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Aeromedical Standards

Aeromedical Standards

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It’s no secret that pilots don’t look forward to medical appointments. Every exam, test or random medical opinion can spell the immediate end (or at least a major complication) to the aviator’s career. For this reason, the importance of a trusting relationship between a pilot and his/her physician cannot be overstated. Pilots are continually judged by a number of civilian or military immutable aeromedical standards. If they no longer meet a standard, they will require some type of waiver to continue flying duties. The process to be granted a waiver can take months. In some cases, a waiver is not granted and a pilot’s flying career can be over. This is obviously terrifying to a person who has dedicated their life and identity to aviation. In this section, you will find posts meant to educate the flyer and create a forum for discussion to provide peace of mind on an anxiety-provoking topic – AEROMEDICAL STANDARDS.
Do Pilots Have Perfect Vision?
05Mar

Do Pilots Have Perfect Vision?

I’ve had many people share with me that they had to give up on their childhood dream to become a pilot due to the fact they wear glasses or contacts…

FAA Corner: When do I need an EKG?
05Nov

FAA Corner: When do I need an EKG?

An ECG (or EKG) is short for electrocardiogram and is a tracing of the heart’s electrical activity. It can be used to diagnosis abnormal rhythms and even heart attacks. There…

How to Find a Good Aviation Medical Examiner (AME)
22Nov

How to Find a Good Aviation Medical Examiner (AME)

Most pilots have experienced the anxiety and trepidation felt when going to any doctor. This feeling is even more intense when visiting the flight doc for medical clearance. This is…

What is a CACI Condition?
13Aug

What is a CACI Condition?

Pilots and other aircrew must maintain strict medical standards to be considered fit & healthy to fly airplanes & passengers. Check out this previous post for a full history and…

Building a USAF Flight Surgeon: A New Approach to Training
05Mar

Building a USAF Flight Surgeon: A New Approach to Training

How does one become a USAF Flight Surgeon you may ask? The recipe is simple. Step 1: Meet the appropriate licensing requirements to practice medicine. Step 2. Join the USAF…

Important Dates: FAA Certificate Extensions for COVID19
30Aug

Important Dates: FAA Certificate Extensions for COVID19

Some important dates are approaching and both pilots and AME’s need to be aware. Due to the COVID19 pandemic and challenges accessing medical care, the FAA has modified the standard…

FAA Medical Certification during COVID19 Pandemic
11Apr

FAA Medical Certification during COVID19 Pandemic

In light of the recent Coronavirus Pandemic, the FAA has permitted airmen to continue flying with expired medical certificates thru 30 June 2020. This ONLY applies to airmen who were…

Phiz Biz: GFM Partners with USAF Aerospace Physiologists
15Aug

Phiz Biz: GFM Partners with USAF Aerospace Physiologists

Phiz Biz (a clever play on Physiology Business) is a monthly newsletter produced by the USAF Aerospace and Operational Physiology Flight at Peterson AFB in Colorado.  The team started this tradition…

Too Old to Fly? – Age Limits & Waivers for Military Pilots
09Mar

Too Old to Fly? – Age Limits & Waivers for Military Pilots

Recently, I’ve been asked several times about age limits to become a pilot in the US Air Force. Age is actually not considered a ‘medical’ standard.  In the USAF, flight…

Pilot Education: LASER Exposure & Eye Injury
06Dec

Pilot Education: LASER Exposure & Eye Injury

LASER exposure continues to be an increasingly frequent problem in both military and civilian aviation.  Typically, these exposures arise from people pointing green commercial LASERs directly at flying aircraft. The…

The USAF Pilot-Physician Program
27Jan

The USAF Pilot-Physician Program

I have been thoroughly blessed to serve as an active member of the USAF Pilot Physician Program (PPP) officially since 2008 but unofficially since 2002, when I entered pilot training…

Aeromedical Standards & Fitness for Flight
10May

Aeromedical Standards & Fitness for Flight

Aerospace Medicine is essentially a branch of occupational medicine. Unlike traditional medical disciplines where a patient in a normal environment experiences abnormal diseases and pathology, occupational medicine often provides medical services…

Recent Comments

  1. Total BS. When you lose horizon you might go into a slow descent, if you are not trusting your instruments,…

  2. Hi Jay, I've just led myself to this article after coming across your PPP slides from the AF Specialty Teleconference,…

  3. How do flight surgeons reconcile Geneva Convention status issues? As medical officers, they are non-combatants; as pilots, they definitely ARE.…

  4. Major Jedick, Very intersting piece. I often wondered this myself- I briefed a flight surgeon once (WX) and we chatted…