Very interested in any FOI releases you receive on this, as I find the wording on that form (even the revised one) insulting, and I'd love to know how they came up with the content in form 420. The sudden disappearance and then silent modification of that form seems like "take it down and and hope nobody noticed it" levels of sus. Plus the quip wasn't even funny.
Alas I was given notice of intention to refuse my Class 2 medical today, due to a recent diagnosis of ADHD so am considering my options, because I love flying:
- Basic Class 2. Not sure if it's possible after having a class 2 certification refused. Have asked DAME.
- Apply again after condition resolves and then get instructor to try and do form 420 with me (is it back or not? I see conflicting information on their site)
- Get a second opinion, disagreeing with the ADHD diagnoses as ASD instead, reapply; possibly hit the same refusal but this time on a condition that doesn't resolve?
- Give up on dreams of piloting an aircraft (even for fun)
- Dual forever (at least I'll never get lonely)
If anyone can think of any other options I might not have considered, I'd love to hear them.
For background, I am 8 hours into training for RPL, flying is all I really think about now, read taits RPL books cover to cover multiple times since starting, pass all of the quizzes at my flight school, and have been flying circuits for a few hours now. I've so far had no problems raised by instructors around managing workload, following checklists, remembering procedures, mnemonics, callsigns, anything. No difficulty with the theory at all. By all accounts on track without incident[1]. In fact the only advice they really pushed me on was to go get my medical and ASIC because all the competencies have been just fine and I'm only a handful of lessons away from my first solo circuit. I've never done anything that I enjoy this much before.
So while I understand the reasoning for CASA's policy, especially for commercial pilots who are flying tonnes of metal and fuel and hundreds of people around, I'm now haunted by a conversation I had with my GP while we were filling out the AVMED history together; we'd joked about just filling it out like I'd never even had a cold before, but he thought that it would be very surprising if any medical practitioner would deny a recreational pilot's a license to someone who is otherwise healthy but has ADHD. Especially someone with a good academic and professional history, not a single traffic violation, no criminal record or any other record of adverse history, and when the condition is being managed. And especially given that there's also a theory and competency based assessment to the licensing, and a background check.
On reflection now, I wish I'd known Rules 1 and 2 about AVMED!
[1] We did have one incident I guess - I was unable to sight traffic behind us. Traffic behind us was also doing circuits albeit in a plane much faster than the C152 we were in, and had requested and been cleared to cut short on xwind and overtake us. We got to the end of our crosswind leg and still couldn't see them. Asked tower where they were, and they'd decided not to overtake after all. But I don't think that was related to my ADHD.