One of AOPA's premier member benefits is the team of dedicated pilots and instructors who interact one-on-one with members. Together, they own 11 aircraft and have more than 53,000 hours accumulated over 321 years in aviation. Any member can reach the specialists by calling 800/USA-AOPA (872-2672), or through AOPA's World Wide Web site (www.aopa.org).
"Why should private pilots be required to have medicals? Is there any statistical justification?"
The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 required the FAA to establish medical standards for pilots as part of its mandate to "foster and promote" aviation. With close to 90 percent of Americans traveling by air, the FAA has a large and very vocal constituency that demands as much safety as it can get, and a tight rein on medical fitness is one way by which the FAA helps to ensure safety.
Is that tight rein justified? In 1994 (the last year for which full data are available) medical incapacitation or physical impairment during flight accounted for 34 (1.7 percent) of the 1,989 total general aviation accidents. However, 27 of those involved drug or alcohol use, conditions which might not show up on a medical exam. One was blamed on carbon monoxide poisoning, two on heart attacks, two on "loss of consciousness," and two on "miscellaneous" causes.
The medical accident rate of about 0.33 percent (discounting accidents due to drug or alcohol use) led AOPA last year to support medical "self-certification" for pilots willing to limit themselves to recreational pilot privileges. There was strong support from the FAA, but then-Secretary of Transportation Federico "Zero Accidents" Pe?a would have no part of it, and that provision of the proposed rule was axed.
"My doctor said that he couldn't issue me a medical but was sending my file to Oklahoma City and said it could take months. Meanwhile I can't fly. What did I do wrong?"
In 1994, the vast majority of the 456,000 applications for medical certificates were issued without complications.
But a new medication, changed medication, significant change in your medical history, or visit to a doctor or other health professional for something other than a routine physical exam could cause your AME to defer the application to the FAA. If that happens, it may be 2 to 3 months before you'll hear anything.
The review process is labor intensive, and there's a personnel shortage dating from an FAA pension buyout in 1994. The good news is that the FAA is moving to completely change the way airman medical certification is managed. The bad news is that it's likely to take 2 to 3 years before we'll see a break in the paperwork logjam. In the meantime, AOPA may be able to help you avoid being one of the logs if you call us before your next trip to the aviation medical examiner.
"What are the main reasons pilots fail medicals?"
Heart-related problems ground more pilots than any other medical condition. A series of information booklets about high blood pressure and coronary artery disease (CAD) are available free to AOPA members.
Pilots with controlled hypertension and no evidence of underlying significant heart disease can be certified, and even CAD can be approved on a case-by-case basis. The FAA will put you through some hoops, but more than 6,000 pilots have special issuance authorizations for cardiac reasons.
Emphysema and other forms of obstructive pulmonary disease can be disqualifying and are high on the list of reasons for failing medical exams. Alcoholism and cataracts round out the "most common" list.
We get lots of calls, too, about anti-depressants like Prozac and Paxil. The FAA doesn't currently approve any of these drugs, regardless of why they're being used, but favorable reconsideration can be given if you discontinue the medications.
"What will the FAA do to me if they catch me flying with an expired medical?"
The FAA takes a very dim view of pilots who don't comply with the rules, but penalties often depend on the seriousness of the offense. In the case of a ramp check revealing a just-expired medical, it may be no more than a 30-day suspension of your pilot certificate.
In an aggravated case, where you've been flying for years with a known medical deficiency, a much longer suspension, or outright revocation of your pilot certificate, may put an inglorious end to your flying days.
AOPA Aviation Information Resources
AOPA Pilot Information Center for expert help and advice for pilots, from pilots, 800/USA-AOPA (800/872-2672).
AOPA Online on the World Wide Web (www.aopa.org) is a user-friendly avenue to many of the information services AOPA and the AOPA Air Safety Foundation offer, including preflight weather.
AOPA and Air Safety Foundation booklets are available, some free and others for a nominal shipping and handling charge, by calling 800/USA-AOPA (800/872-2672).
Gary Crump, 46, joined AOPA as director of medical certification in 1987. A 600-hour commercial pilot, Crump is instrument-rated and earned his multiengine rating in May. He likes to fly a Beech A36 Bonanza for fun and proficiency and says that he's always on the lookout for good $100 hamburgers.
Related Articles
