FAA Class 3 and medication for depression
 

I did my FAA PPL in 2005 with a view to taking it further, but eyesight put paid to that so I only held a Class 3 medical.

I haven't flown since 2006 so my medical and license both need renewing, so I was thinking of taking a couple of weeks holiday to spend some time with a school and get everything back up to date.

However, for the past 6-7 years, I've been taking a medication for mild depression (been stable for years) and I understand it's likely to cause some complications. It's not a banned medication, but the FAA guidance online says it has to be taken into consideration.

I'm now a bit concerned that I won't be able to just get the medical certificate in an afternoon like I did last time...

I'm sure in the end, they will most likely grant me the certificate, but I'm not sure how it will work if I'm only in the USA for a week or so...

I'm a bit stumped as to what to do now, anyone got any suggestions?!

Is it possible to get an FAA medical done anywhere in the UK?

You will have to present yourself to a HIMS(Human Intervention Motivational Study) AME (Aviation Medical Examiner)and he/she will defer your medical to the FAA in OKC. The examiner cannot issue you the medical as an initial issue.

Find a Senior FAA HIMS AME(in the UK if possible) who knows how to deal with the FAA on your particular issue. You will have to register with MedXpress and then schedule your appointment. It will help if you have all the required tests and reports that the FAA may require per the protocol which they have online. A special issuance medical can take time to obtain. Assuming you get everything right with the paperwork the first time around, it can still take a long time with some expensive testing/reports required. I would say 3-12 months is fairly common.


This might be of some help:

https://www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocato...int_part_2.pdf


https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/...and-depression


https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...tification.pdf

Bloody hell, that's far more complicated than I was expecting...

Seeing as it's only a class 3 for a PPL, would there be any risk if I just denied being on medication?

Afterall, the FAA don't get access to my UK records...

I litterally only need the FAA medical long enough to revalidate my license. After that I'll be returning to the UK to convert to it and deal with the CAA longterm for my medical here...

Special Issuance medicals are indeed complicated. The FAA is actually quite good to work with in getting you back to flying. However, you have to jump through all the hoops and provide them exactly what they require, otherwise it's quite frankly game over. While I can appreciate your desire to get re-certified using the FAA as a means to an end, I would not advise you to falsify or omit any information that you provide to the FAA or any other authority for that matter. The consequences are quite severe and in this industry information has a strange way of making its way. As I am not a medical person, it is best to contact a medical management entity that handles these cases and many of them offer a first consultation for free. Examples are leftseat.com, AOPA, AMAS etc. Perhaps they have an easier legal solution to your query. As an added note, don't expect the UK CAA or any other national authority to have lesser medical certification requirements with SSRI usage or special medical issuances.

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

I actually think the CAA are a bit harsher than the FAA when it comes to those medications, but obviously being in the UK it means their hoops will be easier to jump through...

Started to wonder if maybe I should just bin my FAA license and just use my hours logged towards a completely fresh CAA one!

That would certainly be a good option to consider but first make sure you can get a UK CAA medical based on your medication and health history.


https://www.caa.co.uk/WorkArea/Downl...?id=4294973468

I'm looking into it at the moment...

I'm surprised they are so strict on the private pilots to be honest!

Medical is changing...
 

To the OP:


Eyes are a completely waiverable item. I have a "Statement of Demonstrated Ability" for vision. That was a one-time thing. I also have an AASI - AME Assisted Special Issuance - Aviation Medical Examiner Assisted... Abbreviations w/in abbreviations. The AASI is only valid for 12 months. The paperwork is a bit onerous, but has been worth it. I've just worked out that all my required doctor visits are scheduled in the several weeks leading up the medical expiring. The docs write the same letter(s) every year.


About the meds, you should be honest, because if you are not, then there are all sorts of problems if anything comes out.


Is your FAA certificate a stand-alone certificate or is it based on your British one? If it's the later, then it needs to be valid, too.


When are you planning your trip? It should not be much longer until private flying in the US will take place without a medical at all. The bill was passed last summer, and congress gave the FAA 12 months to develop the implementing rules or it would take effect on its own.

Also, even w/o a medical, you can become current and fly around with an instructor. For an American logbook that's still PIC because you have an ASEL (I presume) rating. EASA would see it as something else.

Many thanks for the input.

My FAA license is standalone, I did all my flying in the USA.

Looking to convert to a CAA one, along with a CAA medical, but wanted to revalidate it in the USA first.

If I can revalidate it without a medical then I'll do that and just fly on the FAA license with an instructor.

I'd heard they were talking about removing the medical for private pilots.

Any idea where I can find out more info?

Thanks!

Vocabulary?
 

Under some circumstances you can fly N-registered airplanes in the UK with the FAA certificate. This DOES require a medical.

There is no such thing as "revalidation" in the European sense. The certificate is valid forever. Various currency requirements must be met.
Things to consider - do you still have an old paper certificate, or is it plastic? Have you moved since you got it?


You can do a flight review and become 90-day current with a flight instructor. Everything about your certificate would then be up-to-date except you couldn't fly solo or take passengers

As linked above, it's already the law :) Specifics on implementation are pending, but the time for that is limited.

I'm not too sure how to get a CAA license starting with what you have, but many people in the UK do it. I did it in Germany (and am now stuck with Germany because the privacy laws that are to protect my data won't let me direct that my data be sent to the UK or elsewhere. Unintended consequence?)

Thanks!