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The article doesn't cover another facet of the FAA/mental health puzzle: ADHD. There's a whole generation of students that got diagnoses and/or medication in t

The article doesn't cover another facet of the FAA/mental health puzzle: ADHD. There's a whole generation of students that got diagnoses and/or medication in their younger years. Having any of that in your medical record puts you in the same category as the pilots mentioned in this article. Even if you've been off the Adderall for years, it's a mandatory psych eval and cognitive testing. Thousands of dollars in testing and a long wait for an FAA decision. There's been some recent changes, including a new "fast track" to approval if you've been off meds for four years or longer. But there's still paperwork. And the decision is far from guaranteed.

imoverclocked 3y ago
I just chatted with someone two days ago that has been trying to get through the medical process for five years. No details on her case but seriously, the FAA’s 1950’s stance on health is pretty ridiculous. That pilots have had to spend 10s of thousands of dollars just to be cleared, and that this is even expected by this point, is just dumb.
- joezydeco 3y ago
  The cognitive screening process is long. It can take an entire day to complete with multiple personality interviews, computerized tests that strain your processing and reaction time, and a whole slew of other memory and attention tasks. It's a lot for anyone, and putting teenagers through it is cruel. Apparently the FAA is acutely aware of this, in light of a growing shortage of pilots in the pipeline and huge demand from the airlines. It would be more reasonable to use the recommendations of your local CFI and flight school to decide if you have the cognitive skills to fly solo, compared to a neuropsychologist sitting in an office. Hopefully this begins to change soon. What's really ironic is that once you've passed the certification and are sitting in the cockpit, you can have all the caffeine you want. But time-release ADHD medications are a no-no.

imoverclocked 3y ago

I just chatted with someone two days ago that has been trying to get through the medical process for five years. No details on her case but seriously, the FAA’s 1950’s stance on health is pretty ridiculous. That pilots have had to spend 10s of thousands of dollars just to be cleared, and that this is even expected by this point, is just dumb.

joezydeco 3y ago
The cognitive screening process is long. It can take an entire day to complete with multiple personality interviews, computerized tests that strain your processing and reaction time, and a whole slew of other memory and attention tasks. It's a lot for anyone, and putting teenagers through it is cruel. Apparently the FAA is acutely aware of this, in light of a growing shortage of pilots in the pipeline and huge demand from the airlines. It would be more reasonable to use the recommendations of your local CFI and flight school to decide if you have the cognitive skills to fly solo, compared to a neuropsychologist sitting in an office. Hopefully this begins to change soon. What's really ironic is that once you've passed the certification and are sitting in the cockpit, you can have all the caffeine you want. But time-release ADHD medications are a no-no.