Medical Matters

Stress and depression can become debilitating enough to cost you your medical, but non-drug treatment can keep you safe and legal.

Just as a pilot may see a biennial flight review as an obstacle or an opportunity, the anticipation of meeting aviation medical standards during a flight physical may cause confusion, anxiety and frustration.

The process of obtaining an FAA Airman Medical Certificate is fraught with misconceptions, suspicions, and in some cases, misinformation from pilots, pilot advocacy organizations, and even Aviation Medical Examiners themselves.

The mandated flight standards are intended to ensure a pilots fitness to fly and ultimately the safety of the airman and their passengers. Although there are occasional accounts of pilots becoming incapacitated at the controls because of hidden medical co…

Pilot incapacitation? Who me? Im in great shape!

Though the greatest threats to pilots still remain alcohol, hypoxia, carbon monoxide and likely side effects of medication, these are conditions over which the pilot essentially has good control.

Among causes in the other category, are vertigo and anxiety. Vertigo is among the most frightening and most completely incapacitating sensations a pilot can experience. Though relatively rare, it is regarded with such seriousness that some types of recurrent vertigo are grounds for denial even of a special issuance medical. Anxiety attacks are subtler but are equally incapacitating. Neither of these conditions gets much press and misinformat…