4 ms·

FAA is incentivized to do nothing and sit on its hands. It's a mess. A good quarter of the country is medically barred from ever flying, even solo. The chances

by nimish 4y ago

FAA is incentivized to do nothing and sit on its hands. It's a mess. A good quarter of the country is medically barred from ever flying, even solo. The chances of this changing are 0 and it'll get worse. Insert the "who could have done this" meme with the FAA shooting interest in flying and # of pilots.

exhilaration 4y ago
A good quarter of the country is medically barred from ever flying Can you explain this further?
- selectodude 4y ago
  If you’ve basically ever taken an SSRI, or been to a shrink, you auto-fail your medical.
  - madrush2014 4y ago
    I didn't see that as a black-label warning on the drug information sheet for fluoxetine, or even as being a minor side effect. My shrink didn't mention anything about auto-failing a PPL medical either, but I suspect that was because he was a Freudian.
- nimish 4y ago
  Just about everyone who has ever undergone psychiatric care cannot ever get a medical. There is technically a process but it is extremely difficult and expensive. Some conditions are uniformly disqualifying, for good reasons. But it results in a perverse situation where a regular person can choose to either get mental health care or fly, but not both.
  - rkochman 4y ago
    People also choose to lie to the FAA.
  - madrush2014 4y ago
    I know reality is sometimes different from official policy, but for the record, straight from the horse's mouth: https://www.faa.gov/pilot-mental-fitness https://www.faa.gov/pilot-mental-fitness For me it's completely moot. I can't even have someone else fly me anymore--I have an (apparently untreatable) eustachian tube dysfunction. ...which is probably for the best given my bearish position on aviation.
- heelix 4y ago
  Pilots don't suffer from depression, smoke pot, take many types of medication as a child, or have many other issues because if you did - the FAA might pull your medical and you can't fly after that. It can cost tens of thousands to try to get the FAA to let you fly again if a medical gets botched. And that is still an if...
  - blantonl 4y ago
    Pilots don't suffer from depression, smoke pot, take many types of medication as a child, or have many other issues Oh my sweet summer child.
- bsder 4y ago
  Getting treated for cancer, for example, effectively bars you from flying. There are lots of medical things like this. If these things are that bad, those same people shoudn't be driving either. And this is probably true. However, if you applied these same restrictions to driving, people would absolutely go nuts on you.
  - GeoffKnauth 4y ago
    No, that is not true. I got treated for cancer two years ago (surgery and radiation), it was contained (not metastatic), I have twice since passed a Class 2 Medical. I talked to my Aeromedical Examiner, I talked with my treating doctors, they talked to each other, it worked out -- so far.
gburdell3 4y ago
The medical system is really messed up. I would love to eventually get my PPL, but I also highly suspect that I have undiagnosed ADHD, and I don't want to essentially sign away my right to ever get treatment. Fortunately Microsoft Flight Simulator and VATSIM scratch the itch to fly for now, but it still sucks that I'll probably never get to actually do it in real life.
- outworlder 4y ago
  Disclaimer: this is not legal advice, it's just to give you some ideas. AOPA and EAA have resources that can professional advise you. Note that 'undiagnosed ADHD' holds as much weight as me saying you have bad energies. There are many conditions that masquerade as ADHD to a layperson, including some purely psychological ones (they are no less real, but are very different from a neurodivergent brain and require very different treatment). If you are otherwise a high functioning adult (can function in society, operate vehicles safely, etc), get your third class medical, which should be no problem. You have to disclose diagnosed conditions. Do a discovery flight and ask for an opinion from the flight instructor. If he thinks you are fit, go start your training and enjoy. If, one day, you do get diagnosed (with ADHD or some other disqualifying condition) AND require medication, then it's a problem. If you don't need medication (because most if not all ADHD medications are prohibited), don't try to renew your third class medical (because, if you get denied, it's a big problem) and get advice about BasicMed. It has far less requirements; my understanding is, unless there's something strictly prohibited, if a doctor signs you up you are good to go. You won't be able to fly commercial or faster than 250knots but I suspect you don't care. Failing all the above, there's light sports aircraft and gliders(no medical requirements, you just need judge yourself to be capable and unlikely to be incapacitated) – although I am not sure you can operate them while taking meds; some professional advice required here. Disclaimer 2: Obviously the above assumes that whatever you have does not impair you. This is just to get around FAA's antiquated view on mental health while complying with the law. The most important thing is to be safe. If you really can't due to health issues, then don't, even if a doctor says you are fine. Otherwise, don't give up!
  - selectodude 4y ago

by nimish 4y ago

exhilaration 4y ago

A good quarter of the country is medically barred from ever flying Can you explain this further?

