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FAA Eases Policy on Special Issuance Medical Conditions

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Key Takeaways:

  • The Federal Air Surgeon has released a "Certificates an AME Can Issue" (CACI) list, allowing certified aviation medical examiners (AMEs) to directly issue medical certificates for specific conditions without requiring a special issuance.
  • Conditions now covered by the CACI list include arthritis, asthma, glaucoma, chronic hepatitis C, hypertension, hypothyroidism, migraine, pre-diabetes, and renal cancer, with more expected to be added.
  • This change simplifies and expedites the medical certification process for many pilots by allowing AMEs to use their discretion and documentation to certify applicants, eliminating lengthy FAA review.
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The Federal Air Surgeon has released a long list of medical conditions that no longer require a special issuance for an airman’s medical certificate. The list is called “Certificates an AME Can Issue” or “CACI.”

The special issuance process can be lengthy and frustrating, so this is good news for many pilots. Now, a certified aviation medical examiner (AME) can issue a medical certificate using his or her own discretion for applicants with the following conditions: arthritis, asthma, glaucoma, chronic hepatitis C, hypertension, hypothyroidism, migraine and chronic headache, pre-diabetes, and renal (liver) cancer. More diagnoses are expected to be added to the list in the coming months.

Mark Phelps

Mark Phelps is a senior editor at AVweb. He is an instrument rated private pilot and former owner of a Grumman American AA1B and a V-tail Bonanza.

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