PTSD/Basic Med??

CoastGuardChris

Filing Flight Plan
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I'll keep it brief,

On February 2021, I received a first-class medical certificate and started my flight training later that summer after I separated from the military. I got up to 39 hrs of flight time and ran out of money.

6 months later I filled a VA disability claim and after seeing a Phycologist, I was told I have PTSD because I have nightmares but am otherwise fine with sleep/mental. The claim is by no means close to being finalized.

Should I cancel my disability claim and continue chasing my passion?
Or
Try to operate under basic med?

Any input is appreciated,
 
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If you got a first class because you anticipate flying for a living, basicmed won't do it for you. If you try to renew your medical you have to report the diagnosis even if you don't get disability benefits.

Sigh, another pilot screwed by VA "let's see how much we can get for you" doctors...
 
A little more information, please?

If you got a first-class medical this indicates that you intend on flying for a living, not something BasicMed can cover.

Is that the case, or was the first-class medical a misstep?
 
Ultimate goal is show my 4 year-old-daughter my love for flying and then hopefully get her to catch "the bug."
 
Then why the first-class medical, and not third-class?

That said, it's a moot point. From what I can see, you're hosed from having a class-anything medical.

You have a diagnosis from a medical provider. Canceling your claim doesn't UNDO this.
 
Sigh, another pilot screwed by VA "let's see how much we can get for you" doctors...
All perspective. I see the system often being taken advantage of well educated patients about potential problems- they come in with VA documents about service connected disabilities, understanding the needed documentation to up a percentage. Often taking advantage of diagnoses that are difficult to objectively prove. I had patients stroll into my office and after about 1 year of seeing the paperwork and document requests start to roll.
what do the VA docs have to gain by ‘let’s see how much we can get ya’???
While I’m sure the system is hurt by the docs as well, but blaming the problem them solely is a bit unfair.
 
Sigh, another pilot screwed by VA "let's see how much we can get for you" doctors...
All perspective. I see the system often being taken advantage of well educated patients about potential problems- they come in with VA documents about service connected disabilities, understanding the needed documentation to up a percentage. Often taking advantage of diagnoses that are difficult to objectively prove. I had patients stroll into my office and after about 1 year of seeing the paperwork and document requests start to roll.
what do the VA docs have to gain by ‘let’s see how much we can get ya’???
While I’m sure the system is hurt by the docs as well, but blaming the problem them solely is a bit unfair.
 
Shrug. Another OP deletion for a first time poster before others have a chance to join the party o_O

I saw this one before it was edited. If OP had a first class and didn’t renew, would that automatically drop down to a 2/3 class and then be eligible for BM without SI?
 
Since @CoastGuardChris deleted his original text, I was pleased to see my MacBook still had it in a tab:

..........................................

I'll keep it brief,

On February 2021, I received a first-class medical certificate and started my flight training later that summer after I separated from the military. I got up to 39 hrs of flight time and ran out of money.

6 months later I filled a VA disability claim and after seeing a Phycologist, I was told I have PTSD because I have nightmares but am otherwise fine with sleep/mental. The claim is by no means close to being finalized.

Should I cancel my disability claim and continue chasing my passion?
Or
Try to operate under basic med?

Any input is appreciated,
 
I don't understand this new-age "I said a stupid on the internet so now im going to delete my posts, accounts, and history like it never existed" thing. It's pervasive on reddit and destroys a lot of otherwise interesting threads. This wasn't even an "I said a stupid", this was a legit question that I bet a lot of folks have.

But it implies that the new standard is "perfection online" which is terrifying to me. The real-life analog seems to me that if someone bumps into me on the sidewalk and it's their fault, that they commit seppuku immediately.
 
I don't understand this new-age "I said a stupid on the internet so now im going to delete my posts, accounts, and history like it never existed" thing. It's pervasive on reddit and destroys a lot of otherwise interesting threads. This wasn't even an "I said a stupid", this was a legit question that I bet a lot of folks have.

But it implies that the new standard is "perfection online" which is terrifying to me. The real-life analog seems to me that if someone bumps into me on the sidewalk and it's their fault, that they commit seppuku immediately.
seppuku??? Oh, that. Go to about 1:50

 
Use Basic Med and never, ever spin the FAA medical roulette wheel again. As I understand your situation, you are under no obligation to disclose the PTSD unless you try to renew your medical. So don’t do that. Just stick with Basic Med.
 
