What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Medical Fiasco

170 driver

Well Known Member
Long story here but some very important lessons to be learned. First, a little history. I turned 65 this year. I worked for an OEM Jet builder in Savannah Georgia for 22 years in the quality control arena rising to QC manager for my last 8. I held A&P, IA, Maintenance and Manufacturing ODAR, DMIR, ODA, and Manufacturing DAR certificates. I have been an independent DAR for the last 18 years with my own business. I had every available function allowed by the FAA on my certificates. I have owned 7 aircraft and have close to 1500 hours PIC time. I have help a private pilot license for 36 years with never a lapse in currency. I just about completely rebuilt a Cessna 170 and built a rv9 taildragger slow build.

Now for the 2020 fiasco,
4 years ago, the family dr found my blood sugar to be borderline high. I had no family history of diabetes or no symptoms or indications. I immediately researched the FAA website for what medications are allowed to take so I could advise the family practitioner on what to prescribe. I received my 3rd class medical with this reported. I have the numbers under control with FAA approved meds and have lost a significant amount of weight. I have been playing tennis 2 times a week for the last 8 years and still do.

A year and a half ago, I was driving my tractor and had a pain in my right arm, it moved into my jaw and I went to the local small hospital ER just to be sure. After an hour of sitting there the pain subsided and I felt perfectly normal. They did all kinds of test and determined there was something amiss with my heart. They sent me to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston which has a premier cardiology program. After 1 night in the hospital, a cath was done and they put in 1 stent through my wrist and said that was the only serious blockage at 80%.

I had transitioned from a 3rd class FAA medical to a basic med in 2018 to avoid the hassels. Now, being totally familiar with FAA rules, I applied for a one time special issuance in accordance with the basic med rules. My certificate was completely current at the time and had another year before renewal but I was trying my best to follow the rule as I had done for so many years. The application along with all my required reports that are listed in the FAA guidance material, landed in Oklahoma City and the FAA (which uses contractor cardiologist, not FAA employees, to review applications for specials) reviewed my application after about 2 months and sent a list of 6 other data items that they wanted from the hospital.

I immediately went and got the data which included 2 more test that my cardiologist didn't require and that my insurance wouldn't pay for and sent it back in. The cost of flying I figured. After 2 more months, I got another letter, 4 more items were needed, I went back to the Dr and got them and immediately sent them back in, two more months passed and I got another letter, 4 additional items were required including another nuclear stress test and a complete real time video of the catherization procedure and stent placement as well as a video of the nuclear stress test. So far I'm about 8 grand out of pocket into this science project. After about 3 months I got another letter, more data was needed, I went to the Cardiology department at Musc and got the data along with a letter from the chief of the cardiology unit that said there was nothing in my heart that would prevent me from holding a medical and that my condition was repaired and my heart functions were normal.

I also got a letter from my family dr stating that my physical condition was above normal for my age. I sent all this in and waited another 3 months. Covid had slowed the process as well as the contractor cardiologist were scarce. During all this time, I called OKC and requested status every week. My birthday was in April this year and I officially retired, turned in my DAR license and prepared for an enjoyable retirement with lots of flying and traveling. In May, I received a letter of denial, which stated that if I had a bypass operation or another major repair that they would reconsider, which totally set me back. Everything in the FAA's guidance said this was an approvable condition.

I contacted a company that specializes in special issuance medicals and they said send them the entire document and communication package and 10 grand and they would see if they could help but since it was already a denial, that it would be extremely difficult and not at all assured. Each time a letter was sent back to me from the FAA, a different contractor cardiologist had reviewed my case and requested more data. Now, with my retirement upon me and 2 aircraft in hangars at the airport, I have no medical and almost no chance of getting one. I have kept my planes flying with other qualified pilots flying as PIC and me as an interested passenger but the expenses and limitations of this are overcoming me. I am going to throw in the towel. I hope that you guys can read between these lines and learn from my mistakes. I will post my RV 9 and my other aircraft for sale soon with a devastated heart.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Don't give up...

Give Dr. Faulkner in Atlanta a call and talk to him. He has a GREAT reputation and knows how to deal with the FAA.

Don't give up! You have nothing to lose by calling him...
 
A very sad story and I feel for you. To be polite, I will avoid throwing more gas on the fire of bashing the FAA, albeit deserved.

I really appreciate you sharing this, as your lessons will help me if I find myself in your situation. I also am on Basic Med due to some conditions that would make Class III difficult and expensive.

Best of luck in your retirement.

Larry
 
The FAA's reductio ad absurdum for keeping the skies safe is to prevent everyone from being able to fly an airplane.

FAA...the "H" is for "happy".
 
When you had the time, you should have dropped Basic Med and reverted to a Sport Pilot License, which requires no 3rd class or Basic Med.

All it requires is a drivers license, and your own self assessment.

