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FAA 3rd class med with adhd

aribjc

Well-Known Member
I’m waiting to start IFS becsuse the FAA has yet to approve my 3rd class due to history of ADHD. I’ve obviously already been cleared several times by the navy and nami in order to be here, which I assumed would be enough for the FAA but apparently not. My question is has anyone else dealt with this and the additional testing that the FAA asks for, and if so how did the testing go? I’m not too worried about it given that it doesn’t affect me and the navy has no issue, but I’d like to hear about anyone else’s experience with this if you’ve had it. It’s a real pain given how difficult they are to get in touch with.

Thanks
 

Jim123

DD-214 in hand and I'm gonna party like it's 1998
pilot
Serious question- won't IFS accept a DD-2992 (up chit) in lieu of an FAA third class, or do you guys actually have to go out and get a third class from an AME?
 

aribjc

Well-Known Member
Serious question- won't IFS accept a DD-2992 (up chit) in lieu of an FAA third class, or do you guys actually have to go out and get a third class from an AME?
You would think so but no apparently not. The private flight schools require us to have the 3rd class, otherwise I’m sure they wouldn’t have me sitting around for this long. We go to an AME a few weeks before our class up dates to get certified, and my name “slipped through the cracks” of course for the first 2 months we were waiting to start
 

HAL Pilot

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
IFS is taught by civilians using civilian airplanes flying under the FARs. They have to see a FAA medical because that is what the FARs state. Any military aviator flying a civilian aircraft / general aviation aircraft needs a FAA medical. A DD-2992 is meaningless to the civilian world and the FAA.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
IFS is taught by civilians using civilian airplanes flying under the FARs. They have to see a FAA medical because that is what the FARs state. Any military aviator flying a civilian aircraft / general aviation aircraft needs a FAA medical. A DD-2992 is meaningless to the civilian world and the FAA.

I know this doesn't help the reality that the OP lives in, but I disagree. If the school is operating under FAR Part whatever, then it's also operating under FAR Part 61.23 b9. This allows an upchit to count as a 3rd class, which is, I think, what Jim was getting at. I understand the induced coplexities that the Navy can impart in the process, but if you've got a designated aviator medical (ie DD-2992), it seems like that meets the same requirement as carrying a DD-2992 in your wallet as a winged aviator. And the FSDOs say that's good enough to meet their needs.
 

aribjc

Well-Known Member
I know this doesn't help the reality that the OP lives in, but I disagree. If the school is operating under FAR Part whatever, then it's also operating under FAR Part 61.23 b9. This allows an upchit to count as a 3rd class, which is, I think, what Jim was getting at. I understand the induced coplexities that the Navy can impart in the process, but if you've got a designated aviator medical (ie DD-2992), it seems like that meets the same requirement as carrying a DD-2992 in your wallet as a winged aviator. And the FSDOs say that's good enough to meet their needs.
If you wanted to give the FAA/ifs office a call and convince them of this you could save me about 2 grand and a couple months of my time ?
 

aribjc

Well-Known Member
I know this doesn't help the reality that the OP lives in, but I disagree. If the school is operating under FAR Part whatever, then it's also operating under FAR Part 61.23 b9. This allows an upchit to count as a 3rd class, which is, I think, what Jim was getting at. I understand the induced coplexities that the Navy can impart in the process, but if you've got a designated aviator medical (ie DD-2992), it seems like that meets the same requirement as carrying a DD-2992 in your wallet as a winged aviator. And the FSDOs say that's good enough to meet their needs.
I just read the regulations you linked and I’m going to print those out and bring them to the offices on Monday. It really couldn’t be more clear that we should be able to proceed as long as we have a upchit. Potentially this could save me a huge headache if someone is willing to play ball. Thanks a lot for bringing it to my attention here
 

HAL Pilot

Well-Known Member
None
Contributor
I know this doesn't help the reality that the OP lives in, but I disagree. If the school is operating under FAR Part whatever, then it's also operating under FAR Part 61.23 b9. This allows an upchit to count as a 3rd class, which is, I think, what Jim was getting at. I understand the induced coplexities that the Navy can impart in the process, but if you've got a designated aviator medical (ie DD-2992), it seems like that meets the same requirement as carrying a DD-2992 in your wallet as a winged aviator. And the FSDOs say that's good enough to meet their needs.
I stand corrected. That’s changed since I last read FAR 61 or used my CFI. Good to know.
 

wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
All my career on flight status my annual Navy flight physical also produced a FAA class II I took away in my grubby paw.
 

hdr777

Well-Known Member
pilot
I had my 3rd class deferred for a different issue and had to deal with the FAA, even though I had my upchit, my issue was simple but it took 3 months of calling once a week for anything to actually happen on the FAA medical side, so if you have any questions about that process I may be able to answer them. But you shouldn't have to pay for stuff, I went to NAMI to do an additional test (what the IFS office told me to do), had the flight doc there fill out the FAA form, and give me some more of my medical files to send to the FAA.

I know this doesn't help the reality that the OP lives in, but I disagree. If the school is operating under FAR Part whatever, then it's also operating under FAR Part 61.23 b9. This allows an upchit to count as a 3rd class, which is, I think, what Jim was getting at. I understand the induced coplexities that the Navy can impart in the process, but if you've got a designated aviator medical (ie DD-2992), it seems like that meets the same requirement as carrying a DD-2992 in your wallet as a winged aviator. And the FSDOs say that's good enough to meet their needs.

"When a military pilot of the U.S. Armed Forces can show evidence of an up-to-date medical examination authorizing pilot flight status issued by the U.S. Armed Forces and"

The FAR specifies "Military Pilot", as SNAs do we technically meet that definition? IFS may also want the FAA medical regardless of what is allowed by the FAR, it would save a lot of money to not send everyone doing IFS to a civilian doctor to get their 3rd class medical, since everyone would have an upchit anyway.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
The FAR specifies "Military Pilot", as SNAs do we technically meet that definition?

A good question...but one I wouldn't ask if I was in the OP's position trying to make this a thing. That said, I wouldn't be surprised that it's being interpreted as you say.

FWIW, elsewhere in Part 61, there's discussion about how a military pilot can use his fleet quals as equivalency for certain checkrides, but it defines what a military pilot is in the actual sub-section of the Part. In the the sub-section I quoted, no such definition is given, so seems like it's "vague enough" to be helpful.
 
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