selectodude 4y ago
If you’ve basically ever taken an SSRI, or been to a shrink, you auto-fail your medical.
- madrush2014 4y ago
  I didn't see that as a black-label warning on the drug information sheet for fluoxetine, or even as being a minor side effect. My shrink didn't mention anything about auto-failing a PPL medical either, but I suspect that was because he was a Freudian.
nimish 4y ago
Just about everyone who has ever undergone psychiatric care cannot ever get a medical. There is technically a process but it is extremely difficult and expensive. Some conditions are uniformly disqualifying, for good reasons. But it results in a perverse situation where a regular person can choose to either get mental health care or fly, but not both.
- rkochman 4y ago
  People also choose to lie to the FAA.
- madrush2014 4y ago
  I know reality is sometimes different from official policy, but for the record, straight from the horse's mouth: https://www.faa.gov/pilot-mental-fitness https://www.faa.gov/pilot-mental-fitness For me it's completely moot. I can't even have someone else fly me anymore--I have an (apparently untreatable) eustachian tube dysfunction. ...which is probably for the best given my bearish position on aviation.
heelix 4y ago
Pilots don't suffer from depression, smoke pot, take many types of medication as a child, or have many other issues because if you did - the FAA might pull your medical and you can't fly after that. It can cost tens of thousands to try to get the FAA to let you fly again if a medical gets botched. And that is still an if...
- blantonl 4y ago
  Pilots don't suffer from depression, smoke pot, take many types of medication as a child, or have many other issues Oh my sweet summer child.
bsder 4y ago
Getting treated for cancer, for example, effectively bars you from flying. There are lots of medical things like this. If these things are that bad, those same people shoudn't be driving either. And this is probably true. However, if you applied these same restrictions to driving, people would absolutely go nuts on you.
- GeoffKnauth 4y ago
  No, that is not true. I got treated for cancer two years ago (surgery and radiation), it was contained (not metastatic), I have twice since passed a Class 2 Medical. I talked to my Aeromedical Examiner, I talked with my treating doctors, they talked to each other, it worked out -- so far.

gburdell3 4y ago

The medical system is really messed up. I would love to eventually get my PPL, but I also highly suspect that I have undiagnosed ADHD, and I don't want to essentially sign away my right to ever get treatment. Fortunately Microsoft Flight Simulator and VATSIM scratch the itch to fly for now, but it still sucks that I'll probably never get to actually do it in real life.

outworlder 4y ago
Disclaimer: this is not legal advice, it's just to give you some ideas. AOPA and EAA have resources that can professional advise you. Note that 'undiagnosed ADHD' holds as much weight as me saying you have bad energies. There are many conditions that masquerade as ADHD to a layperson, including some purely psychological ones (they are no less real, but are very different from a neurodivergent brain and require very different treatment). If you are otherwise a high functioning adult (can function in society, operate vehicles safely, etc), get your third class medical, which should be no problem. You have to disclose diagnosed conditions. Do a discovery flight and ask for an opinion from the flight instructor. If he thinks you are fit, go start your training and enjoy. If, one day, you do get diagnosed (with ADHD or some other disqualifying condition) AND require medication, then it's a problem. If you don't need medication (because most if not all ADHD medications are prohibited), don't try to renew your third class medical (because, if you get denied, it's a big problem) and get advice about BasicMed. It has far less requirements; my understanding is, unless there's something strictly prohibited, if a doctor signs you up you are good to go. You won't be able to fly commercial or faster than 250knots but I suspect you don't care. Failing all the above, there's light sports aircraft and gliders(no medical requirements, you just need judge yourself to be capable and unlikely to be incapacitated) – although I am not sure you can operate them while taking meds; some professional advice required here. Disclaimer 2: Obviously the above assumes that whatever you have does not impair you. This is just to get around FAA's antiquated view on mental health while complying with the law. The most important thing is to be safe. If you really can't due to health issues, then don't, even if a doctor says you are fine. Otherwise, don't give up!
- selectodude 4y ago