62 here, no medical issues, just solo'd for my Sport Pilot License yesterday in my Van's RV-12 E-LSA. Yes, it has limitations, but it will keep you able to fly your own plane a lot longer than most other Van's models. :D
 
Sorry for the slight drift. I was under the impression that no medical is required to fly LSA with a private pilot license. In other words, you don’t need a sport pilot license if you already have a private pilot license With a lapsed medical to fly an LSA (and being subject to all the LSA limitations re airspace, etc).

Also, another option is flying gliders (including motorgliders) with a glider endorsement — no medical is needed and, if I am not mistaken, even a DL is not a requirement.
 
You need dr Bruce chein in Chicago he can be found on pilots of America. Tell him everything, don’t li, don’t hold anything back, if it’s possible he will tell you exactly what to do. Do exactly what he tells you. Word the the group, don’t try to do it alone, it won’t end good. Hire dr Bruce.
 
Sad

Jim, sorry to read about this, and thanks for the heads up. I hope you find a way to get back in the air.
 
It's not always like this.... but clearly something isn't right here.

In my own experience, after some heart-related surgery, not a bypass, the FAA made one rather comprehensive request for more information. It was reasonable enough that my cardiologist readily signed off on it and set it up, and my insurance had no problem covering it. I'm older than the OP, if that matters.

Once the results were in, the FAA's request had included a thorough document dump. The hospital, cardiologist and other specialties were included. I did need to make one or two requests to a doctor for a conclusions letter, and then put the requested information, which I sorted, into a large file, which I shipped off to the FAA after having my AME review it for me.

I quickly received a 3rd class medical. After reading of your travails, I think I was lucky.

Dave
 
Write your Congressman (person)

Like it or not, a congressional inquiry will set the gears in motion. Don't raise an issue with the technical merits, rather highlight the flawed process that needlessly cost you time and money, and brings into question if the assessments were flawed.
Then be ready to throw every bit of data at them.
And, hire a technical expert. Dr. Chein is well renowned, although I have yet to require his services.
Good luck. Don't quit just yet.
 
Ever consider visiting your congressman's office and showing him this original post and the stack of information provided in response to the various requests?

Be sure to mark the duplicate requests.

FWIW
 
EAA's Aeromedical Advisory Service.

All a part of membership (thou I made donations after).
Helped me with a cerebral hematoma.
Great bunch of volunteer Docs.
Good luck.
 
I'll second the call upon your congressional representatives. Many of them have staffers that primarily just work with those of us who get trampled by bureaucrats and mired down and tied up with RED TAPE.
 
Do a consult with AMAS. They probably handle more cases than everyone else combined. I know of several people who thought their flying days were done until they got them involved. Here is a post from Vans forum a few years ago. He was also giving up. ALPA in the post is AMAS.



HAVE A 1ST CLASS MEDICAL!!!!

Looking back on it, I probably should have gone through ALPA like so many told me to do. Turns out the FAA lost ALL of my medical records, hence the reason for the crazy denial letters. They had missing information. My records were sent to Atlanta, then sent to Oklahoma, then to some place in New England. Somewhere along the way, someone didn't do their job.

Anyway, who cares, I have a medical!

I basically got my start in flying at a glider airport in SC when I was 13. I ended up working there just about every weekend until I went off to college. It was like my 2nd home. A couple of weeks ago I got checked out again in gliders. Words cannot describe how much I have missed flying gliders. There's absolutely nothing like it. Another passion of mine is towing. It is some of the most fun I have EVER had in an airplane. I just got checked out in the Pawnee again and started towing. Once again, words cannot describe the feeling of being back in the air. I know that I've taken flying for granted in the past, that will never happen again.
 
Last edited:
Sorry for the slight drift. I was under the impression that no medical is required to fly LSA with a private pilot license. In other words, you don’t need a sport pilot license if you already have a private pilot license With a lapsed medical to fly an LSA (and being subject to all the LSA limitations re airspace, etc).

Also, another option is flying gliders (including motorgliders) with a glider endorsement — no medical is needed and, if I am not mistaken, even a DL is not a requirement.

Another option, and one I'd be inclined to take, is just to keep flying anyway.

If you truly think its not an issue, you have to make your own risk tolerance decision with respect to carrying passengers, and flying w/o insurance and so forth.
 
Another option, and one I'd be inclined to take, is just to keep flying anyway.

If you truly think its not an issue, you have to make your own risk tolerance decision with respect to carrying passengers, and flying w/o insurance and so forth.

While I don't know the reg's, I would be concerned that jail time is possible if caught flying intentionally without a license. Claiming ignorance on not understanding that an SI is required is likely to be dealt with more favorably, but the cat is out of the bag for the OP.

Larry
 
Last edited:
Sorry for the slight drift. I was under the impression that no medical is required to fly LSA with a private pilot license. In other words, you don’t need a sport pilot license if you already have a private pilot license With a lapsed medical to fly an LSA (and being subject to all the LSA limitations re airspace, etc).

Also, another option is flying gliders (including motorgliders) with a glider endorsement — no medical is needed and, if I am not mistaken, even a DL is not a requirement.

