Update on Medicals (special issuance)

[GaryP1007]

I am in the same boat. It just moved to “under review”…..to have to wait another 4 months on top of the 2 months I’ve been waiting is horrible.

The system is broken. I have a new to me Ovation that I now can only fly with an instructor. Horrible.


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[rbp]

  On 12/9/2022 at 2:33 PM, GaryP1007 said:

I am in the same boat. It just moved to “under review”…..to have to wait another 4 months on top of the 2 months I’ve been waiting is horrible.

The system is broken. I have a new to me Ovation that I now can only fly with an instructor. Horrible.


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go for basic med. so long as you meet the criteria and have not had a denial, you can get basic med in less than 2 hours (including watching the videos).

[GaryP1007]

  On 12/9/2022 at 2:47 PM, rbp said:

go for basic med. so long as you meet the criteria and have not had a denial, you can get basic med in less than 2 hours (including watching the videos).

I can’t now because my previous has expired waiting for all this.


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[1980Mooney]

  On 12/9/2022 at 2:50 PM, GaryP1007 said:

I can’t now because my previous has expired waiting for all this.

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  On 12/9/2022 at 3:23 PM, Evan said:

Expired or was denied? As long as the medical was issued after 2006 I believe you can still fly under basic med while waiting for your medical to be approved. 

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I am confused.  I assume that you need a Special Issuance Medical Certificate because you a disqualifying or potentially disqualifying condition.  If so you can't go Basic Med.

Am I missing something?

[GaryP1007]

I  have a class 2 via special issuance.  It expired 10/31.  This process started for me in early October.  To the best of my understanding I can not fly while I wait for the new medical to be issued.

[ilovecornfields]

  On 12/9/2022 at 3:57 PM, GaryP1007 said:

I  have a class 2 via special issuance.  It expired 10/31.  This process started for me in early October.  To the best of my understanding I can not fly while I wait for the new medical to be issued.

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That is my understanding as well. Once you apply for your SI renewal you can’t do basicmed while it is pending. A quick call to AOPA legal should resolve the question of there still is one.

After some offline discussions with some of the wiser members of Mooneyspace ( @Deb) I decided to do basicmed. It took about an hour total and now I’m good for 4 years.

[rbp]

Medical Conditions Requiring One Special Issuance Before Operating under BasicMed
A mental health disorder, limited to an established medical history or clinical diagnosis of—
A personality disorder that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts;
A psychosis, defined as a case in which an individual —
Has manifested delusions, hallucinations, grossly bizarre or disorganized behavior, or other commonly accepted symptoms of psychosis; or
May reasonably be expected to manifest delusions, hallucinations, grossly bizarre or disorganized behavior, or other commonly accepted symptoms of psychosis;
A bipolar disorder; or
A substance dependence within the previous 2 years, as defined in §67.307(a)(4) of 14 Code of Federal Regulations
A neurological disorder, limited to an established medical history or clinical diagnosis of any of the following:
Epilepsy;
Disturbance of consciousness without satisfactory medical explanation of the cause; or
A transient loss of control of nervous system functions without satisfactory medical explanation of the cause.
A cardiovascular condition, limited to a one-time special issuance for each diagnosis of the following:
Myocardial infarction;
Coronary heart disease that has required treatment;
Cardiac valve replacement; or
Heart replacement.

 

https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/basic_med

 

[Hank]

  On 12/9/2022 at 3:34 PM, 1980Mooney said:

I am confused.  I assume that you need a Special Issuance Medical Certificate because you a disqualifying or potentially disqualifying condition.  If so you can't go Basic Med.

Am I missing something?

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Yes, you are missing the point. If you need an SI, go through the process and get it issued (not denied!). Then fly for however many months are left on it.

Instead of spending, as some have reported here, 6-8 months waiting for a review and reissue so that you can fly for the remaining 4-6 months, visit AOPA's website and take the Basic Med class and see your regular doctor (I use the local urgent care) and get your Basic Med physical. Took me less than an hour, cost $60.

The doctor isn't signing you off as "fit to fly"--that's your job as PIC before every flight. He's just checking that you're alive, can see, hear and move, and reviewing that whatever is wrong with you is being treated. 

There are only three exclusions, all posted above and easier to understand on the AOPA page. They even have a document to explain things to the non-FAA / non-Flight Surgeon doctor who you visit. And you don't need to be an AOPA member to access the information. 

Check it out, and avoid the repetitive SI process where OKC wants unnecessary tests redone that your medical insurance won't cover. 

