialists, contact them
directly and advise them specifically of what the FAA is requesting.
Approve their response before they send it. I had one specialist make
this rambling complicated response that didn't address the specific
requests from the aeromedical office. had I not had a chance to
correct it, it may well have delayed my approval.

5. Keep copies of *everything*.

6. Read and understand FAR Part 67 well.

If you recently went to the AME, you almost certainly have not been
'denied'. You have probably been deferred. The folks I talked to at
the FAA aeromedical office told me the number one reason people do get
denied in the end is that the FAA does not receive the information it
needs. Doctors don't respond, or respond with the wrong kind of
information, or applicants just give up. If the regional flight
surgeon can't approve you, he'll defer you (in all liklihood) to OK
City. AT this point, after a couple of weeks, the AOPA can put a
'tracker' on your file. It seems to help it move along, and they can
advise you of the status and any problems that arise.

The guidelines for AMEs from the FAA itself indicates that being on a
non-approved medication is not automatically disqualifying.

And just a hard-earned piece of advice for next time. Ask around and
find out which AMEs in your area are more 'flexible' than others. Some
of these guys are hardcore jackasses...mine was. Some will work with
you and use common sense. Avoid the guys with a bad reputation...the
guy I went to is no longer on the referral list of either of the
flight schools at my airport. bad AMEs are like bad DEs...best to just
ignore tham and don't use them. Eventually they'll get the message
when they don't get any business.

But keep at it. I talked to a lot of people, including 3 different
AMEs during my process. Absent a few specific issues and medications,
the FAA Aeromedical office can be pretty flexible, and seems to
genuinely want to approve most applications.

Good luck,

Cap



"pjbphd" wrote in message news:9ZPZc.193012$sh.8999@fed1read06...
I'm taking flight lessons and was hoping to get my private pilot certificate
not too far down the line. Today I went in for my medical and was told by
the examiner I have a couple problems. Although I've been asymptomatic for
some time I'm on a medication that is not allowed by the FAA. When I went
to the physician who prescribed the medication (a non-pilot) he was shocked
that the FAA does not allow pilots to take it. Unfortunately he does not
recommend I discontinue its use. Nor is there an alternative medication
acceptable to the FAA.



Do I have any recourse other than discontinuing the medication even though
my physician recommends I stay on it or accepting that I won't be able to
fly. In other words is there any kind of appeal process provided I can get
the prescribing physician to state the medication does not impair my
abilities? This is particularly frustrating in that had I known the med was
not allowed, starting YESTERDAY I could have gone for a recreational pilots
certificate without a medical review, but now it's too late.



Any help will be appreciated.

"pjbphd" wrote:

I'm taking flight lessons and was hoping to get my private pilot certificate
not too far down the line. Today I went in for my medical and was told by
the examiner I have a couple problems.
[AME would not issue the certificate; remainder snipped]

(Captain Wubba) writes: [recast to bottom-post]

Hi. I recently went through a similar process, but for a medication
that was neither specifically approved nor disapproved for my
particular condition. I was approved, but it took 4 months. Luckily I
still had time remaining on the third-class privileges of my 'old'
medical...I was just waiting on my second class, so I could still fly
and instruct. Here is my advice, for what it is worth.

[good recommendations snipped]

Another thing that you might want to do is to look at the AME
handbook, which can be found online at

http://www.faa.gov/avr/aam/game/vers.../home/home.htm

where you may find the instructions which called for the AME to refuse
to give you a medical certificate...and possibly the instructions to
the AME on how to proceed from there. It is, of course, written for
a medical professional but if you skip over the medical jargon you
can get a good idea of what it's trying to say.

(I've been reading the part on cardiac issues to see what I'm going to
have to do to get back in the air after having angioplasty and a
stent implant...wish me -- and the OP -- luck.)

Joe Morris

You DON'T need a second class to 'fly and instruct'. You can do any
instructing with a third class, or lots of instructing with no medical.

Captain Wubba wrote:

Hi. I recently went through a similar process, but for a medication
that was neither specifically approved nor disapproved for my
particular condition. I was approved, but it took 4 months. Luckily I
still had time remaining on the third-class privileges of my 'old'
medical...I was just waiting on my second class, so I could still fly
and instruct. Here is my advice, for what it is worth.

1. Contact the AOPA, as other have suggested. They were a Godsend with
me.

2. Ask your AME to refer the problem to the regional aeromedical
office first, not OK City. Regional is often much faster.

