FAA Pilot Medical Certificate

FAA Medical Certificate: A Definitive Guide

There are several certifications that you must obtain in order to be cleared for your airmen’s certificate, and perhaps the most crucial of this documentation is the FAA Pilot Medical Certificate, which clears you as both mentally and physically fit enough to be trusted with operating such complicated machines as a passenger and private airplanes.

According to the FAA, a medical certificate is defined as “acceptable evidence of physical fitness on a form prescribed by the Administrator.” This certification was put in place not only to protect the health and safety of airmen but also to protect travelers and the general public from allowing someone to fly who is unfit for the duty.

In order to obtain this important documentation, you must be examined by an FAA-trained Aviation Medical Examiner (or AME).

Some important exceptions to the FAA’s medical certification rules are those who pilot hot-air balloons or gliders (Basic Med private pilot privileges) are not required to have this certificate, but all others on this list must carry their certification on their person at all times whilst practicing what they are licensed for. This includes those who hold a:

• airline transport pilot certificate
• recreational pilot certificate
• commercial pilot certificate
• private pilot certificate
• flight instructor, engineer, or navigator certificate
• student pilot certificate
• air traffic controllers (those not employed by the FAA or military branches, including the Coast Guard)

For a full list of who needs to hold a medical certificate and how long, refer to this Code of Regulations for a more intensive exploration of the specific laws that govern who must hold one of these certifications.

If you are currently trying to obtain any of the above certifications, then you must hold a medical certification from an AME as well as an approved official application from the FAA. Sometimes, filling out your medical history can be tricky, especially considering that some people are adopted and do not know their full family medical history to report when they are asked.

Issues like that and others may arise during the process, leading to a failure from an AME and the inability to be able to obtain your more important certifications.

Be aware that any of the following mental or physical illnesses in your medical history will mandatorily disallow you from obtaining medical clearance:

• a personality disorder manifested by overt acts
• psychosis
• alcoholism
• drug dependence
• epilepsy
• an unexplained disturbance of consciousness,
• myocardial infarction
• angina pectoris and diabetes requiring medication for its control

There are also a few things that will disqualify someone temporarily from obtaining a medical certificate, such as infections, ulcers, and anemia, but if these are found to be controlled well enough, an exception may be granted by your AME if you have a history of flying or other special dispensations to be considered. You may also be granted an exception on the grounds of additional medical information proving your condition has improved, so be sure to keep your medical records on file for your applications or addendums.

Certain medications may also disqualify you from being able to fly, on the grounds that they make you more susceptible to aviation illness like hypoxia. These include antihistamines, blood pressure drugs, muscle relaxants, as well as sedatives and tranquilizers. If you are currently taking one of the types of drugs, it may be extremely difficult for you to be approved of as fit to fly.

There are also rules against flying while sick, fatigued or stressed, as these can turn into deadly situations if they are not prevented from spiraling.

This is why it is so important to hire Yulia Vangorodska – an aviation attorney and an active private pilot – who can smooth all of the bumps in the road when it comes to obtaining this important certification, as your career may hinge upon it. It’s not as if any of the above conditions are uncommon, and your right to fly is as important to us as it is to you. Getting an exception granted may not be a quick process, but we can help to make it a bit less intensive.

If you do not suffer from any of the above conditions or do not take any medication that impairs your judgment, you are much more likely to be approved by the FAA to fly. To make the process faster and easier, our associates and Vangorodska can fast-track your application and help you to be approved without needing to wait an inordinate amount of time to hear back from the FAA about your examination. This process doesn’t need to be slow and onerous, and with Vangorodska watching out for your best interests, you’ll be approved the first time around.

Contact Vangorodska today to get your FAA certifications over with, quickly and easily. You’ll be up in the air in no time, with the full support of the FAA behind you.