Take the online class and pass the test every 24 months. Visit doc-in-a-box every 48 months. Go fly!

Limitations: 

• no commercial flying, that takes a Class II medical.
• Can't go over FL180
• Aircraft limited to 6 seats
• Gross weight limited to 6000 pounds (per TC, not for your flight)

These won't apply to your Mooney, unless you're turbo'ed, but some turbo pilots already don't fly above FL180 anyway.

[Fly Boomer]

  On 12/9/2022 at 12:05 AM, Steve0715 said:

I my have gotten this wrong but I took what was said as AMEs were issuing medicals that shouldn’t have been issued.

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That's been going on for a while.  I knew of a doc that got drummed out by the FAA.  Then punished in some way by the medical community, and moved to Mexico.  An ignominious end to a very profitable career -- he could do it in five minutes in exchange for a crisp hundred-dollar bill.  No checks or credit cards.  Let's see ... five minutes each would be 12 per hour times eight hours per day.  I don't know if that's good or not for a doc, but I never made $10,000 in a day.

[GaryP1007]

  On 12/9/2022 at 4:42 PM, Evan said:

So you had a SI that expired 10/31, correct? If this is the case you aren't disqualified from basic med. 

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can you elaborate on how?

[ilovecornfields]

  On 12/9/2022 at 5:49 PM, Evan said:

Here is the wording straight from the advisory circular:

Medical Certificate Requirements. There are a few requirements in § 61.23(c)(3) that apply to the medical certificate the individual is using to meet BasicMed. The most recently issued medical certificate may have been a special issuance medical certificate and could be expired. However, it may not have been suspended or revoked, or in the case of a special issuance medical certificate, it may not have been withdrawn.

Read this: https://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/ac_68-1a.pdf

 

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I see what you quoted. I’m not sure why my AME would have said otherwise but since I’m not an AME or an attorney I would proceed carefully and get professional advice. There’s always a possibility I misunderstood since we were just making conversation and I was tired of hearing about Twin Cessnas. I’m pretty sure he said that once you have your application in for a medical and it has not been issued you’re not eligible for basicmed until the process is complete. 

[Hank]

  On 12/9/2022 at 6:40 PM, ilovecornfields said:

I I’m pretty sure he said that once you have your application in for a medical and it has not been issued you’re not eligible for basicmed until the process is complete. 

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It all depends on if you gave him your number or not. I always held on to that until the exam was complete. Now I don't have to deal with that, and no lo ger remember the acronym for the secret number that you have to get from IACRA and take to the Flight Surgeon.

(Why are they called flight surgeons anyway? Civilian ones rarely operate on us .  .  . )

[MikeOH]

  On 12/9/2022 at 6:40 PM, ilovecornfields said:

I see what you quoted. I’m not sure why my AME would have said otherwise but since I’m not an AME or an attorney I would proceed carefully and get professional advice. There’s always a possibility I misunderstood since we were just making conversation and I was tired of hearing about Twin Cessnas. I’m pretty sure he said that once you have your application in for a medical and it has not been issued you’re not eligible for basicmed until the process is complete. 

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I suspect the distinction is if you’ve reapplied for the expired SI/new medical. Which I think is the situation here. Now he has to be reissued.

Had he simply gone for BasicMed after his SI expired he would have been fine.

 I have always understood it to be per the reg Evan quoted above. As long as you have held a valid medical that wasn’t revoked you are good for BasicMed. A medical isn’t any less valid just because an SI was involved.

[MikeOH]

  On 12/9/2022 at 10:38 PM, Evan said:

I can't seem to find any literature to support that he has to wait to get his SI reissued. He already got his SI after 2006. The OP didn't clarify either if they have a condition that even requires it per Basic Med. 

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To me that is a gray and dangerous way to proceed. If he reapplied for a new medical then he is now at the mercy of that medical being granted. Similarly, by submitting current medical info to renew the SI he has now opened Pandora’s box. If they fail to issue/deny a new SI he is screwed.

I guess he would be legal to fly on BasicMed until OKC responds in regards to the SI.

[EricJ]

FWIW, there is FAA guidance that one can apply for and obtain Basic Med even if they have a current medical, and can have both (I did this when I went on Basic Med).   This seems to imply that there is some independence between issuance of a Basic Med and regular certificate.   

