GaryP1007 Posted November 19, 2022 Report Posted November 19, 2022 Does anyone know of a way to check the status of a special issuance medical? It’s been about a month and nothing yet. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote
N201MKTurbo Posted November 19, 2022 Report Posted November 19, 2022 You will probably get it after I get the new registration for my Cessna I sent in six months ago... Quote
GaryP1007 Posted November 19, 2022 Author Report Posted November 19, 2022 You will probably get it after I get the new registration for my Cessna I sent in six months ago...Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote
Steve0715 Posted November 19, 2022 Report Posted November 19, 2022 If you are an AOPA member and have Pilot Protection Services, call them for help on this. Do you know how to check your status on the MedXPress portal? Quote
hammdo Posted November 19, 2022 Report Posted November 19, 2022 44 minutes ago, GaryP1007 said: Does anyone know of a way to check the status of a special issuance medical? It’s been about a month and nothing yet. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Call Oklahoma every week once a week. I did that. It lets them know you are actively seeking the SI. I went through the same thing. Took 4 months after first submission during Covid too (2020). -Don 1 Quote
Steve0715 Posted November 19, 2022 Report Posted November 19, 2022 I 26 minutes ago, hammdo said: Call Oklahoma every week once a week. I did that. It lets them know you are actively seeking the SI. I went through the same thing. Took 4 months after first submission during Covid too (2020). -Don I tried that for 2 weeks straight. Never did get through to anyone. It just hung up after the recording said they were too busy. I’m about 6 weeks ahead of the op. In my case I found out that all my information was lost in the mailing from my AME to the FAA. Thankfully I scanned everything. 1 Quote
midlifeflyer Posted November 19, 2022 Report Posted November 19, 2022 Have you logged back in to MedExpress to check? See explanation here. Quote
GaryP1007 Posted November 19, 2022 Author Report Posted November 19, 2022 Have you logged back in to MedExpress to check? See explanation here. Thank you Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote
GaryP1007 Posted November 19, 2022 Author Report Posted November 19, 2022 Have you logged back in to MedExpress to check? See explanation here. Says they will review within 37 days of receipt. Seems like such an odd number. Lol. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote
midlifeflyer Posted November 19, 2022 Report Posted November 19, 2022 6 minutes ago, GaryP1007 said: Says they will review within 37 days of receipt. Seems like such an odd number. Lol. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Yeah. It's kind of the same as aircraft registrations - not enough people to do the work reasonably quickly. The 37 is probably (guess) generated based on an algorithm on how many are in the queue and how long it typically takes. Quote
Steve0715 Posted November 19, 2022 Report Posted November 19, 2022 25 minutes ago, GaryP1007 said: Says they will review within 37 days of receipt. Seems like such an odd number. Lol. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk It says 37 days but they don’t really mean it… Mine went to about 70 days before review. I hope yours is quicker.. Quote
RoundTwo Posted November 19, 2022 Report Posted November 19, 2022 36 minutes ago, GaryP1007 said: Says they will review within 37 days of receipt. Seems like such an odd number. Lol. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Gary, I hope you’re not in a hurry. My SI application went in on Jan 8, 2022 and I was told it would take up to three months. I finally got mine just before Halloween, over 9 1/2 months later. The real bummer is the clock starts at your exam date, so my medical expires December of this year. The good news is that renewals can be done by your AME at the time of your visit. Good luck! Quote
GaryP1007 Posted November 20, 2022 Author Report Posted November 20, 2022 Gary, I hope you’re not in a hurry. My SI application went in on Jan 8, 2022 and I was told it would take up to three months. I finally got mine just before Halloween, over 9 1/2 months later. The real bummer is the clock starts at your exam date, so my medical expires December of this year. The good news is that renewals can be done by your AME at the time of your visit. Good luck!Unfortunately my previous med expired 10/31 so I’m grounded until it comes. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote
RoundTwo Posted November 20, 2022 Report Posted November 20, 2022 33 minutes ago, GaryP1007 said: Unfortunately my previous med expired 10/31 so I’m grounded until it comes. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Ouch. Sorry to hear. Quote
Steve0715 Posted November 20, 2022 Report Posted November 20, 2022 59 minutes ago, GaryP1007 said: Unfortunately my previous med expired 10/31 so I’m grounded until it comes. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I would recommend you use AOPA to advocate for you. My review didn’t move until I got them involved. Every Monday they fax a list of “their” pilots. For this service you have to have their Pilot Protective Service. Call them…800-872-2672. Office: 800-872-2672 #3 1 Quote
RoundTwo Posted November 20, 2022 Report Posted November 20, 2022 Just now, Steve0715 said: I would recommend you use AOPA to advocate for you. My review didn’t move until I got them involved. Every Monday they fax a list of “their” pilots. For this service you have to have their Pilot Protective Service. Call them…800-872-2672. Office: 800-872-2672 #3 Sure wish I had known about that service. Quote
Steve0715 Posted November 20, 2022 Report Posted November 20, 2022 https://pilot-protection-services.aopa.org/pps-plan-details read through this… Quote
MikeOH Posted November 20, 2022 Report Posted November 20, 2022 Hmm, I've always called OKC on three non-consecutive days and have always gotten thru and it's been effective. Been doing this for nearly 20 years, every year. Always have my new SI and medical before the old one expires. Granted, it's a annual renewal of my SI, not a fresh request. 1 Quote
