Many aviation issues are time sensitive: an emergency airworthiness directive here, an airspace conflict there, or that upcoming annual inspection. One constant that comes around at least every three years for those of us flying powered aircraft is the medical certificate renewal. As more and more candles show up on each birthday cake, we recognize that our body machines do begin to wear and fatigue. We have to squint harder to read the 20/20 line on the Snellen vision chart and huff and puff more while pushing the airplane back into the hangar.
Fortunately for all of us, the FAA is keeping up with changes in medical technology and more than ever before is now able to certificate pilots with serious medical histories. Even though some of the 1996 changes to FAR Part 67 belie the fact, the FAA is increasingly confident that some previously disqualifying cases can now safely be approved for at least a third class medical certificate. For example, in 1996 a policy change allowed special issuance consideration for insulin-treated diabetics. To date about 50 of those pilots are safely exercising private pilot privileges in the airspace system, with many more in review.
This progress hasn't come without a price. As many of you know from personal experience, the FAA's success in expanding the number of medically certificated pilots is countered by significant delays in processing the more than 440,000 annual medical applications and additional documentation that's required by the current system.
What we in the private sector would consider a minor tweak of the system to effect a favorable change is a monumental effort for a bureaucracy as large as the FAA. (Remember what happened when the helmsman tried to turn Titanic 10 degrees to port.) We don't think that it should take three months to decide whether a pilot is medically qualified to fly. The FAA agrees and has projects now under way at the Aeromedical Certification Division that will, hopefully, result in a better system over the next few years. Among the works in progress is a new record processing system that will provide medical reviewers with immediate computer-based access to pilots' complete FAA medical files. That system should be operational in 1999.
Your aviation medical examiner may already be using the Aeromedical Certification Subsystem to electronically transmit your medical application to the FAA via modem. This system isn't 100 percent user-friendly yet, but the day is coming when all AMEs will be transmitting examination data electronically.
AOPA has presented a proposal to the FAA that will, we believe, provide some short-term relief. The proposal's four points require no regulatory changes and could be implemented with minor policy and procedural changes. Our suggestions include the automatic extension of an expired special issuance authorization. A pilot who has submitted the required follow-up specialty information in advance of the medical certificate's expiration date could continue flying after the authorization expires if the FAA has not yet responded.
The special issuance should be valid for a full 12 months (or whatever period for which it is issued), so the duration of the certificate should be based on the actual date of issuance rather than the date of original application.
Also, a limited-certification provision would allow medically disqualified pilots to exercise pilot-in-command privileges when accompanied by another qualified pilot. This would actually enhance safety since pilots could maintain flight currency and proficiency requirements.
The fourth key point would expand the authority and responsibility to certain aviation medical examiners to reissue special issuance authorization, provided the pilot has full documentation showing no adverse changes in the medical condition. Your aviation medical examiner is an integral, yet underutilized, link in the certification system as it now exists. There are experienced examiners who are qualified to make recertification decisions in many cases, yet the FAA requires examiners to defer issuance to Oklahoma City, furthering the bottleneck of the system.
In the meantime, as an AOPA member, you have access to the best source available anywhere for information about your medical certificate. The AOPA Pilot Information Center gives you direct access to medical certification specialists. Detailed medical information is also available from AOPA Online.
Our specialists will take the time to answer all of your questions. Just do us a favor, though. Call us before you start the application process so that we can help you to understand how the system works prior to being caught up in it. One call may save you months of being grounded.
When you call, remember to ask for a copy of the newly revised Pilots' Guide to Medical Certification. This 18-page booklet, available at no cost to members, provides an overview of the new Part 67 medical standards and answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the process.
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) offers many of the information publications from AOPA and the Air Safety Foundation.
AOPA and Air Safety Foundation booklets are available, some free, some for a nominal shipping and handling charge, by calling 800/USA-AOPA (800/872-2672).
Related Articles
