A frequent question we get at Wingman Med is about how and why the FAA is entitled to their medical history. Pilots, or potential pilots, want…
No pilot looks forward to their medical certificate application with an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). Flight physicals are inherently stressful, but after you have completed your…
The roadmap to quick certification We have previously discussed how to fill out your MedXPress to reduce the amount of questions your AME may want to…
Renal cancer describes a rather broad range of more specific diagnoses that give rise to tumor growth in the kidney. Within that range, renal cell carcinoma…
Many people – pilots included – will struggle with depression at some point in their lives. About 8.4% of people will receive a related diagnosis in…
TV Shows and Movies Shots ring out in the city. Sirens blare. Emergency response vehicles are rolling. Police cars, fire engines and ambulances are all en…
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 Regardless of the medical condition, the FAA wants a current (within 90 days of your exam) detailed clinical progress note (DCPN). A…
Colitis is a broad, non-specific term that refers generally to any condition that causes inflammation of the large intestine, or colon. Quite literally, the word itself…
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. In order to receive VA disability benefits…
If you have ever served in the military, you have encountered the DOD/VA disability evaluation process or will do so at the end of your active…
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…
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) goes by many names. As you might imagine, when it comes to medical certification, the FAA is concerned about all of them…
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men [1]. In fact, 11% of men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer…
The FAA MedXPress populates the FAA Form 8500-8, which becomes part of your medical examination conducted by your Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). Something to understand is…
The whole point of the FAA medical certification process is to ensure that pilots do not become incapacitated while flying. MedXpress questions 18b about “dizziness or…
Over the next several months, we will be writing about some common cancer diagnoses and the requirements for obtaining an FAA medical certificate after being treated…
In 2016 Rick* was noticing some weird things like pain in his hands and some slight vision problems. After some extensive medical evaluation, they found that…
Here at Wingman Med, our goal is to eliminate the need for your application for medical certification to be deferred, or at least significantly reduce the…
Diabetes has long been disqualifying under 14 CFR Part 67. In the past several years, the FAA has developed protocols to medically certify pilots with the…
When you go to do your first FAA Medical exam you will start with the MedXPress questionnaire. You may be surprised at how much of your…
Choosing the right Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) can be a difficult task. It is no wonder that one of the most common medical questions posed in…
Find an AME near you: Pilot Doctors
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…
Every year, millions of Americans are diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). According to some studies, it affects up to 30 percent of males and 15…
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…
FAA Color Vision Standards | “My eyes aren’t good enough to be a pilot.” I’ve heard similar statements from would-be pilots more times than I can…
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. …