Retry EASA Medical exams 2 years later.
 

So well let's first introduce myself.

I am a 20 year old Dutch guy who has been living in Spain for about 9 years now.

At the very naive and incredibly wise age of just 18 years old I did my Class 1 Medical in Spain and:

Passed all the physical sides, was told I had truly exceptional eyesight (already great for spotting those highway exits when i'm driving) and even given a few compliments on my physical shape. So far so good, also was told I was mentally very stable and calm and had a high level of empathy.

BUT I was told I was rejected, because still being very much a teenager, I did not have that much self-confidence, seemed to have a shy nature and was not outgoing and leading enough to be a commercial pilot. I accepted that and decided to work on myself.

Fast forward 2 years and I am a totally different person:

I am studying hospitality management, work in a hotel reception desk, organize university events for students, have become a very outgoing person and more of a natural leader. I am a totally different person.

I am now trying to get back into flying with a modular ATPL which I will do next to my 4 year hospitality studies. My original plan with this was to first of all get my PPL with a Class 2 medical to see how I like flying and slowly build my way up.

Then with even more time, reapply for a Class 1 medical if I was to move forward into commercial flying.

But the Spanish aviation authorities now flat out refuse to allow me to even do a Class 2 medical based on my previous results and so I keep being stuck on the ground.

Spain is incredibly bureaucratic, there is little information and the flight school does not accept medical licences from the UK or Holland where it all goes much faster.


I would really appreciate some advice on this issue or even like to hear the experiences of other people.

Hang on a minute, you were rejected by an AME for an EASA medical for being shy?

"Hang on a minute, you were rejected by an AME for an EASA medical for being shy?"

Yes that is pretty much what happened, it even surprises me. Obviously not with those exact words, but something along the lines of lacking the social confidence level to command an airplane. Which in short amounts to being shy being the problem.

"Why not just change flight school?"

I enjoy the current flight school and it's atmosphere and I am trying everything to stay there.

UK medical is a purely physical exercise. Not a personality test. Sounds dodgy as can be if I'm honest.

I cannot believe what I'm reading.. you're either trolling us or the AME trolled you.. or you're not being fully honest. EASA medical is purely a physical check up, with an odd question relating around depression/anxiety. It is up to the operator then to asses one's mental fitness.

Also how you were complimented on your eyesight and physical shape.. brr.. creepy

No that's really pretty much what happened. I am talking about the Spanish system though which is apparantly very different.

But it amazes me too, because some people in my flight school definitely are less confident than me yet they are on the integrated course!

I understand my situation is strange which is why I want to get lots of different viewpoints and thus put it on PPRUNE.

Reading the report later, I found out that after totally passing the anxiety/depression test without any issues, it was later in the personal interview (where thus my self confidence was measured) that I failed.

I now understand from my own research this part would not feature in any UK exam and this was even confirmed by friends from the flight school.

Also remember that in Spain the entire exam is carried out in a totally regular hospital which means the same examiners would also measure people who have absolutely nothing to do with the aviation world.

Very much off the record and again I cannot reveal too many details, I also later heard from fellow flight school students that this hospital had a record for being really tough on the physchological part and asking strange unrelated questions. I won't reveal what questions for privacy reasons.


Some people from my flight school did comment that the UK system is totally different.


Thank you all for the advice! The only other people I know from the aviation world are my father's (who is not a pilot) friends who are mostly senior long-haul captains with years of experience, so although we had some great conversations, they had a harder time offering me advice on this specific flight school issue.

well you're either looking at a legal battle or changing school/country of residence. I don't think Spanish CAA have a right to refuse your medical based on a previous assessment without giving you a chance to redo the examination. Best advice I can give is - contact someone in EASA headquarters and see if they can help.

https://www.easa.europa.eu/can-we-help-you

the system in Spain might be bureaucratic, but the rules are the same for all

Darned strange. AFAIK basic personality traits (which is initially is often as not much more than an answer to the question: "could I sit next to this individual for x hours? ) are looked at during the interview stage for flight school /airline. Some airlines might claim they are also screening for "future commanders" but in all honesty it's known that people grow into the job, so TBH confidence for command, social or otherwise, only really starts to become a pass/fail issue in the run up to a command upgrade and during the upgrade itself....I never ever heard of it coming up on a medical, but I don't live in Spain.....

Anyhow hope the OP works something out.

Where did you do the medical? I am planning to do it in Sevilla and I hope that I wont be rejected because of my "shyness" or being just a teenager.

I'm not sure we're getting the full story here. An AME rejecting the issue of a med cert for being "shy" is lunacy.