Aviation Attorney Presses FAA to Update Mental Health Policies

This pilot-turned-aviation certificate defense lawyer wants the FAA to develop a more comprehensive system to provide pilots the support they need for mental health concerns.

Michael Wildes

Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 04:13 PM ET

Verified

LoRusso, a pilot-turned-lawyer recently joined BusinessAir TV, where he spoke with FLYING COO Preston Holland and Kaylee Nix about the state of mental health support in the aviation industry. [Courtesy: Flying Magazine]

Key Takeaways:

Aviation attorney Joe LoRusso, a former pilot, advocates for significant improvements in pilot mental health support, criticizing the FAA's "inadequate" and outdated mental health regulations and the current efficacy of the HIMS program.
LoRusso argues that current FAA policies unfairly disqualify pilots for common conditions like situational depression, equating them with severe disorders, and that the medical certification process is cumbersome and often disregards direct clinical evaluations.
He asserts that the FAA's current awareness efforts are superficial without fundamental regulatory changes through formal rulemaking and advises pilots to seek both medical help and proactive legal counsel.

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Aviation attorney Joe LoRusso is a “fierce advocate” for supporting pilot mental health and has made it his business to do so—at least that’s how he’d put it, based on his profile at Ramos Law.

LoRusso is a lead aviation attorney at the firm, but before that, he was a pilot. The pilot-turned-lawyer recently joined BusinessAir TV, where he spoke with FLYING COO Preston Holland and Kaylee Nix about the state of mental health support in the aviation industry.