The FAA’s Office of Aerospace Medicine (AAM 300) is effectively broken down into four interworking groups[1]: Headquarters in Washington, DC Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) in…
CACI for Low Testosterone – Testosterone supplementation has been on the rise and in the news during recent years [1]. Some of that rise followed the…
CACIs and FAA Red Tape – Pilots love to hate the FAA. To be sure, it has a well-earned reputation for imposing red tape and onerous…
CACI for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome – Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, aka PCOS, counts as one of the most common endocrine disorders. It affects somewhere between 5 and…
C&P Exams DBQs VA Disability – Requesting disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is easy. If you spend some time writing down a…
Lymphocytic leukemia and lymphoma are two interrelated but distinct types of cancer that affect lymphocytes, a subtype of white blood cells integral to the immune system.…
Head or Brain? FAA Medical Traumatic Brain Injury – It is essential to distinguish between an injury to the surface of your head and an injury…
Glaucoma is a relatively common eye condition that causes progressive vision loss and blindness. The risk of developing the condition is closely associated with age and…
The Deferral Process FAA Medical Deferral Process – Every FAA medical exam has three possible outcomes. You can be issued or denied your medical certificate, or…
CACI for Thrombocytopenia – Several different things make what we call blood. Red blood cells are likely the most commonly considered item, given that they provide…
CACI for Asthma – Asthma affects about 13% of the population and ranks the most common lung disease in the United States [1,2]. While many children…
Discussions about high altitude flying usually revolve around the use of oxygen and with good reason. Part 91 oxygen requirements apply as you climb above 12,500…
VA C&P Exams Risky for Pilots – When you file a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Disability Claim, you will be given the option to pick…
“Sleep” aids and why they are bad Beware of Accidental Sedating Medications – In general, the FAA does not approve sleep aids for regular use for…
Pilots – often understandably – like to debate the wisdom of the FAA’s medical certification policies. Whether considering well-controlled chronic conditions like high blood pressure and…
CACI for Weight Loss Medications – More than 70 percent of US adults are obese or overweight [1]. That fact alone makes weight control arguably the…
Coronary Artery Disease OSA and Diabetes – One of our mantras is that if you’re safe to fly, the FAA will probably agree with you. True…
Disqualifying Conditions Heart Valve Replacement – The Code of Federal Regulations 14 CFR 67 lists out the specifically disqualifying conditions for FAA medical certification. One of…
VA disability ratings – The topic of VA ratings is always a popular one as servicemembers approach separation or retirement. Of all the questions I am…
FAA Medicals for Pilots with ADHD – On August 30, 2023, the FAA announced its “ADHD Fast Track” certification process for pilots with a history of…
Musculoskeletal Problems VA Disability – Just about everyone who ever served in the military has musculoskeletal pain. Musculoskeletal pain absolutely should be included in your VA…
The 15-month case should not have been FAA Medical Certification Delay – One of our clients should have been issued their certificate on the day of…
Do You Need Wingman Med – Look around on a forum, Reddit, or Facebook group when people ask about what they should do about their medical…
It took how long? PTSD and Flying – 506 days. This is how long it took Jason* to get his medical after he went to the…
How to Get VA C&P Exam Results – Military pilots face a unique challenge as they transition to civilian flying careers. Like all veterans, they are…
FAA Medical Affect VA Disabilities – Over the past year, the FAA has taken a focused interest in veterans with disabilities who apply for FAA medical…
CACI for Bladder Cancer – Bladder cancer ranks as the 10th most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world and accounts for about 1 in every 24…
HIPAA and Your FAA Exam – A frequent question we get at Wingman Med is about how and why the FAA is entitled to their medical…
Telling FAA About New Medical Condition – No pilot looks forward to their medical certificate application with an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). Flight physicals are inherently…
The Roadmap to Quick Certification Doctor’s Note for FAA – We have previously discussed how to fill out your MedXPress to reduce the number of questions…
CACI for Renal Cancer – Renal cancer describes a rather broad range of more specific diagnoses that give rise to tumor growth in the kidney. Within…
Depression FAA Flight Physical – Many people – pilots included – will struggle with depression at some point in their lives. About 8.4% of people will…
TV Shows and Movies Tell the Truth on Your FAA Medical – Shots ring out in the city. Sirens blare. Emergency response vehicles are rolling. Police…
With some very rare exceptions, the FAA should NEVER take more than six months to a year to review your medical certificate application. That might seem…
What the FAA wants Direct Primary Care Physician for Pilots – Regardless of the medical condition, the FAA wants a current (within 90 days of your…
CACI Colitis FAA IBS IBD – Colitis is a broad, non-specific term that refers generally to any condition that causes inflammation of the large intestine, or…
In our initial article on disqualifying conditions we laid out the entire list of federally mandated disqualifying medical conditions. There are ways that the FAA can…
Colon cancer ranks as one of the most common malignant conditions worldwide. It is the fourth most common overall and its gender specific rating is number…
We have answered many questions about the PACT Act and its impact on VA disability and FAA medical certification. To receive VA disability benefits for any…
VA Disability FAA Medical Certification – If you have ever served in the military, you have encountered the DOD/VA disability evaluation process or will do so…
Physical exam guidelines The FAA has specific guidelines on what they want an AME to evaluate. This is to establish a baseline level of standardization across…
Let me start with a word of advice: DON’T DO IT. I will follow that up with a word of warning. You can be fined up…
With 290,560 new cases projected through the end of 2022, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States [1]. The same…
Dr. Dan Monlux and I both joined the military in the last century. Together, we have more than 50 years of military service and almost that…
I will always remember the first time I was confronted by the specter of cancer and the notion that my health, and that of my closest…
Steve was a healthy and fit military pilot. At least he thought he was. He had been experiencing some fatigue, but he attributed it to his…
You have probably seen us mention VA disability before here and here. Our position bears repeating: claim what you have and don’t claim what you don’t…
AME Help | Right there under our name is “We keep you flying!” We want to help you prepare for your next, or possibly your first…
Cancer. Few medical diagnoses carry the emotional shock value of that one word attached to any of its various forms. And with good reason. Even as…
Last year we began discussing Conditions AMEs Can Issue (CACI). These are common medical conditions such as Arthritis, Hypertension and Pre-Diabetes for which your AME can…