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.
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.
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