3. Get a letter from your primary care physician *specifically*
stating the following:
a. The underlying disorder is not incapacitating, nor does it increase
the liklihood of sudden incapacitation.
b. That you have been asymptomatic for the underlying disorder (if
true) for how long you have been.
c. Thet he knows of no issues regarding either the underlying disorder
or the treating medication that would make it unsafe in any way to
operate a car or aircraft.
d. That you suffer no side effects from the use of the medication, and
have not suffered any adverse reactions in how long.
e. That you have been stable on this medication for how long you have,
and that it has been effective in the treatment of your disorder.
f. That your physician has been treating you for however long he has
been.

4. If the FAA requests any reports from specialists, contact them
directly and advise them specifically of what the FAA is requesting.
Approve their response before they send it. I had one specialist make
this rambling complicated response that didn't address the specific
requests from the aeromedical office. had I not had a chance to
correct it, it may well have delayed my approval.

5. Keep copies of *everything*.

6. Read and understand FAR Part 67 well.

If you recently went to the AME, you almost certainly have not been
'denied'. You have probably been deferred. The folks I talked to at
the FAA aeromedical office told me the number one reason people do get
denied in the end is that the FAA does not receive the information it
needs. Doctors don't respond, or respond with the wrong kind of
information, or applicants just give up. If the regional flight
surgeon can't approve you, he'll defer you (in all liklihood) to OK
City. AT this point, after a couple of weeks, the AOPA can put a
'tracker' on your file. It seems to help it move along, and they can
advise you of the status and any problems that arise.

The guidelines for AMEs from the FAA itself indicates that being on a
non-approved medication is not automatically disqualifying.

And just a hard-earned piece of advice for next time. Ask around and
find out which AMEs in your area are more 'flexible' than others. Some
of these guys are hardcore jackasses...mine was. Some will work with
you and use common sense. Avoid the guys with a bad reputation...the
guy I went to is no longer on the referral list of either of the
flight schools at my airport. bad AMEs are like bad DEs...best to just
ignore tham and don't use them. Eventually they'll get the message
when they don't get any business.

But keep at it. I talked to a lot of people, including 3 different
AMEs during my process. Absent a few specific issues and medications,
the FAA Aeromedical office can be pretty flexible, and seems to
genuinely want to approve most applications.

Good luck,

Cap



"pjbphd" wrote in message news:9ZPZc.193012$sh.8999@fed1read06...

I'm taking flight lessons and was hoping to get my private pilot certificate
not too far down the line. Today I went in for my medical and was told by
the examiner I have a couple problems. Although I've been asymptomatic for
some time I'm on a medication that is not allowed by the FAA. When I went
to the physician who prescribed the medication (a non-pilot) he was shocked
that the FAA does not allow pilots to take it. Unfortunately he does not
recommend I discontinue its use. Nor is there an alternative medication
acceptable to the FAA.



Do I have any recourse other than discontinuing the medication even though
my physician recommends I stay on it or accepting that I won't be able to
fly. In other words is there any kind of appeal process provided I can get
the prescribing physician to state the medication does not impair my
abilities? This is particularly frustrating in that had I known the med was
not allowed, starting YESTERDAY I could have gone for a recreational pilots
certificate without a medical review, but now it's too late.



Any help will be appreciated.

"Bill J" wrote in message
...
You DON'T need a second class to 'fly and instruct'. You can do any
instructing with a third class, or lots of instructing with no medical.

Not true. You need a 2nd class medical any time you are being paid to
exercise the privileges of your pilot certificate. If you are not acting as
PIC, you need no medical at all, but if you are, you need a 2nd class
medical (and a commercial pilot certificate, of course).

Pete

Peter Duniho wrote:
"Bill J" wrote in message
...

You DON'T need a second class to 'fly and instruct'. You can do any
instructing with a third class, or lots of instructing with no medical.


Not true. You need a 2nd class medical any time you are being paid to
exercise the privileges of your pilot certificate. If you are not acting as
PIC, you need no medical at all, but if you are, you need a 2nd class
medical (and a commercial pilot certificate, of course).

The point is that instructing is not considered by the feds to be a
commercial activity, notwithstanding the fact that a commercial
certificate is a prerequisite for the CFI. Only a third class medical
is required if the CFI is to be acting as PIC (as when giving primary
instruction). If the 'student' is a certificated pilot and can act as
PIC, then no medical is required for the CFI at all.

Ken Balch
CP-ASMEL-IA, CFI, AGI, IGI, R-AB

"Ken Balch" wrote in message
...
[...] Only a third class medical
is required if the CFI is to be acting as PIC (as when giving primary
instruction).

As long as the CFI is being paid to act as PIC (and they are, in the case of
primary training) a commercial certificate is required. If you believe
otherwise, please feel free to quote the portion of the FARs that allows a
pilot to be paid to act as PIC as an instructor without having a commercial
certificate.

If the 'student' is a certificated pilot and can act as
PIC, then no medical is required for the CFI at all.

Yes, this much is true, I think we all understand it, and there's no need to
belabor that point.

Pete