[Steve0715]

When my medical is issued, I will go basic med.

i checked my MedExpress portal just now.  They add a note:

Thank you for providing the additional information. We strive to complete review and provide response within 60 business days. However, the complexity of your case may cause us to exceed that estimate. Once review is complete, you will receive correspondence with additional details via mail.

This one says 60 days.  The previous note showed 37 day.  Why can’t they be honest and show 120 days?

[GaryP1007]

One more thought….wouldn’t it make sense that if you started your renewal prior to the expiration of your current medical that you could continue to operate under its privileges until a decision was made on your renewal?

In the current environment the FAA only accepts test results that were taken 90 days or less from your medical expire date. As it takes 4-6 months now to get a review there is no way that I can do anything to ensure I don’t lose my ability to fly for at least a few months.


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[ilovecornfields]

  On 12/10/2022 at 5:04 PM, GaryP1007 said:

One more thought….wouldn’t it make sense that if you started your renewal prior to the expiration of your current medical that you could continue to operate under its privileges until a decision was made on your renewal?

In the current environment the FAA only accepts test results that were taken 90 days or less from your medical expire date. As it takes 4-6 months now to get a review there is no way that I can do anything to ensure I don’t lose my ability to fly for at least a few months.


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This will make it all the more satisfying when you get Basicmed and never have to deal with this again. I think whoever came up with the TSA must have come from the medical division because it’s a lot about “security theatre” and making you jump through a bunch of hoops of questionable value in the name of risk reduction.

Don’t get me started on their approach to mental health which punishes anyone willing to admit they have a problem and seek treatment. 

[rbp]

  On 12/10/2022 at 5:04 PM, GaryP1007 said:

the FAA only accepts test results that were taken 90 days or less from your medical expire date. As it takes 4-6 months now to get a review there is no way that I can do anything to ensure I don’t lose my ability to fly for at least a few months.

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my window was only 30 days, and my AME told me that no matter how long their process takes, the FAA will accept results that are within the window.

[rbp]

  On 12/10/2022 at 5:26 PM, ilovecornfields said:

edical division because it’s a lot about “security theatre” and making you jump through a bunch of hoops of questionable value in the name of risk reduction

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so, the reason BasicMed came about is because Congress was not able to reform the FAA medical process in Part 67 based on lobbying from EAA and AOPA because of counter-lobbying from ALPA and NBAA, which didn't support reducing any medical requirements. So Congress just made an entirely new set of regs Part 68 (Basic Med), and took it out of the FAA medical division's hands.

[RoundTwo]

  On 12/11/2022 at 5:16 PM, rbp said:

my window was only 30 days, and my AME told me that no matter how long their process takes, the FAA will accept results that are within the window.

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While true, it’s the months long review process that kills it. Last year, I did my review 12/20. I got my SI on 10/27. My class III expires 12/31 because it is based on exam date, not approval date. Just another example of your tax dollars at work.

[rbp]

  On 12/11/2022 at 5:22 PM, RoundTwo said:

While true, it’s the months long review process that kills it. Last year, I did my review 12/20. I got my SI on 10/27. My class III expires 12/31 because it is based on exam date, not approval date. Just another example of your tax dollars at work.

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I don't think this is a case of "your tax dollars at work" because medical certification (of some kind) is necessary to ensure safety in the skies.  

id put it in the category of "petty bureaucracy"

[RoundTwo]

  On 12/11/2022 at 5:29 PM, rbp said:

I don't think this is a case of "your tax dollars at work" because medical certification (of some kind) is necessary to ensure safety in the skies.  

id put it in the category of "petty bureaucracy"

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I’m talking about the inefficiency of a government agency that takes 9 1/2 months to approve a medical for a guy with sleep apnea.

[Steve0715]

  On 12/11/2022 at 5:36 PM, RoundTwo said:

I’m talking about the inefficiency of a government agency that takes 9 1/2 months to approve a medical for a guy with sleep apnea.

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  On 12/11/2022 at 5:29 PM, rbp said:

I don't think this is a case of "your tax dollars at work" because medical certification (of some kind) is necessary to ensure safety in the skies.  

id put it in the category of "petty bureaucracy"

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How about we just say it’s an inefficient petty bureaucracy…

Our entire government is broken.  I’d prefer to be governed by random people from each state/district than our current members of congress.

[rbp]

  On 12/11/2022 at 5:44 PM, Steve0715 said:

 

How about we just say it’s an inefficient petty bureaucracy…

Our entire government is broken.  I’d prefer to be governed by random people from each state/district than our current members of congress.

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so you get more efficient service from your state DMV?