I am 31 and heavily considering going to school to become a pilot… my record is clean with no infractions but what I want to know is when you take the medical exam what are some automatic disqualifiers?? Is sleep apnea an automatic disqualifier??
Dennis,
We’re just pilots here. You should get your answers from an AME. I did a little digging though and found this article:
Hannah
Dennis,
Like Hannah mentioned, we’re pilots. You will want to consult an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) for your case. I also found a little blurb from the FAA’s website in regard to Sleep Apnea:
Brady
Dennis,
As the others have said, we’re not Drs bla bla bla…
What I will say is one of the fears of EVERY pilot (particularly if they’ve gained a pound or 50 and their BMI is over 30) is that their AME will send them for a sleep apnea test as that has grounded many an airman.
Adam
If you have any conditions that may disqualify you or require review by the FAA, I would highly recommend you speak with AOPA and get their medical insurance which includes some legal representation if you have an issue.
I have a friend who had a public intoxication charge dropped but when he told the AME his BAC was .16 he was deferred to the FAA as an alcoholic. He hasn’t flown in 2 years and spent over $10k on tests and lawyers.
He hasn’t had a drink since the arrest but the FAA just announced he now has to go to another Alcohol program to get his license back. This is after 2yrs of doctors, a psychologist and Alcohol center all saying he is not an alcoholic.
The treatment center he tried to go to the other day to sign up for the FAAs required program literally refused to take him because they can’t bill the insurance company to treat a condition he doesn’t have.
I also have a Cusin who was near a few explosions while in the Marines and the AME deferred him to the FAA. The FAA asked for medical records that don’t exist. Upon telling them that, the FAA then asked for records regarding the nonexistent records. After months of back and forth my Cusin decided it wasn’t worth the trouble to fly for fun.
I have 2 friends that worked for the FAA (1 in enforcement/compliance & 1 was a lawyer), there advice when dealing with an AME or FAA is always be honest, and if anything might be an issue, do your research, and get sound advisement from an aviation attorney.
Chris F
Thank you everyone for the information and responding back…It’s definitely helpful