After 1.5 years and OVER $125k, I finally got my SI

[MalibuJim]

Well, it was a 1.5 year fight with the FAA and I finally got my 3rd class SI, now good for only 3 months, then back to AME for 6-month renewals, for the next 5 YEARS.

Seems like I have taken (and passed) EVERY medical test known to man, (aero-cog, psych, heart, brain) including an unnecessary Angiogram JUST to satisfy the FAA.

I pity anyone else who is going through this process and would suggest some just give it up as the FAA is out of control.

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

Seems like I have taken (and passed) EVERY medical test known to man, (aero-cog, psych, heart, brain) including an unnecessary Angiogram JUST to satisfy the FAA.

There is another aspect to this - some of these procedures have serious health risks. The FAA requiring them on thin evidence is really quite contrary to helping airmens’ health.

Surely this must win some type of prize for persistence. Enjoy your flying as PIC !

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

Once I go to the college I'm looking it, I'd hope to join their collegiate ALPA group and help guide other students in their medical issues and start a website that focuses specifically on medical certification via HIMS, SSRI usage, Basic Med, etc. by tracking the progress of someone's steps towards certification by keeping notes on their profile (private to the person and me) with what they communicate with me or what they put down themselves. I could then pull their profile up by searching for their name or just search for a diagnosis that prevents medical issuance, and see all the notes on previous people's profiles relating to that certain diagnosis to help aide future people with the same diagnosis. Also a forum part where people on the forums could chat message each other with their experiences and help guide others and I could jumpstart the website at college. IDK I also want an excuse to build another web-application and setup another forum site because I've been bored lately.

In another thread setting up a HIMS support group was being discussed. Perhaps team up with them?

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

Exactly. The FAA itself will tell you that almost all 3rd class applicants eventually get a medical, so what good are they doing? How many medical-related accidents are avoided by all the FAA hoops? I'd bet it's almost none.

Well we’ve been through this in detail a year or so ago. My summary would be there is no good evidence that the FAA requirement for a 3rd class medical improves the safety of flight. The FAA has made arguments that there is indirect evidence that it helps and there is weak evidence suggesting it makes no difference.

What I have done since then is look into the legislative history of the requirement to see if there was debate about this or justification. Basically no. The requirement for private pilots to have a medical was included in the first set of rules from the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) at its founding and appears to have been based on the military pilot medicals started during WWI to select out the most fit combat pilots.