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Navigating Through The FAA's Medical Process
Once you've started to fly, your CFI will inform you that
it is time to get a medical certificate. This is in preparation for
your soloing and is required to allow you to become the pilot in command
of an aircraft. This is when you should contact our office to
set up an appointment for an FAA Medical Exam.
You will be required to complete a FAA 8500-8 form in our
office, unless you've completed the FAA's new MedXPress
on-line replacement
of the 8500-8 form. Completing this MedXPress
process on-line before
coming in for your FAA Medical Exam will expedite your visit and the whole
medical application process, so we encourage you to do this. You
will be given an authorization number by the FAA and must bring this to
our office at the time of your FAA Medical Exam.
Here is a brief listing of the examination process,
once in our office:
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We will check your Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, Weight
and Height.
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You will be required to give us a urine sample (we
check for urine protein and urine glucose, both help determine the
health of your kidneys).
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We will check your vision - left eye, then right eye,
then both together; this will be done without any corrective
lens and then done with your glasses or contacts, so be sure to bring
your corrective lenses with you. NOTE: If you are
applying for a Class 2 Medical, you will have a more detailed vision
screening. If you are applying for a Class1 Medical, you will
have an EKG/ECG performed in our office, as well as the more detailed
vision testing.
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We examine your head and neck structures, your heart
and lungs, abdomen (liver, kidney, spleen), extremities, skin,
neurologic status (including your mental alertness, coordination,
reflexes, balance, etc).
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If you qualify after the exam, the AME will provide
you with a signed FAA Medical Certificate. We normally give this
to you at the end of the visit, but sometimes need to mail it to you
due to occasional documentation issues.
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If, for some reason, you do not qualify for approval
of a medical, the AME will provide you with the information as to why
you did not qualify. This may include one of the Disqualifying
Conditions, or may require you to come back another day to have
something retested (for example, some pilots are quite anxious at the
time of their FAA Medical Exam and their blood pressure goes up above
the FAA limits to qualify. We need to obtain one reading that is
under 155/95 and can do so at anytime within 2 weeks of the initial
exam process. We have had occasion to have a pilot come back 3
or 4 times for random blood pressure checks to obtain one reading that
is normal. Once we have proof that you qualify, we will then
complete the certificate for you to have.
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If you are unable to qualify for whatever reason, our
AME will likely "DEFER" your application for your medical to
the panel of physicians in Oklahoma City. With such
a "deferral" (note, this is not a denial), the FAA in
Oklahoma City is then obligated to provide you with details on your
application and may request specific testing (usually with a 30-90 day
time limitation) to further determine your eligibility to
fly. This testing is usually performed by your
private physician at your expense (your private insurance may or m ay
not cover such testing). The FAA will then contact you as
to whether your medical has been APPROVED or DENIED.
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If you are DENIED on your application, you may either
appeal the process OR may reapply at any time through our office with
starting the whole process (starting with item 1 above
again). You will be charged another examination
fee for any such reapplication.
Steven J. Halm, DO, FAAP |
