Originally Posted by jh1180 (Post 2450822)

I’ve been through the OSA thing and have a special issuance for it. It is a bit of a pain, but I deal with specific AMEs that know what they are doing and know the system.

Dr. Bruce Chien is in Peoria, IL. I did my original Special Issuance with him. Super squared away guy. He is a Senior AME, ATP, CFI, and was a P3 pilot in the Navy. Last I knew he had an office at the GA airport in Peoria, as well as a small office at PIA next to the rental car counter. I didn’t find him expensive, either.

Dr. Charles Mathers is at the University of Texas Medical Branch Aerospace Medicine Center. He is also a senior AME, and may have been a NASA flight surgeon (or maybe it was one of his partners, I can’t remember). He handled my upgrade from 2nd Class to 1st Class with an AASI. I will say that it’s the only flight physical I’ve ever had where I had to turn my head and cough, but the guy knows his stuff, and isn’t going to bust your medical unless you really don’t meet the requirements.

Both of these guys are solid professionals, and they aren’t there to treat and diagnose. They are there to determine if you meet the medical requirements set forth by the FAA. No more, no less.

OSA can become an issue based on a high BMI, and a few other things. Some AMEs don’t know that much about how to deal with OSA, and they don’t really care. I highly recommend you contact one of these doctors for advice. They are easy to find on Google, but if you need their info, PM me.

Generally, they will advise you as to the steps to take to minimize risk to your medical certificate as well as jump through the fewest hoops possible. If you don’t have OSA, great. If you do, once things are squared away with the FAA, you’ll see your treating physician each year before your flight physical to have them review your CPAP data, ask you if you have been sleepy, and check for right heart failure. This is typically a 15 minute visit with my sleep doctor, and half of the time is talking about flying. I leave his office with the required paperwork and just take it to my AME with the FAA special issuance paperwork.

Having the wrong AME working the problem can cause delays in getting your medical, or difficulties in keeping it.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask...

Originally Posted by Nevjets (Post 2453708)

Call ALPA Aeromedical ASAP. They will walk you through the entire process with the least amount of hassle possible.

Originally Posted by rickair7777 (Post 2448981)

Make sure you get referrals from other pilots before selecting a 1C AME.

Originally Posted by arnoldaj74 (Post 2457493)

I’ve been in contact with the union and I’m working on things now. Thanks.

Originally Posted by dsmith3631 (Post 2449000)

The assessment is designed to be more of a sit down with the doc to discuss your “symptoms” that triggered it. The study is the actual big deal where you sleep in a monitored facility with tons of wires and stuff hooked to you and try to sleep. If you have been with your PCM for a while, and you have a good relationship, your assessment will be more like a discussion of any changes to your sleep or daytime fatigue, etc, and then he will write a memo summarizing the discussion. Should take 30 minutes and not be a big deal if he finds no further reason to pursue an OSA sleep study. All the FAA wants is to ensure that people discuss OSA with their PCMs if they have enough indicators. I went through the process a few years back.

Originally Posted by arnoldaj74 (Post 2457495)

I tried to get referrals locally. I live in Milwaukee. Nobody had any solid leads locally. I should have drove two to the Chicago area were I did get several referrals.

Originally Posted by arnoldaj74 (Post 2460083)

This is where I am hung up with my situation. I don’t have symptoms of OSA with the exception of maybe snoring occasionally. I sleep well and I do not have daytime tiredness. I don’t not fall asleep in an airplane or in a car. I generally do not take naps because I don’t need them. The AME mentioned a “table 2 and 3” but never showed them to me. It was only later after the exam that I found those and to my surprise I have none of those symptoms or conditions. I am at 34 BMI (he noted last years BMI which was 39). I wear a 17” neck size and it is slightly loose but he said that’s too big. I’m male and I’m 43 which he noted. He examed my jawline and said my throat is a “type 3”...regardless at this point I must comply and my PCM although he has stated that he does not believe that I am at risk for OSA he will not write a letter. He said he will not do it because he is not a sleep specialist. He also thinks that it is not a bad idea to see a sleep specialist just in case.

It is my understanding that if you see a sleep specialist they will not rule out OSA without a home sleep study. Then regardless of the sleep study most people end up on a CPAP. I don’t know I just feel like I got screwed by the AME I went to.

Originally Posted by jh1180 (Post 2461585)

Wait, are you saying he went with your shirt size instead of actually measuring?

Originally Posted by arnoldaj74 (Post 2460083)

It is my understanding that if you see a sleep specialist they will not rule out OSA without a home sleep study. Then regardless of the sleep study most people end up on a CPAP. I don’t know I just feel like I got screwed by the AME I went to.