Contents

Vignettes of Old Age
--You cannot appreciate the meaning of being alive until you are close to death.
--You cannot appreciate being able to fly, until you can't.
--You cannot undo what time has done to your ability to pass a medical
--You can undo what you have done to your inability to pass a medical.
--If only the Aeromedical Division of the FAA only lived by the basic Hippocratic Oath, "First, do no harm."
--Federal Air Surgeon is the ultimate authority behind the issuance of a medical certificate
--The present medical certification system is vocational euthanasia. The certification requirements of the FAA are antiquated, not reasonably founded, unfair and a failed unethical process.
-- Federal Air Surgeon is the ultimate authority behind the issuance of a medical certificate

A Change in the Making? 11/2001
A meeting between FAA administrator, federal air surgeon and others concerning the delays in issuing special issuance authorization medical certificates resulted in the AOPA offering a revision of FAA's policy. Proposals were to tie the class of medical along with an AME's ability to approve interim medical pending FAA review. Pilot would be able to fly and maintain proficiency.

Contents
The newest information is at the top:

Opinion
The Bob Hoover case is very important to aviation medicine. It proves that fairness does prevail but one must persevere and have financial resources. Make sure that you mention in the Bob Hoover case that his medical was NEVER removed by Australia. Also that this started as a flying deficinecy case that was from the FSDO and dumped into medical . AOPA has excellent coverage of the Hoover case. I put Hoover right up there with Howard Hughes, Bevo Howard, and others. FAA Medical should never have taken the case and they screwed themselves in the process. This is the FIRST case that was referred totally and independently to another sourcd i.e. Mayo Clinic. This case can be cited for future legal precedant.

The Medical
If you have never experienced confusion, anxiety and frustration in aviation, just wait until you age a bit and are faced with a AME medical examination. Regardless of your age, status, wealth, experience, or knowledge time will expose you to what could be the career ending experience of an FAA medical.

FAA and FAR flight standards are primarily based upon medicine as practiced in the 1930s. There is considerable pressure on the idea of self-certification as practiced by sailplane pilots and ultralights. The medical deficiency as a factor in aircraft accidents is rare but happens. Usually it is because of a concealed deficiency. The intent of the medical is to disallow a pilot to fly with a condition that could lead to sudden incapacitation or death.The AME is a specially trained, certificated physician who attends regular FAA programs to maintain his knowledge and understanding of how the regulations apply. The FAA process is convoluted and archaic medically. Perhaps it is even broken.

Fewer that one-percent of aircraft accident are related to a medical problem with the pilot. This means either that the medical certification system is not required or that it is working exceptionally well. The effort of the FAA has been to speed up the process whereas the effort should be directed toward evaluating the need for its continued existence as one of the most inefficient parts of the FAA.

The FAA and your Medical Examiner
The right way to approach the ME is to consider that he really works for the FAA and his job is to deny you your medical. Your job is to prevent him from doing his job. If you let that be your guiding principle, you should be OK. In other words, I wouldn't volunteer any information to him which was not required. PLAN SEEKS TO REDUCE MEDICAL CERTIFICATION DELAYS
Federal Air Surgeon Dr. Jon Jordan has agreed to consider a plan that could reduce the long delay in receiving special issuance medical certification. During an aviation medical summit meeting last week at EAA Air Venture in Oshkosh, AOPA renewed its suggestion that aviation medical examiners (AMEs) be given the authority to issue temporary special issuaance medical certificates on the spot, rather than forcing pilots to wait up to four months for the FAA to process applications.

MEDICAL APPLICATION MESS CONTINUES
Software problems at the FAA Aeromedical Certification Division have created a months-long backlog of medical applications. Here's how to avoid the problem. If you report something new to the FAA on your next medical application--be it medication usage, a change in your medical history, or visits to health professionals--have with you at the time of examination a report from the treating physician summarizing the new medical history. Make copies of everything you provide the FAA. If you have questions about what to do or how to do it, call the AOPA Pilot Hotline at 800/872-2672, and speak with a medical certification specialist. A five-minute phone conversation may save you from months of unnecessary grounding. Detailed certification procedures are also available in the members-only section of AOPA Online
(http://) or by calling the 24-hour fax-on-demand service, AvFax, at 800/462-8329.

Would you believe that a cottage industry now exists in an enterprise claiming to be capable of accelerating your medical through the Aeromedical Certification Division, for a price. Want to bet that there are former FAA employees making use of their inside information and contacts involved. It's who you know, dummy.

Special Medical Flight Test,
Chapter 27 of the FAAGeneral Aviation Operations Inspectors Handbook requires the use of the Adobe Acrobat Reader
http://
Check the following link and contact AOPA if you have any questions

Avoiding Aeromedical Problems
By making your regular physician and your AME the same doctor you can simplify the process. Get your annual checkup first and then get your flight physical. This gives the dual personality time to get any tests done before submitting it to the FAA Aeromedical division.

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