BigKetchup

That's the thing: they're not even playing that card. My doctors cleared me for flight and told me to stop seeing them about this.

There's also no excuse for the outlandish claims they made and purposefully hide from their applicants. And even when I asked for a full medical narrative they refused.

There are theories on why Aeromed operates in such a brazen manner but it goes out of scope of this post. I'll just say that their services are largely unnecessary compared to private doctors who can do the same service a lot quicker and for far less money.

TransWorld

There are much better ways, other than gong to a reporter. That is what I was suggesting. Both internal and external to the company. I know how reporters often twist things to meet their preconceived assumptions. I would not want to get tangled up with them. I do not trust most reporters.

BigKetchup

That's fair enough, and you can always bring these concerns to their attention ahead of time and do an interview on the condition that they do not alter or modify the narrative you give them. But believe me, just short of starting a social media campaign against them, I've done almost everything you can imagine.

TransWorld

Telling the reporter they do not alter or modify flies in the face of reality. Many reporters want to write their stories, with their preconceived ideas, and use you for sound bites. They also twist and misconstrue what is said. Sadly, I have seen this in action.

BigKetchup

I'm not discounting what you're saying at all. I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Still, some of us would want to make our voices heard.

Excargodog

Seeing who? All they see is the paperwork your AME or other physicians send them. They don’t - to my knowledge - actually do clinical medicine themselves. And your doctors don’t have any legal authority to clear you for flight. They can opine, make the best case they can, but they have no legal authority to authorize you to exercise privileges as an airman.

What outlandish claims do you believe they made? Is this about your post two and a half years ago describing a loss of peripheral vision in the right upper and right lower (to a lesser degree) quadrants of both eyes? And a history of double vision from an accident 28 years previously? Can you post your visual field perimeter results? Does your double vision recur with fatigue?


Forthose sufficiently paranoid there are all sorts of theories. Look, you had a serious closed head injury and have residual 28 years later that may interfere with your safe operation of an aircraft, particularly when fatigued. The onus is on you and your own doctors to convincingly establish that you can safely perform flight duties up to the 117 limits if you want to get an ATP. The fact it took you over 150 hours just to get a private license is certainly worrisome enough in itself, and that’s leisure flying. Not flying a red eye on your second day of a four day trip.

BigKetchup

Excargodog

Thank you for sharing your concerns. I'll try to respond with the following bullet points:

• Seeing my doctors for medical evidence and testimony to prove Aeromed's assumptions on me are incorrect. I never mentioned legal authority, what I hold is that Aeromedical doesn't make decisions based on medical science, transparent or fair practices.
  
• They said I'm at "high risk for post-traumatic epilepsy." This is both medically false and an unethical call - hence, "outlandish."
  
• I do not have double vision as this was corrected. The peripheral vision loss never affected any portion of my life whether driving a car, playing sports of flying a plane as it's not acute enough to do so and a disability I've overcome.
  
• I never had any residuals that would concern aviation safety. If you'd like to claim that I'm somehow an incompetent, unsafe pilot, I'll say that my flight instructors, DPE and peers in aviation disagree with you.
  
• If your claiming that "150 hours" is a general concern then again, then I'll say that it was a combination of the fact that I enjoyed soloing, my DPE was never available when I was and I figured I had to build time and stay current. I did pass my ASEL checkride on the first try.
  
• My doctors have established that I can safely perform said 117 flight duties. Aeromedical would never give me that chance.
  

If you'd like to discuss my personal history as a pilot then please private message me as I'd prefer this post stay on topic.

JohnBurke

These doctors are aviation medical examiners? By what authority can they "clear you for flight?" Are you this ignorant of the process, or are you simply lying? You can go to any number of doctors who can say any number of things about you: unless that doctor is designated by the FAA, then at best, the doctors information is advisory regarding your medical.

If you're actually talking about an aviation medical examiner who "cleared you for flight," that would mean that the AME issued a medical certificate. Where is it?

You had a third class medical certificate: it was revoked. Your appeals were denied. Your request for a waiver was denied. What doctor "cleared you for flight?"

Nobody is "playing a card." You've been told that you don't meet the medical standard. You say the authority which tells you this is "corrupt." Is the FAA taking bribes to keep you from getting a medical certificate? Is the FAA part of some grand conspiracy, of which you are the star martyr?

You had 150 hours of flight time and had not yet taken your practical test. You're double the average. Flying may not be for you.

Outlandish claims?

Whether your peripheral vision affects riding a bicycle or not is irrelevant. A bicycle is not an aircraft. Playing sports is not flying an aircraft, either. You don't need a FAA medical certificate to do either of those.

If you want a more detailed analysis, you should seek assistance from an organization that specializes in FAA medical cases, such as AMAS (https://www.aviationmedicine.com). The FAA considers the information given on your case and makes a decision based on existing regulation and policy, from an aeromedical perspective (which your doctors are not qualified to do). You stated that you've been to an AME, but that he "hasn't gotten back to you." The AME can either issue the medical or defer it to Oklahoma City. In your case, your certificate was revoked. All the kings horses and all your doctors, can't alter that fact. The FAA holds the authority. Not your doctors, who as we've noted cannot "clear you for flight."

