This X 1000.

An isolated case of sleep apnea was their justification for a massive change to the medical standard. Meanwhile, pilots are wiggin' out all over the world. I'm all for a revision to the draconian methods that address how mental illness is handled given how important it is to have our *** straight out there. Any hint of anxiety or depression and your for the most part done. It's encouraging pilots to hide a disease in plain sight.

Not really. I am fat and overweight, but at 32 BMI, I am nowhere near massive.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

AKA U3P, basically roto-rooter the throat.

Not a big deal? Maybe that's why half the country is obese, because it's "not a big deal". But by all means, continue with your fat shaming

:mad:

This went into effect with little fanfare (but huge ramifications) on March 2, 2015.
Enough already stated here about the what the FAA is looking for here, so I'll leave that out for now.

If you let your AME send you out for the study, insurance typically will not cover you.
If your family doctor decides you need some assistance in this area, it can sometimes be covered by health insurance, depending on your provider, and probably how your doctor "codes" it.

Typical costs for these home studies are from $250-$500.
You shouldn't need the $5,000 version for the purpose of this program.
That's a much higher level situation that is not where this stuff all begins, but I guess could end up there if you have this thing real bad.
The home test provides the FAA with what they want to know and I've been told it can be done in a 24 hour cycle.

People that end up with the CPAP machine that can be required after testing, say they've never slept better in all their lives !!!
I personally would not want this tied to my FAA medical either, but it looks like it's here to stay.

This criteria applies to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class medicals now, and probably ATC Controllers and any other capacity that requires an FAA medical certificate.

Supposedly after your first review with your AME, this thing doesn't happen again but I don't know if I would count on that.

This guidance came from NTSB study of Train Engineers (back around 2005 I think), when those guys apparently were falling asleep left and right and having bad accidents too often.
Since these rules went into effect for that work group, it is claimed, there has not been a single recorded accident of a train person falling asleep "at the wheel".

Our hit came from the NWA crew that flew past MSP and the guys in Hawaii that went 30 minutes past their Island destination.
Never proven to my knowledge that any of those folks has OSA, but we got the "situation" now, no matter what.

Apparently the FAA is overseeing how many AME's are being serious about this process.
AME's that don't follow the rules, could have their status revoked if the FAA feels that's appropriate.

An easy backup for the FAA is simply your Height and Weight as listed on your Medex form, for them to send you a letter after you've gotten a recent medical, asking for an OSA study after you've been cleared by your AME !!!!
I know a 121 guy that has encountered this already !!!

Just saw today that now the FAA is coming up with some sort of Mental Health testing for Commercial Aviators, because of the Wings Accident in the Alps.

Here we go again!!!!

I am going through this right now! It's kind of freakin me out. Went to AME last month for annual, flag based in height and weight only. Handed me a Spec sheet b with the "AME" crossed out. He basically said I had to go to my own doc.

Well went to my personal doc yesterday and she said "well I don't know if you don't have OSA without a sleep study." I asked her about this "current OSA assesment" that can be done by personal doc to determine IF I need a sleep study. She said she won't do anything and referred me to a sleep specialist.

No one is willing to touch this and I feel like a sleep specialist will of course order a sleep study.

Fwiw, I sleep very soundly and my wife says I don't snore.

Any thought?


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Hello GoneGolfing,


Sorry to hear you are part of this whole circus.

Seems to me (I'm no one special but I've spent a lot of time studying how this is all working) you are committed to the sleep study and no turning back.
Based on your wife's comments, shouldn't be a problem, but no guarantee what some doctor may announce.

If you are tagged with this issue, some resolutions are:
some sort of mouth guard that keeps your airway open at night
CPAP machine (most popular fix)
Surgery

There may be other methods to, but some FAA paperwork I read 3 months ago mentioned these common solutions.

The good news is most people can keep flying with this issue.
You will just have a Special Issuance Medical to deal with and it's appropriate paperwork at certain intervals on future FAA Medicals.

I'd make sure I had the best AME in my area if I ran into this.
Some of these folks really don't know what's going on when it comes to these matters, and they can get you denied for extended periods of time, because they are clueless.

I had a AME like that once for a different issue.
He incorrectly grounded me because he didn't understand things on my matter.
Then he disappeared for several weeks on an unannounced vacation and I couldn't get my status corrected when I gathered what I found to be necessary, after my own research.

My AME finally returned, called a FAA buddy of his at AME headquarters to ask about the updated information I provided.
The guy said I was good to go and my matter shouldn't have happened, and telephonically issued my medical right then.

Don't assume these AME's always know what they are doing, just because they talk with such authority.

Get your ducks in a row, and know more about things when you go back in there, with a flawless package of paperwork, and you'll be back in the sky.
Actually, I'm guessing you are on a 90 day deferral with the ability of another 30 days if needed.

If you aren't, you need to get off your backside and get that fixed ASAP and get back to work !!

Good luck.

BMI
 

I though the USAF was the last of my BMI discussions. My ideal weight on those charts was about 10th grade and 15 years old before I found the gym.

I don't know if this has already been discussed, but if you are considering life insurance or long term care insurance purchase, do it before the sleep study.

New OSA guidelines!
 

Thanks Jabr800,

I am ALPA So getting them involved is the next step I think.

I just can't believe that my height and weight on some chart has put me into this situation. Nothing about age, blood pressure or neck size.

I really don't think I have OSA, but no one will ask me the questions needed to sign off on it. Frustrating.




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