I see these questions all the time and have dreaded this for years but now is better than ever. I was in a bad accident involving a shooting in 2010, just prior to going to military flight school. I completed flight school without any problems. I spent several years in flying squadron including several combat deployments. After a deployment, I spoke to my flight surgeon about some nightmares that I have had over the years. Looking out for my best, he downed and diagnosed me with PTSD. I was down for about 8 months and jumped through all the hoops and got medically cleared and returned to flight duty. I kept flying and deploying. My problem never affected me during the day just weird dreams. I am not seeking any compensation from the VA as I do not think I really had PTSD. Now I am looking to make the transition to the airlines. Does my return to flight status hold any weight in getting a class 1 medical? My flight surgeon, who can get me a class 2, says I will not be deferred since I have been flying years since returning to flight duty but does a class 1 medical have different criteria? Is there anything I can do now to set myself up? Will I have any problems with the application process or psych eval? Thanks for the help
I think your first step would be getting hold of your local Civilian AME. You can find them on the FAA website. They should be able to easily find all this information for you.
Rich,
None of us are Dr’s and the best we can do is speculate. There is a reason your flight surgeon can get you a 2nd Class and not a First and it’s because s First Class does have a different criteria.
You need to contact an AME and discuss your situation.
Adam
Rich,
Honestly we can’t really say. The fact that you have been cleared to fly for years with the military could probably help your case. However it’s at the determination of a certified AME. When you apply for your first class medical, there are a few forms you have to fill out about your medical history. Be honest and thorough. Then when you see your AME, they will ask you some questions and make their determination. If the answer is yes, you will have to submit to further evaluation and consultation with the FAA to see if it’s permissible. I found an article from the FAA for you to review. See PTSD on page 5:
-Hannah
Rich,
Since none of us are qualified to answer medical related questions, your best resource about your situation is an AME. I’m not 100% certain, but you may need to see a HIMS AME for this.
I would also seek guidance from the AME about your PTSD diagnosis. For the sake of not providing misinformation, don’t quote me on this, but Google says that PTSD is considered a mental disorder. If that’s true, then you will have to check “yes” next to the mental disorder box on your application whether you think you really had PTSD or not. Your medical records will show that you were diagnosed with it. You must be upfront about any medical history that the FAA asks about in the application. I’ve seen guys fail to disclose and their medical certificates were permanently revoked.
In my experience, any “yes” box checked on the medical application form triggers a deferral unless the medical history has already been reported to the FAA. But seeing as you hold a 2nd class and will be applying for a first class, the FAA may still want to take a closer look before granting the 1st class, but again, you really should be having this discussion with a HIMS AME.
Best of luck,
Tory
I always mention AOPA in these situations.
$160 premium Membership has a lot of discounts, insurances, and most importantly for you: a free medical consultation with an Aviation Attorney about your situation.
Also can include some protections if denied or deferred a medical. Look into it. $160 today could save $1000s tomorrow.
GL
Chris F
Rich,
We really cannot give you medical advice on this forum, all of us are pilots and none of us are FAA AMEs. Your best bet is to contact one and discuss your situation with them.
Just a small point, on the civilian side we refer to medicals as: “First Class, Second Class, Third Class” and not “Class 1, Class 2, Class”. Just a small point, but you might as well start to pick up the lingo now.
Chris