A total of 14 groups representing a broad range of pilots is asking the FAA to defer a new medical certification policy that could dramatically increase the number of denials issued. As we reported earlier, effective Jan. 1 the agency will deny medicals to pilots whose deferrals are not accompanied by all the required examinations and paperwork. The goal is to streamline the deferral process and reduce wait times but the coalition, which includes AOPA, EAA and the Flight School Association of North America, said it’s fraught with unintended consequences, including lengthy groundings and ineligibility for Sport Pilot or BasicMed.
Under the policy, the denial can be lifted when the pilot supplies the missing information. That restores previous privileges, but the denial never completely disappears from their record and pilots will be required to explain them throughout their careers. “The ramifications of an increase in airmen receiving and reporting medical denials on these applications and the need to educate hiring managers about this change are significant and will take considerable time,” the groups said in a letter to Federal Air Surgeon Dr. Susan Northrup. At the same time the groups said it’s anxious to help the FAA improve the administrative process.
Pilots can help themselves to avoid being caught in the new policy by ensuring they send a full package to the FAA if they’re deferred. AME and military flight surgeon Dr. Keith Roxo said the guidance AMEs use to determine the disposition of medical applicants with deferrals is available online and AOPA has consultants available to members to advise on medical issues. Roxo and fellow naval aviator Dr. Dan Monlux created Wingman Med to help pilots navigate the deferral/denial process, and their basic message is to treat medicals “like a checkride” with all the attention to detail that involves. Roxo said his belief is that the FAA is also trying to get more involvement from AMEs to get pilots through the process. Aviation Consumer Editor Larry Anglisano interviewed Roxo in a recent video featured below.