Your instructors who advised you to get your private and then seek a first class medical, were acting in their own self-interest, and are idiots.

So you say, based on your extensive board certification, training, licensing, and designation in aeromedical matters? Based on your non-AME doctors who "cleared you for flight?" Simply because you say this doesn't make it so. It just means you're throwing a tantrum and you want us all to hear you.

Perhaps we should pause and remove our hats for a moment of silence and mourn for you. Everyone mourn for the martyr. See him suffer, see his injustice. See him tilt at the giant windmill. Tilt, BigKetchup, tilt. Okay, moment's over. Moving on...

You're right, of course; no need to mention legal authority because you have none. Neither have your non-AME doctors. Neither has your AME, as the matter has been handled by the highest authority, who both revoked your current medical, and as you've noted, denied your appeals.

It's outlandish to you, anyway. Do you have letters from your non-AME doctors who say it's "outlandish," as well? Are you a doctor? Are you a doctor with a specialty in aerospace medicine? No? Really? You seem so sure.

Not really relevant. In fact, irrelevant.

The FAA disagrees with you. Unlike you, they're qualified to do so, and legally empowered, by an Act of Congress, to make that decision.

You? No so much.

No one has invoked the question of your competence except you. Your instructors, DPE, and "peers in aviation" disagree? Are these the same brightsparks that directed you to spend your money, over 150 hours flight time and training, before seeking a first class medical? Those geniuses?

Whether you're an "incompetent pilot" or not is irrelevant: you brought up the subject of your medical competence, not your flight proficiency or skill. The FAA didn't revoke our medical on the basis of your monkey skills in driving a Cessna around the pattern. The FAA revoked your medical certificate on the basis of your inability to meet the medical standard, and a determination that you were at high risk of a dangerous medical condition.

You need to understand, and apparently do not, that when a medical certificate is issued, it's not only done on the basis of your current condition, but on the basis of what the issuing authority reasonably expects, or could expect, based on the information available, for the duration of your medical certification. If you're at high risk of an incapacitating medical event, it doesn't matter that you are not experiencing it right now. That you may experience it based on the information available, is enough.

Those "peers in aviation" would be student and private pilots, then? You have other "peers?"

That's nice.

It still took you twice what the average person does. That throws up red flags. We can only make observations based on what you have chosen to provide here. You began this thread calling for a national news media outlet to open an investigation into "corrupt" practices of a federal agency based on your case of sour grapes and a deeply vested interest (they weren't fair to me: everyone run to a national television station and back me up).

Your ignorance of the medical process, your language, your references, descriptions, terminology, all paint a picture, and it's not particularly flattering.

What are "said 117 flight duties?" Who said that? What are "117 flight duties?" Do you mean 14 CFR Part 117?

How is "aeromedical" not giving you the chance to "safely perform said 117 flight duties?"

Are there one hundred seventeen flight duties?

When you say that "aeromedical" won't give you a chance, are you referring to the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Aerospace Medicine, at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute? It's hard to take you seriously if you don't even now what it's called.

You've got two public threads running on the subject, and opened this one with a call to all parties to be part of a national media investigation into federal corruption. You're shouting from the rooftops, but apparently don't want to discuss your personal history as a pilot, except in private.

Why did you bang the gong so loudly with yourself as the star, then?

Think about it. Do you need a little more mourning time as martyr, or are you good, yet?

You have a "team?" Team BigKetchup? Are tee shirts available? I'd like one in 5XL, if available.

This "team" of professionals: do they all have issues in which their medicals have been revoked for failure to meet the standard? If so, how are they all passing their "annual" or "biannual" recertifications? You know that the ATPs need it ever six months, right?

Ah, you've gone from appealing a medical decision to petitioning congress. Good luck with that.

BigKetchup

JohnBurke
Again, if you want to disucss my personal history, please send me a private message. Thank you.

Overlander

ITT: someone who expects to be catered to and misses the message the universe and health professionals are sending him/her.

This is one of the worst boomer tantrums I’ve seen. BigKetchup, based on your medical history you’ve provided here, I wouldn’t want to sit next to you in a cockpit nor leave you alone. Doesn’t matter what you think or feel, you suffered a major medical event leaving lasting damage. Doesn’t matter what type or severity, but there is damage probably from scar tissue. Flying a 4 to 6 day min rest trip plays hell on normal somewhat functioning adults, can’t imagine what it would do to a middle aged TBI survivor.

I can tell you that the FAA is underfunded, slow, and needs to reassess priorities. Just because it denied a medical to you under all available avenues does not mean it’s corrupt and you’re making all of us a laughingstock by trying to push that.

I’m sorry for what you’ve suffered and that the career you want is out of reach. It is a huge blessing you made it out of that situation as healthy as you are. Please don’t lose your love for aviation, but maybe refocus on something that doesn’t require a medical and can be an enjoyable career.