Medical deferred

(Also posted to rec.aviation.student - apologies if you're reading it a
second time!)

My class 3 medical has been deferred to the FAA. I'd be grateful for any
advice on how to proceed and what to expect. Is this really as long and
convoluted a process as I've heard?

There are 2 companies that provide expediting services - Virtual Flight
Surgeons and Pilot Medical Solutions ... I've contacted both of them. VFS
seemed upbeat about my chances, PMS (hmm - that doesn't abbreviate well)
made it sound a lot more ominous, though I'm not sure how much that was to
encourage me to use their services. Neither are cheap. Does anyone have
experience with either of them or have any opinion on how much they can
help with the process?

Is this really as long and
convoluted a process as I've heard?

Five years ago, it was 3-6 months for two cases I know of. The shorter
one was me. I got a friend who worked at the Dept Transportation to
call and inquire about it. A few days later I got a call from a clerk
who said that one line (drugs, I think) hadn't been filled out. I told
her "no" and the medical came through in a week or so.

If it's not in your hands in a month, why don't you call the office
(there's usually one in a nearby city) of your Congressman and whimper
a bit? Congressional staff love to make phone calls on behalf of
constitutents. It doesn't take much effort, and it makes voters happy.

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

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

First, go to AOPA Medical section and read all material and obtain all
available information that pertains to your situation.

Next, print out the information so you'll be able to refer to it with
your AME and in calls you'll be making.

Then contact AOPA Medical Certification Dept; 1-800-872-2672. Gary
Crump is the Director.

Be ready to state your case and any questions in a clear and logical
manner; (very much like filing IFR with Flight Service!)

Good Luck




Cub Driver wrote in message . ..
Is this really as long and
convoluted a process as I've heard?

Five years ago, it was 3-6 months for two cases I know of. The shorter
one was me. I got a friend who worked at the Dept Transportation to
call and inquire about it. A few days later I got a call from a clerk
who said that one line (drugs, I think) hadn't been filled out. I told
her "no" and the medical came through in a week or so.

If it's not in your hands in a month, why don't you call the office
(there's usually one in a nearby city) of your Congressman and whimper
a bit? Congressional staff love to make phone calls on behalf of
constitutents. It doesn't take much effort, and it makes voters happy.

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

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

Cub Driver wrote in message . ..
Is this really as long and
convoluted a process as I've heard?

Five years ago, it was 3-6 months for two cases I know of.

from personnal experience:

a few years back, when I applied for the Class-III, for which
I needed a SODA, it took about 6 weeks for the paper work to
come back from Oklahoma city. Earlier this year in February,
I applied for a class-II upgrade, and another SODA was
required (most SODAs are valid only up to a given class of
medical, the only exception I know is the letter you get for
color vision which is valid for all classes) and upgrading
required going through the process again (no biggy, the fact
that the FAA even considered letting me fly for hire, let
alone granted it eventually, is one of those things that makes
me glad I immigrated!); this time it took over six months.

As someone else mentioned there was an article on AOPA magazine
about how some of the specialized AME in Oklahoma City happened
to be reservists, and how it affected the delays in processing
'special cases' -- A more recent article in the same magazine
seemed to indicate that things have dramatically improved
since then...

--Sylvain

"Sylvain" wrote in message om...

As someone else mentioned there was an article on AOPA magazine
about how some of the specialized AME in Oklahoma City happened
to be reservists, and how it affected the delays in processing
'special cases' -- A more recent article in the same magazine
seemed to indicate that things have dramatically improved
since then...

Bull****. The FAA has been running 12 week backlogs in Joklahoma city
for four years now. The only thing that has been overly mitigating is that
they have allowed AME's to issue renewals pending review in OKC rather
than deferring them.

Call AOPA and get some advice from them.


"Kevin Young" wrote in message
.. .
(Also posted to rec.aviation.student - apologies if you're reading it a
second time!)

My class 3 medical has been deferred to the FAA. I'd be grateful for any
advice on how to proceed and what to expect. Is this really as long and
convoluted a process as I've heard?

