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FAA Medical Final Chapter!
About three years ago I applied for a third-class medical certificate to complete my training for a pilot's license. This is what I learned though (the hard way) for my three years of trying to provide the FAA with the information they requested and to have them issue that third-class medical ticket.
I had a Mitro heart valve repaired about five years ago, according to the FAA this is acceptable and should not pose a problem in getting third class medical certificate. BUT!! its everything that goes along with a Mitro valve repair that gets in the way.
1 You will from that time on be required to take a blood thinner, that is a red flag for the FAA. they will require you to provide them a full blood screen panel. There thought is that you are now susceptible to blood clots forming because of the repair. A very big safety issue according to them and now more test. Insurance doesn't cover most of this.
2 One of the side effects of having a Mitro valve repair there is a good possibility that you will go into a-fib at some time. I did, requiring more test and weeks of corresponding back and forth with the FAA and more test. The FAA says this is a safety issue, which and will lead to more test.
3 Because of the A-fib issue they will require you to take a stress test, with EKG and a sonagram picture of you heart after the test etc. Again, insurance will not cover this in most cases.
4 Since you went into A-fib you will be required to get a sleep study done since sleep apnea has been known to trigger A-fib.
If there is even the smallest indication of any sleep disorder, you will be denied a medical certificate. Since they assume you will not get a good night's sleep which may cause you to be extra fatigued making you unsafe to fly, even though their own web site says there has never been an accident that can be directly attributed to being caused by a sleep disorder (sleep apnea).
The FAA now considers sleep apnea to be acritical safety issue and will be requiring most pilots to get a sleep study done in the near future.
Again, this is not covered by insurance. If they determine you have sleep apnea, you will be required to use a CPAP machine to sleep with, and they will require that you provide them with proof of using the machine for a full year. (Problem they only give you thirty days to provide them with this information) I have only just begun to use this machine a couple of weeks ago. No possible way of providing them with one year's use of a CPAP machine totally unreasonable. Again, most of this is not covered by my insurance.
5 After all this they requested that I again repeat many of the test that I have already done over the last several years since too much time had passed, pretty redundant.
So at this point I have given up, I do not have the time or desire to pursue this any further. I think they just want me to go away of which they have succeeded in.
I would have appreciated that fact if they would have told me up front that having a Mitro valve repair that no matter what you do you would not be given a third-class medical certificate they just put one hurdle in front of another one with just a little glimmer of hope that next time they will say they are satisfied and give you that medical ticket. It will never happen.
The part that really hurts is that I had prepaid the FBO for my flight training about eight thousand dollars. I talked to him, and he said he would see about refunding the unused amount. That was four months ago. I guess that is not a good sign.
I'm also out all the expense of doctor visits and test that my insurance would not cover also to the tune of about ten thousand dollars.
I have found that FAA is incredibly hard to deal with, you can only contact them by mail, send a response weeks and months to hear back from them and they always set a response time that is not doable.
So, I have sold my kit and all the tools,' avionics and parts to finish, and my head set and training material I gave to young girl down the road who wants to learn to fly.
The other catch 22, since I have applied for a third class medical and not been granted one or denied, just because I started the process, I can't even look at attaining a sport pilot license anymore just the act of starting the process puts an end to that. So that is the end of this chapter.
Good luck and may your dreams come true...
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gary Welch on
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What a rotten deal. You hear this over and over again - the FAA stringing medical issuance along with never-ending requests for testing and no guidance on approval targets or timeline. You are supposed to get on their merry-go-round, for an unlimited amount of time and an unlimited amount of expense, with zero guidance on what may constitute a "pass".
Sorry you had to go through this nightmare.
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Permalink Reply by John Austin on
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This nonsense is what pushed me from getting any more 3rd Class medicals to going the Basic Med route. My cardiologist buddy routinely and annually treadmilled me simply for peace-of-mind since I used to fly a lot of IFR with my family. The treadmills were always completely normal, as was everything else on my routine check-ups.
Last 3rd class I took, I duly reported the annual visit to the cardiologist (as I had reported many times before) for a "check-up," but this time, for some reason, the AME asked me, "Exactly what does the cardiologist do on the check-up?" I told him that I was examined, BP check, and a routine treadmill was performed that was always OK. The AME said, "Oh! A treadmill? We'll have to have that treadmill print-out and send it to Oklahoma City!"
I asked him if I could simply have my cardiologist send him a report and he said, "No, we have to have the actual, original, hard-copy print-out from the treadmill and send it to Oklahoma City for interpretation." I protested and assured him that it was normal and I didn't see the point in sending it in, but the AME was insistent. To his credit, the AME at least provisionally issued my medical until he heard back from Oklahoma City.
Long story short, I had to pick up the hard copy and bring it to the AME and they sent it in and it eventually was interpreted as normal, just as I had told them. THEN, it occurred to me ... what if some idiot in Oklahoma City had said it was abnormal??? I could only imagine the rigmarole that would result from that in an attempt to keep my medical!
So, I went the Basic Med route after that, and now, since I only fly my LSA STOL 750, I just use the "driver's license medical."
Beware those 9 words, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help." Ha!
John
N750A
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Permalink Reply by Bob McDonald on
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Deepest empathy for you. I had my aortic valve replaced and went through "jump hoops" with Transport Canada for 15 months on a 24 month medical. I passed and have an unrestrcted class 3 medical.... but shortly I will have to start the whole process again. It simply grinds you down.
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Permalink Reply by Bob Pustell on
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The only option I see for you (other than adding my sympathies to those already expressed) is to suggest that you consdier a Part 103 legal Ultralight. No FAA requrired medical provisions, no FAA required certified mechanics, no nothing. Build it (or buy one) and fly.
You mentioned that you wanted to pursure getting your license. Ultra Lights, by definition, are single seat planes. However, you do not need a medical to fly with a rated instructor. I would suggest finding an instructor willing to work with you and have the training be focused on preparing you to fly a single seat Part 103 Ultra Light rather than preparing you for a pilot license. This could work. You will be limited to not flying any passengers (they are single seat planes, remember) and you are basically limited to knocking about the neighborhood on nice days. However, that is the best part of flying in my opinion - knocking about the neighborhood on nice days.
Oh - you can, in theory, fly an Ultra Light from anywhere. Approved airports are not required. If you have the space on your property or can borrow space at a friend's place you can fly from anyplace with about four or five hundred feet of open flat surface.
Part 103 is my fallback plan for when flying "real" airplanes is not an option for me anymore. When Ultra Lights first came out they were scary little kites, not a real or safe airplane. Now there are some very sweet little siingle seat planes designed around the Part 103 limits.
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Permalink Reply by Bruce Atherton on
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What about gliders, including self-launch gliders? I believe no medical is required.
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Permalink Reply by Van Cole on
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Thanks for all the comments, it is appreciated. I have no interest in ultra-light aircraft or gliders. My intent was to fly and aircraft that could travel some distance, also to be able to visit my son and his family, he is serving in the Marine Corps at this time and would have been nice to have just flown down to visit instead of the hassle of driving or flying commercial.
Again, thanks to all who have responded.
My hope is that no one else has to go through what I have with the FAA.
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