carusoam Posted November 20, 2022 Report Posted November 20, 2022 Have your case number in hand… Call them directly… The system was terrible a decade ago… The pandemic can’t make it any worse… The first time, My info package I sent in, got lost… (not trusting a doctors office to mail it, and it still didn’t get where it needed to go….) it took six months to earn a one year SI… The second time… about a year later… with great experience gained… I whizzed through the Bruce protocol, and was looking forward to the pictures generated using the nuclear blood flow tracing… My info sailed through system in six months… for another year of Si… Oddly, the six months of document handling uses up the time the SI is valid for… AOPA is nice… especially for their known meds check list… check your meds, see if they are on the list… The medical challenge I had was a simple blocked artery… got the blockage removed… no issues since…. before the blockage, I ran 7 minute miles… since the blockage… I gave up running that far, that fast… cut it back to 3:30 half miles instead… There are certainly ways to get ahead of this system… see Mike’s experience above…! 1) If you know what data they are going to request… 2) Have your doctor appointments lined up in advance… 3) Have your data package ready to ship, the day it is due… 4) Expect it will still take months for an FAA doctor to see your data… and sign your docs…. 5) If you are fortunate… you are healthy again and pass the requirements that they are seeking…. Pass is the only requirement… don’t try to exceed to see just how healthy you are… 6) If this is your first time… 7) And you have never heard of the test they are requesting…. 8) And you are afraid to speak openly with your AME, for fear of saying the wrong thing… 9) use extra caution to not accidentally lose your old Class III medical… or get your application accidentally rejected…. 10) Basic Med is a really good work around for many MSers… but, depends on you, at one time, having a valid class III that has never been canceled or rejected… Lets invite John to the discussion… @M20F-1968 MS has quite a few pilots that have either been through this process… or are AMEs… or know mooney flying and their medical arena…. Depending on how strong your memory and project management skills are… the SI process can be boiled down to an expensive headache… Your case number is critical to tracking your data while it sails through the system… Its like talking to ATC… you start with your tail number, and are ready to deliver your request… Stay healthy! Go MS! Best regards, -a- Quote
GaryP1007 Posted November 20, 2022 Author Report Posted November 20, 2022 15 minutes ago, carusoam said: Have your case number in hand… Call them directly… The system was terrible a decade ago… The pandemic can’t make it any worse… The first time, My info package I sent in, got lost… it took six months to earn a one year SI… The second time… about a year later… with great experience gained… I whizzed through the Bruce protocol, and was looking forward to the pictures generated using the nuclear blood flow tracing… My info sailed through system in six months… for another year of Si… Oddly, the six months of document handling uses up the time the SI is valid for… AOPA is nice… especially for their known meds check list… check your meds, see if they are on the list… The medical challenge I had was a simple blocked artery… got the blockage removed… no issues since…. before the blockage, I ran 7 minute miles… since the blockage… I gave up running that far, that fast… cut it back to 3:30 half miles instead… There are certainly ways to get ahead of this system… 1) If you know what data they are going to request… 2) Have your doctor appointments lined up in advance… 3) Have your data package ready to ship, the day it is due… 4) Expect it will still take months for an FAA doctor to see your data… and sign your docs…. 5) If you are fortunate… you are healthy again and pass the requirements that they are seeking…. Pass is the only requirement… don’t try to exceed to see just how healthy you are… 6) If this is your first time… 7) And you have never heard of the test they are requesting…. 8) And you are afraid to speak openly with your AME, for fear of saying the wrong thing… 9) use extra caution to not accidentally lose your old Class III medical… or get your application accidentally rejected…. 10) Basic Med is a really good work around for many MSers… but, depends on you, at one time, having a valid class III that has never been canceled or rejected… Lets invite John to the discussion… @M20F-1968 MS has quite a few pilots that have either been through this process… or are AMEs… or know mooney flying and their medical arena…. Depending on how strong your memory and project management skills are… the SI process can be boiled down to an expensive headache… Your case number is critical to tracking your data while it sails through the system… Its like talking to ATC… you start with your tail number, and are ready to deliver your request… Stay healthy! Go MS! Best regards, -a- Thanks. This is not the first time, it has been this way since 2007 for me. But this is the first year the local FAA doc wasnt allowed to issue at the time of exam. Normally he issues and the FAA overrides it with their own issuance a few months later. There was no change in medical information or in my health. I really appreciate everyone’s input. 3 Quote
GaryP1007 Posted December 1, 2022 Author Report Posted December 1, 2022 Frustrating when you call OKC for an update (as advised on their website) and you finally get through only to hear “due to high call volume we are unable to take your call.”Someone got approval to record that. This isn’t just a heavy day it’s a message that says we aren’t answering you. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote
rbp Posted December 1, 2022 Report Posted December 1, 2022 not only that, but if you use the fax number, you get an error from the fax machine. AMEs have special ways of contacting them. you can always write a (certified) letter, and they pay closer attention to those Quote
GaryP1007 Posted December 2, 2022 Author Report Posted December 2, 2022 Have you tried your regional flight surgeons office? I too had to go through the SI process. Mine was processed quickly. I’ve tried reaching out to him 3X. Today a call and an email to his office. Crickets. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote
rbp Posted December 2, 2022 Report Posted December 2, 2022 as someone who went through this recently, it really is a blank wall. I had even hired https://www.aviationmedicine.com to help me manage the process (over 300 pages of medical documents, and five different physician status reports), and they were not particularly sanguine about the difficulties of communicating with the medical division. 1 Quote
Niko182 Posted December 2, 2022 Report Posted December 2, 2022 Have you thought about going the basic med route. Quote
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