With the introduction of the sport pilot rule in 2004, pilot medical certification became both easier and more complex [1]. Instead of scheduling an appointment with…
PTSD and the Pilot | Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been linked to military combat operations since Vietnam in part because the condition was first…
What's a Pilot to do with a New Medical Concern | Aviation is an inherently dangerous business. Some may take umbrage with that statement citing the…
Kevin* has been a military pilot for almost 20 years and was looking to make a transition to the airlines soon. However, he has a few…
If you look at the list of Disqualifying Conditions you’ll probably notice that many of them are associated with the heart, almost half of the named…
If you have high blood pressure - or hypertension - you’re in good company. With 116 million Americans sharing the diagnosis, about one in every two…
Most people, even non-pilots, know that airlines pressurize the cabins of their aircraft. They may not know that the maximum cabin pressure allowed is the equivalent…
Earlier in August, we started discussing Conditions AMEs Can Issue (CACI). Today we will look at a specific one: Arthritis. At its core Arthritis is inflammation…
Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Your FAA Medical Certificate: What Pilots Need to Know Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) affects millions of Americans annually and is especially important…
Aviation and Aerospace medicine are, by necessity, defensive medicine. When faced with the unknown and how it may affect the body in an abnormal environment, discretion…
Kidney Stones Shouldn’t Weigh You Down for Takeoff. Don’t let them be a Bump in the Road. If you’ve ever passed a large kidney stone, it’s…
Whether you have decided to start flight training or you are an established military pilot looking to make a transition to civilian flying, one of the…
Prior to 2013, an Aviation Medical Examiner was limited to one of two options when they completed a flight physical: The airman met all qualifications with…
The path to an aeromedical certificate starts by completing MedXPress. The next step is the exam, which is completed by an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). There…
Despite the cultural beliefs that permeate the aviation community, neither the FAA, nor the Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) are out to take your wings from you. …
Both before and after Basic Med became law, the FAA was opposed to it. I was present at the 2018 Aerospace Medical Association annual scientific meeting…
Simple. We are an aviation medical consulting service. Still, have questions? Let me go on. In a sense, it’s all in the name. In military aviation,…
Don’t overlook the obvious. Remember the potential for environmental heat injuries in the cockpit. The idea of a pilot suffering heat exhaustion or heat stroke may…
The road to Basic Med was paved by the advent of the Sport Pilot license and the subsequent lack of FAA medical requirements; only a valid…
If this title caught your attention, there is a good chance you have some concerns related to your FAA medical certificate. Fear not. The following list…
What is the real value in having a pilot be your doctor? The prevailing fear of both the AME and the FAA are unexplainable concepts to…
A few weeks ago a friend of mine named Matt* reached out to me for help with his upcoming First Class medical. Matt and I flew…
Let’s get right to the chase. You can get any class of FAA medical certificate if you have diabetes and use insulin. If you have diabetes…
Nate* had been flying for over 20 years when he approached me for help. Nate is a very fit individual and had been performing a particularly…
Would you fly an aircraft with high engine oil pressure? How about if there was also an issue with the fuel control system? Let’s say in…
Perhaps a better question to start with is what is an AME? AME stands for Aviation Medical Examiner. Simply put, an AME is a doctor who…
Rule of an Aviator number 7 reads, “The medical profession is the natural enemy of the aviation profession.” Rule number 17 states, “It is tacit, yet…
This is a fictitious story about a pilot named Bill. The scenario that follows may sound familiar, but I assure you that I dreamt it up…