Obstructive Sleep Apnea - Can you get a Class 3 valid for >1 year?

[tigers2007]

This has been driving me insane. Is it possible besides BasicMed? (I'd like to fly to Canada...). I'm not 40 yet so maybe I'll get my BasicMed too.

The FAA doc shipped me my new medical cert like six months after my physical exam. Its only good until December of this year. WTF. Am I supposed to just send them my annual sleep report and the FAA guy will send me another medical certificate or would I have to get another physical exam every year? At that point I might as well get a class 1;  I think its the same price from my AME.

Also those clowns in OKC always lose my paperwork and I have to send it to them like three times. Certified mail means nothing to them.

[RogueOne]

Gulp.  (Just sent in my registration paperwork).  Super sorry you are going through this.  Wish I had answers, but only sympathy for your plight.

[Vance Harral]

You don't have to get a new exam every year.

You do have to "check in" with the FAA every year, in the form of sending them compliance paperwork, including a status update from a board-certified sleep physician that usually requires an appointment with that physician.  Some people manage the paperwork dance with the FAA entirely on their own, via certified mail.  If you choose that route, you have to wait for the FAA to respond with your new certificate, and turnaround time varies.

I choose instead to pay $150 to visit my AME, which is what he charges to eyeball the paperwork that's going to the FAA, check that everything is in order, and use his issuance authority to give me a new certificate on the spot.  In terms of hassle, it's about as irritating as getting the actual physical, yes.  But there is no exam, and it's not possible to "fail" this non-exam checkin with the AME for any reason other than OSA compliance itself.

[Yooper Rocketman]

On 8/15/2019 at 7:32 AM, tigers2007 said:

This has been driving me insane. Is it possible besides BasicMed? (I'd like to fly to Canada...). I'm not 40 yet so maybe I'll get my BasicMed too.

The FAA doc shipped me my new medical cert like six months after my physical exam. Its only good until December of this year. WTF. Am I supposed to just send them my annual sleep report and the FAA guy will send me another medical certificate or would I have to get another physical exam every year? At that point I might as well get a class 1;  I think its the same price from my AME.

Also those clowns in OKC always lose my paperwork and I have to send it to them like three times. Certified mail means nothing to them.

Did you report a Sleep Apnea problem?  I'm a lot older than you and I've never had anything like this to deal with.

Tom

[BKlott]

Remember when the FAA wanted to start requiring sleep apnea tests based on your BMI? AOPA pitched a fit and they backed off. One thing that I’ve noticed since then was that they started requiring heart patients (that were applying for a Special Issuance Medical Certificate) to take the 24 Holter Monitor Test. I’ve spoken to other heart patients that also ran into this requirement that we weren’t required to do in the past. Left me wondering if this wasn’t a “back door” attempt to identify Pilots with sleep apnea so that they could require further testing or issue a denial.

For the nineteen calendar year period 2000 through 2018 the FAA denied 64,675 American Citizens who applied for an Airman Third Class Medical Certificate. This is information that I obtained via the Freedom of Information Act.

My advice would be to go BasicMed if you can.

[tigers2007]

I have severe sleep apnea and I “accidentally” reported it a couple years ago. The unfortunate part is that the FAA got militant on it even though I’m fine with using my machine.


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[bradp]

On 8/16/2019 at 9:56 PM, BKlott said:

Remember when the FAA wanted to start requiring sleep apnea tests based on your BMI? AOPA pitched a fit and they backed off. One thing that I’ve noticed since then was that they started requiring heart patients (that were applying for a Special Issuance Medical Certificate) to take the 24 Holter Monitor Test. I’ve spoken to other heart patients that also ran into this requirement that we weren’t required to do in the past. Left me wondering if this wasn’t a “back door” attempt to identify Pilots with sleep apnea so that they could require further testing or issue a denial.

For the nineteen calendar year period 2000 through 2018 the FAA denied 64,675 American Citizens who applied for an Airman Third Class Medical Certificate. This is information that I obtained via the Freedom of Information Act.

My advice would be to go BasicMed if you can.

Evidence of sleep apnea won’t show up on a Holter monitor... unless it’s so severe that someone has atrial fibrillation or flutter as a result (ie far gone wouldn’t be able to pass the clinical exam part of any class medical).  It may show up on a single 12-leas EKG as right ventricular hypertrophy but again it would be severe (heart strained because of it ) and show up on the clinical exam.  When I order lab tests there aren’t many things I’m surprised about - if the history is accurate and  you do a clinical exam - at least for basic stuff the labs and tests are more confirmatory than discovery.  

[BKlott]

1 hour ago, bradp said:

Evidence of sleep apnea won’t show up on a Holter monitor... unless it’s so severe that someone has atrial fibrillation or flutter as a result (ie far gone wouldn’t be able to pass the clinical exam part of any class medical).  It may show up on a single 12-leas EKG as right ventricular hypertrophy but again it would be severe (heart strained because of it ) and show up on the clinical exam.  When I order lab tests there aren’t many things I’m surprised about - if the history is accurate and  you do a clinical exam - at least for basic stuff the labs and tests are more confirmatory than discovery.  

That is good feedback. I appreciate it but still wonder why there seems to be an increase in the 24 hour Holter monitor test requirements.

Edited August 24, 2019 by BKlott

[JohnB]

On 8/23/2019 at 6:35 PM, bradp said:

Evidence of sleep apnea won’t show up on a Holter monitor... unless it’s so severe that someone has atrial fibrillation or flutter as a result (ie far gone wouldn’t be able to pass the clinical exam part of any class medical).  It may show up on a single 12-leas EKG as right ventricular hypertrophy but again it would be severe (heart strained because of it ) and show up on the clinical exam.  When I order lab tests there aren’t many things I’m surprised about - if the history is accurate and  you do a clinical exam - at least for basic stuff the labs and tests are more confirmatory than discovery.  

That's not entirely accurate. If you have significant heart rate slowing, or pauses in your heart rate during sleeping hours, this could be due to undiagnosed sleep apnea. But true, untreated sleep apnea can also contribute to formation of other abnormal heart rhythms, like the ones you mentioned.

On 8/16/2019 at 6:56 PM, BKlott said:

Remember when the FAA wanted to start requiring sleep apnea tests based on your BMI? AOPA pitched a fit and they backed off. One thing that I’ve noticed since then was that they started requiring heart patients (that were applying for a Special Issuance Medical Certificate) to take the 24 Holter Monitor Test. I’ve spoken to other heart patients that also ran into this requirement that we weren’t required to do in the past. Left me wondering if this wasn’t a “back door” attempt to identify Pilots with sleep apnea so that they could require further testing or issue a denial.

 

I think you're absolutely right here about the back door approach you mentioned. A holter could be used as a screening tool for other abnormal heart rhythms that could cause sudden incapacitation, not just picking up people who may have sleep apnea, but would be a ridiculous requirement to mandate its use for no good indication.

Here is the FAA's word on this topic

https://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=18156

There are some valid concerns of letting people who have UNtreated sleep apnea fly, as there have been accidents related to pilots with sleep apnea falling asleep while flying crashing later. The sleepiness is one of the problems that can completely go away with treatment. (By the way, wearing oxygen cannulas in your plane or anywhere else won't fix this problem)

Bottom line, if you do have significant  sleep apnea, Get it treated. And yes, you may have to prove that you're using your device, and it's effective to keep on flying which you should. But, you'll live longer and have better quality.

 

Paws

 

[carusoam]

Great insight, JohnB!

Thanks for sharing the additional details...

Best regards,

-a-