An impossible ask . . . .

[wink]

You see a civ FAA approved doc of your choosing. An Aeromedical Examiner. BUT he has to follow strict standards. If there is any doubt, and required for lots of issues, it goes to the FAA and their Doc decides whether to let your AME issue the medical clearance.

I was on medical disability for two periods for nearly 3 years out of four. As @scoolbubba said. It is a nightmare.

 

[nodropinufaka]

You see a civ FAA approved doc of your choosing. An Aeromedical Examiner. BUT he has to follow strict standards. If there is any doubt, and required for lots of issues, it goes to the FAA and their Doc decides whether to let your AME issue the medical clearance.

I was on medical disability for two periods for nearly 3 years out of four. As @scoolbubba said. It is a nightmare.

What happens if you get a down chit as a pilot?

Is there medical leave or anything or is it the responsibility of the individual to take out work insurance?

 

[Gatordev]

What happens if you get a down chit as a pilot?

Is there medical leave or anything or is it the responsibility of the individual to take out work insurance?

You have to understand that not getting a FAA medical "upchit" applies to people across a HUGE spectrum. Airlines have unions, and they can build protections into their contracts, but there's a plethora of other professional pilots (and rated crewmen...that aren't pilots) that rely on that medical to earn a living. If the tour pilot who makes $20/hour earning time gets disqualified, he eats it and probably couldn't afford disability to begin with. Larger "small" companies might have short-term disability available for their employees, but that costs money, and if you can't get it sorted within a certain timeframe, you're gone. And it sucks, but it's understandable, given what "you" are hired for as a pilot.

 

[Brett327]

I agree that drugs aren't the answer. However, the point does remain that there's a triceratops poop level of red tape to see someone who is certified to make diagnoses IAW DSM-5 and prescribe treatment, and the creepy uncle 'chaps' isn't that guy.

While I may agree that over-medication is an increasing trend, life-long medication is absolutely the answer in some cases.

 

[Jim123]

What happens if you get a down chit as a pilot?

Is there medical leave or anything or is it the responsibility of the individual to take out work insurance?

There's also doctor shopping that goes on, that is if someone thinks they might have an aeromedical issue then they might seek out an AME with an "easy" reputation. You can also see a flight doc for a consultation so that when you do go in for your FAA medical exam (similar concept to a military flight physical) then you'll have all your ducks in a row with whatever extra paperwork you need for your issue. Consults are above the board but doctor shopping is a pretty gray area.

There are also a few flight docs out there who come highly recommended for special issuances. They're familiar with getting everything right to the FAA's satisfaction and they've built a good reputation in the pilot world.

The funny thing about doctor shopping is that sometimes pilots can be their own worst enemies. It's like little kids with big mouths keeping a secret, "I went to ___ and I was in and out of there in five minutes!" Now what do you suppose the FAA will do when they hear too many rumors like that about one doc? Well, other than the FAA always seems to be manpower-limited, buuuuut...

 

[scoolbubba]

Ya but the DOD controls your access to health care.

Isnt FAA civilian health care where you can go out in town with your insurance?

Is FAA GS civil service? Or contractors?

It's not that they're bad for it, it's that they don't actually provide care at all. The E in AME is for examiner, not especially helpful person you talk to about medical issues. If you tell them the wrong thing, they'll yank your medical and now you're without a job and no closer to resolving mental health issues. Oh, and if you see a doc for your issues and fail to disclose it, they'll also yank your medical.

Good luck. Hope you never get depressed, fuckers!

 

[nodropinufaka]

It's not that they're bad for it, it's that they don't actually provide care at all. The E in AME is for examiner, not especially helpful person you talk to about medical issues. If you tell them the wrong thing, they'll yank your medical and now you're without a job and no closer to resolving mental health issues. Oh, and if you see a doc for your issues and fail to disclose it, they'll also yank your medical.

Good luck. Hope you never get depressed, fuckers!

You can’t be on SSRI or SRNI and fly?

 

[scoolbubba]

You can’t be on SSRI or SRNI and fly?

Nope.

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/ame/guide/media/Airman_Information_SSRI_Initial_Certification.pdf

 

[squorch2]

You can’t be on SSRI or SRNI and fly?

You can - there are some extra hoops to junk thru.

Stimulants are a no-go.

 

[nodropinufaka]

You can - there are some extra hoops to junk thru.

Stimulants are a no-go.

Seems like kind of a difficult process.

If you’re a airline pilot and getting 90 hours a month and get downed for 6 months plus that’s a lot of money.

Do most people pay extra for some kind of long term disability insurance?

If I was making 250k plus a year I’d be very worried about medical putting me out of a high income job.

 

[scoolbubba]

Seems like kind of a difficult process.

If you’re a airline pilot and getting 90 hours a month and get downed for 6 months plus that’s a lot of money.

Do most people pay extra for some kind of long term disability insurance?

If I was making 250k plus a year I’d be very worried about medical putting me out of a high income job.

Short term and long term disability options, as well as loss of license insurance, exist and depend on the CBA at each company. Some are company provided and others are paid for out of pocket; just depends on what the union negotiated.

 

[squorch2]

Yup, wink can tell you about that razor’s edge…

 

[Griz882]

You can - there are some extra hoops to junk thru.

Stimulants are a no-go.

If you fly for pleasure you can simply forget about it. The “junk” is too expensive.