Can I Learn to Fly After Heart Surgery and Diabetes?

Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at 08:45 AM ET

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With careful steps—and consultation with an aviation medical examiner—a pilot can pursue flight training under special conditions such as BasicMed or sport pilot rules after open-heart surgery and with well-managed diabetes. [File Photo: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

Despite excellent health improvements, obtaining medical certification is the primary step due to a history of open-heart surgery and diabetes medication.
Options include applying for BasicMed, which requires a special issuance for the cardiac history and has aircraft limitations, or pursuing a regular medical certificate, which will also necessitate a special issuance involving your physician and an AME.
A special issuance for your cardiac history will be required regardless of whether you choose the BasicMed or regular medical certificate route.
The simplest path to flying is obtaining a Sport Pilot certificate for a Light Sport Aircraft (LSA), which bypasses traditional medical certificate requirements entirely, needing only a valid driver's license.

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Q: I started flight lessons and put in several hours years ago. I would like to complete my certificate and buy an airplane. Three and 1/2 years ago, I had open-heart surgery, and I’m on medication for diabetes (I should be going off this medication soon). I radically changed my diet, and I am in the best shape I have been in many years. I’m 61 and have wanted to do this since I was much younger. What do you think?

A: First, congratulations on turning your health around—that is an accomplishment that will pay off in many ways, and hopefully allow you to get back into the air. In order to do that, you’ll need to determine what your best option is as far as the medical certificate you’ll need to fly solo and obtain a private pilot certificate—assuming that’s your goal.

If you have held a medical certificate since July 14, 2006, and you’ve never been denied a medical certificate before, you may be able to apply for BasicMed, generally, as long as you can hold a driver’s license in your state, and you don’t have any conditions that are disqualifying. You can find out more on the FAA’s BasicMed page. You may also find these FAQs helpful.