There are 2 companies that provide expediting services - Virtual Flight
Surgeons and Pilot Medical Solutions ... I've contacted both of them. VFS
seemed upbeat about my chances, PMS (hmm - that doesn't abbreviate well)
made it sound a lot more ominous, though I'm not sure how much that was to
encourage me to use their services. Neither are cheap. Does anyone have
experience with either of them or have any opinion on how much they can
help with the process?

Kevin Young wrote:

My class 3 medical has been deferred to the FAA. I'd be grateful for any
advice on how to proceed and what to expect. Is this really as long and
convoluted a process as I've heard?

A few years ago, the typical time was running about 3 months. That went up when
the Iraq war started as two of the surgeons were called up. I saw a notice in
either AOPA Pilot or Sport Aviation a few months ago that the FAA has hired a
few new people, which is expected to reduce the delays.

There are 2 companies that provide expediting services - Virtual Flight
Surgeons and Pilot Medical Solutions ... I've contacted both of them.

I would say to save your money. It will take several weeks for them to process
your file. If you don't hear anything for 30 days, you can call the FAA in
Oklahoma City at 1-800-350-5286 to check the status of your medical. If you
feel you help, join AOPA; it's a much better use of your bread. They have a
medical advice department.

George Patterson
A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something that can be learned
no other way.

Kevin,

You would be wasting your money.
They are just going to do what you can do on your own.

Call the FAA Aero-Medical Cert Branch a few weeks after mailing the info
off to them. You can send it Express, This helps. Make sure everything
has your social security number on it or your Medical record number if
you have one.

Their number is 405-954-4821. Their address can be found on the AOPA
website or in the front of the Printed AOPA airport directory. Join AOPA
if you are not already a member. They are about more than just getting
your medical.

Michelle (speaking from experience)

Kevin Young wrote:

(Also posted to rec.aviation.student - apologies if you're reading it a
second time!)

My class 3 medical has been deferred to the FAA. I'd be grateful for any
advice on how to proceed and what to expect. Is this really as long and
convoluted a process as I've heard?

There are 2 companies that provide expediting services - Virtual Flight
Surgeons and Pilot Medical Solutions ... I've contacted both of them. VFS
seemed upbeat about my chances, PMS (hmm - that doesn't abbreviate well)
made it sound a lot more ominous, though I'm not sure how much that was to
encourage me to use their services. Neither are cheap. Does anyone have
experience with either of them or have any opinion on how much they can
help with the process?






--

Michelle P ATP-ASEL, CP-AMEL, and AMT-A&P

"Elisabeth" a Maule M-7-235B (no two are alike)

Volunteer Pilot, Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic

Volunteer Builder, Habitat for Humanity

"Kevin Young" wrote in message ...

My class 3 medical has been deferred to the FAA. I'd be grateful for any
advice on how to proceed and what to expect. Is this really as long and
convoluted a process as I've heard?

I can only share with you my experience.

My first medical was deferred.

I joined AOPA and contacted their medical certification department.
They provided me with information including copies of the AME's
handbook entry regarding my condition.

Armed with this info, I roughed-out a letter which included
all of the info and test results which seemed relevant. My
physician then touched it up, altered it, signed it, and mailed
it off, accompanied by copies of a couple test results.

I got my medical with no further problems. It took about two
months.

I don't know about the time scale today. Since the first medical,
I have been able to write "no change since previous medical" on
my applications and have not been deferred again.

I have no experience with "pay for expedition" services, but my
guess is that all they can do is make sure you send the FAA the
info they're going to want and tell them the things they're going
to want to hear on the first go-around, and IME AOPA is pretty durn
good at helping with that.

Good luck,
Sydney

you need to know why it was deferred..

then call AOPA and join

BT

"Kevin Young" wrote in message
.. .
(Also posted to rec.aviation.student - apologies if you're reading it a
second time!)

My class 3 medical has been deferred to the FAA. I'd be grateful for any
advice on how to proceed and what to expect. Is this really as long and
convoluted a process as I've heard?

There are 2 companies that provide expediting services - Virtual Flight
Surgeons and Pilot Medical Solutions ... I've contacted both of them. VFS
seemed upbeat about my chances, PMS (hmm - that doesn't abbreviate well)
made it sound a lot more ominous, though I'm not sure how much that was to
encourage me to use their services. Neither are cheap. Does anyone have
experience with either of them or have any opinion on how much they can
help with the process?