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 FAA medical exam. We want to keep that dream of flying alive! And we offer a variety of ways to do this, with several of them completely free!
One of the free resources is this very blog. We try to provide articles that cover common concerns, policy issues, complicated scenarios, and general advice. And we will continue to provide regular updates to this blog and build this library of aviation medical knowledge. Using the search feature within the blog is a good way to see if we have already written an article on the subject you are interested in.
Sometimes people have a single question: can I fly if I take this medication? Don’t let that question keep you up at night! Another one of our free resources is our FAA Medication Search. The FAA does not publish a comprehensive medication policy. However, by combing through the various guidelines we have compiled a large list of medications that you either can or cannot, fly with. It is up to date to the best of our capabilities, but it is not all-encompassing. Still, many common medications are in there and it can help you with your decision-making.
Perhaps the most common question we get is asking if we can recommend an FAA AME close by to where they live. With over 2000 qualified AMEs in the country that was difficult for us to do in many locations. But it was important enough for us to do something about it, which is why we developed our companion site, Pilot Doctors. We feel that Pilot Doctors is the premier AME directory and it allows you intuitive geographic searching, the ability to filter by qualification, and offers PIREPs and Google Reviews.
Private or recreational pilots tend to go longer between exams. Those under 40 years and operating at a third class level need only get an updated exam every five years. Some people have flown for decades but never had an FAA medical because they flew exclusively within the military system. That can make filling out the FAA MedXPress a little intimidating. Once you submit the MedXPress you have 60 days to complete the exam. Remember that it is an examination. You studied for all your other examinations, wouldn’t you want to study for this one too?
As previously mentioned in our article about your first FAA medical exam, we have a MedXPress Simulator on our website. This simulator asks the same questions as the official FAA MedXPress. It is a confidential dry run of the questionnaire. If you click through and answer all of the questions and are generally not concerned about how you answered them then it is completely free of charge. However, if you do have some concerns about how you answer the questions there is an option to have us review your answers. This is our first paid level of service, which is $50. One of our Aerospace Medicine physicians will review your answers and email you their thoughts and recommendations.
The first step in formal consultation with Wingman Med is a free 15-minute discussion to ascertain the details of your specific concern. This can be initiated from a MedXPress Simulator that was not simple to respond to or it can be initiated by emailing or calling us to request it. During that initial discussion, which is the same length of time as a typical doctor’s appointment, we can usually determine if a case will need our full Record Review & Case Preparation service or if it is a relatively easy fix. We can do this because we are all pilots as well as Aerospace Medicine trained physicians and designated FAA AMEs. There are many times that we can help someone entirely within that call and no further service is necessary.
Should your specific case require us to review historical information and create an efficient plan for you to obtain your medical, we will tell you that. A Record Review & Case Preparation is our most comprehensive service that includes looking over your medical history, creating a detailed list of actionable items, direct communication with your physicians and the FAA if necessary, and comprehensive summary reports if needed. All of this with the goal to ensure a smooth process of getting your next medical certificate in a timely manner. This could be getting issued by the AME when you thought you might not. However, sometimes a case has to be deferred as required by the FAA. If it has to be deferred, it will be done so with all the requirements in place to minimize the time it takes to get your certificate.
Let’s say that you have a few medical issues that you are trying your best to balance while keeping your medical. Maybe your primary care physician has a new treatment they would like to start. How will that affect your flight status? Maybe you went to the emergency room recently. How soon can you return to flight status? Did you receive a new medical diagnosis; do you need to ground yourself per FAR 63.53? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to email or call a professional Aviation Medicine physician whenever these questions come up? For people who want to have ongoing communication and on-demand case assistance we offer a subscription service to help with these situations.
Not everyone needs help. Many don’t need as much as they think. We offer an array of services to allow pilots to help themselves or receive greater assistance from us.
ABOUT WINGMAN MED
As pilots, we understand the imperative of maintaining your FAA medical certificate and the urgency of getting it back when you lose it. As doctors, we specialize in getting it done.
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