There is an important distinction between a lapsed medical and a denied medical. In the FAA's eyes if you have a denied medical then you have a known medical condition that precludes acting as PIC. In anything. That's the crux of the dilemma many pilots face: Once you walk in the AME's door, it's too late to back out.
 
There is an important distinction between a lapsed medical and a denied medical. In the FAA's eyes if you have a denied medical then you have a known medical condition that precludes acting as PIC. In anything. That's the crux of the dilemma many pilots face: Once you walk in the AME's door, it's too late to back out.

Not true, he can still fly ultralights. I have a powered paraglider that I prefer flying over anything.
 
After reading that cluster fcku of a story I had to re check you where not the dealing with our corrupt authority down under as that's exactly what they would do here, run you around till you give up! Don't let the *******s win!
 
After reading that cluster fcku of a story I had to re check you where not the dealing with our corrupt authority down under as that's exactly what they would do here, run you around till you give up! Don't let the *******s win!

Or in the words of a Great Greek philosopher, illegitimi non-carborundum! :rolleyes:

-Marc
 
AOPA Medical Services

After having two heart surgeries in 2009, i used the AOPA Medical Services folks to help me regain my Class III Special Issuance. I now fly with a Basic Medical Certificate, so I haven’t talked to them lately.

They should be able to offer some help.

If you’re not an AOPA member, this might be a good time to join.
 
My congressman is James Clyburn,,,so there is that,,,and I could just continue to fly and probably never get caught but too many people at my airport know my situation and I'm scared of a rat. The aeromedical service I contacted said there was little hope since I had a denial, expensive gamble for me with a bad hand dealt. Lesson to all, don't tell anyone your medical situation, don't report medical issues or if you need to report, get an aeromedical service first. Since I was a DAR for so long and interacted with the FAA on a daily basis for so many years, I thought I could do this easily since the rules were so clear on it. However, I didn't figure on the contractor Doctors they hire to review cases. They have zero motivation to help us and tend to be in a CYA mode, they have a financial incentive to help the FAA. Beware to all,,,the hobby you love and all the money you spent can be taken from you with the stroke of a pen. I am sure they were saddened deeply when they sent me that letter. Ha
 
Last edited:
Your story reminds me of a situation I had 45 years ago, early in my Canadian Air Force career. First one and then another local neurologist was consulted by my Base Flight Surgeon. They had no expertise in aviation. They saw it as a potentially lucrative, possible interesting science project. They were out of control with their "investigations" until the headquarters medical folks regained control of the process and consulted a neurologist knowledgeable in aviation who had no axe to grind. He said "no issue" and I returned to flight status. I'm sure you would agree that you have no sense at the beginning of the exercise how badly it could ultimately go. I really hope that you can get your medical restored.
 
170 Driver
Your story is not that unusual. It is often very frustrating for a pilot in that there is no specific reviewing physician at the Oklahoma City FAA that you can consistantly speak with for feed back or guidance regarding a medical problem. They are chronically short handed. You can still appeal the decision to the administrator but before doing that, I would sit down with a Cardiologist who is versed in aviation and review your medical records line by line. What I have found is that general Cardiologists as a group tend to think as ground pounders and what is "fine" for the average citizen might not be OK in the realm of high altitude and flying. They don't understand sometimes that flying a plane is not like driving your car. Pose instead the idea of you going technical scuba diving or skydiving and then sometime the light bulb goes on.
I would recommend that you review all of your records very very carefully. What I have found sometimes, is that a stress test showed a minor drop in a EKG squiggle and a local reviewer called it ischemia. Or the echo was not clear enough for the FAA reviewer. Or that the angio showed some minor narrowing down stream from the stent. Or there was some mild decrease in up take on the radionuclide scan. All of these together might tip the FAA reviewer to push to deny the certificate. If you have a questionable study on review by the Cardiologist, consider a follow up study and see if you can improve on it. I have not had good luck with Congressional inquiries unless it is a clear and egregious FAA screw up. The Congressionals just tend to tick off the folks at the FAA, muddies the water, and often does not help your cause. If any thing, talk to your congressman to have Congress adequately fund the FAA medical service to do the job. Hire more Flight Surgeons for adequate staffing.
The FAA Docs are caught in a vice some times between the FAA attorneys and the mandate to ensure aviation safety to the public. It may seem that if you don't fit the FAA medical cookbook that the attorneys have written, you are hung out to dry. Even with that, the majority of FAA medical decisions still favor the pilot. There must have been something or a combination of things on your reports to have the FAA reviewer want to deny the certificate. Remember in all of this, what the medical reviewer sees is a piece of paper, not you the pilot. So you have to look as good as possible on that piece of paper for a favorable out come. Keep trying, don't give up! Best of luck!
 
You are going to have a hard time wading through the Aeromedical Branch morass on your own, even with “internet help”.

I would strongly recommend contacting Dr. Bruce Chien. He specializes in complex medical cases for folks who are getting the run-around from the FAA. Best case scenario, he’ll help you get this sorted. Worst case...he’ll give you a realistic evaluation of your options going forward.

http://www.aeromedicaldoc.com/startpagina.html
 
Back
Top