Sigh, another pilot screwed by VA "let's see how much we can get for you" doctors...
Or another pilot who screwed themselves by asking “how much disability cash can I get?” It’s amazing how many people are all of the sudden no longer disabled when they realize they can’t get an FAA medical…
 
My AME signed off for basic med with continued therapy. Thanks everyone for the info. See y’all in the skies.

mryan75: I wouldn’t be so quick to judge veterans like that man
 
My AME signed off for basic med with continued therapy. Thanks everyone for the info. See y’all in the skies.

mryan75: I wouldn’t be so quick to judge veterans like that man
Well notwithstanding the fact that I didn’t even use the word “veterans” in my reply, a few things:

It’s the diagnosis that matters, not the disability claim. Nobody has mentioned this, but I can’t see how your medical is still valid given that you have a diagnosed condition which makes you medically ineligible to meet the standards of that medical that you have(the exact wording escapes me right now). Ergo I don’t see how you could go on BasicMed, and it’s even more surprising that an AME signed it off.

But that’s all neither here nor there. You’re the only one who knows your exact situation, though I’m guessing that it’s not quite as represented in your first post. The bottom line as far as the general discussion goes is that there are PLENTY of people who come here with tales of all of the sudden feeling so much better when they figure out they can’t get an FAA medical because of any number of diagnoses, some with military backgrounds and disability claims, and plenty more without.

The one thing you can be sure of is that when someone comes here and their post starts “I’ve searched the forums and I can’t find a situation exactly like mine” is that we’ve heard whatever the story is 100 times. There have been plenty of vet stories who all of the sudden want to get their disability designation removed so they can fly. Make of it what you will.
 
It’s the diagnosis that matters, not the disability claim. Nobody has mentioned this, but I can’t see how your medical is still valid given that you have a diagnosed condition which makes you medically ineligible to meet the standards of that medical that you have(the exact wording escapes me right now). Ergo I don’t see how you could go on BasicMed, and it’s even more surprising that an AME signed it off....
In order to operate under BasicMed, his medical certificate does not have to still be valid. It just has to not have been suspended, revoked, or in the case of a special issuance medical certificate, withdrawn.

https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_68-1A.pdf (See section 43.2)

Also, the prohibition on exercising privileges is not based on a condition which makes you unable to meet the requirements for the medical certificate "that you have." Under 61.53(a)(1) and (2) it's the medical certificate "necessary for the pilot operation." So he has to restrict himself to operations that are allowed under BasicMed even if his medical certificate has not expired.
 
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In order to operate under BasicMed, his medical certificate does not have to still be valid. It just has to not have been suspended, revoked, or in the case of a special issuance medical certificate, withdrawn.

https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_68-1A.pdf (See section 43.2)

Also, the prohibition on exercising privileges is not based on a condition which makes you unable to meet the requirements for the medical certificate "that you have." Under 61.53(a)(1) and (2) it's the medical certificate "necessary for the pilot operation." So he has to restrict himself to operations that are allowed under BasicMed even if his medical certificate has not expired.
I never said it still had to be valid. (And no need to do the quotes thing to try and put me down, as already stated I couldn’t think of the proper way of putting it at the time.) Point is that with a PTSD diagnosis, that class I will at the very least be suspended pending a psychological evaluation, no? He would certainly have to do one for a new app. I doubt you can just keep on flying BasicMed in that case. You would need the one-time SI. All the cases I’ve found are for people that had PTSD at the time they applied, rather than receiving g the diagnosis afterwards.
 
Point is that with a PTSD diagnosis, that class I will at the very least be suspended pending a psychological evaluation, no? He would certainly have to do one for a new app. I doubt you can just keep on flying BasicMed in that case. You would need the one-time SI.


No.

PTSD is not one of the items requiring a one-time SI. Here’s the list:

  • A personality disorder that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts;
  • A psychosis, defined as a case in which an individual —
    • Has manifested delusions, hallucinations, grossly bizarre or disorganized behavior, or other commonly accepted symptoms of psychosis; or
    • May reasonably be expected to manifest delusions, hallucinations, grossly bizarre or disorganized behavior, or other commonly accepted symptoms of psychosis;
  • A bipolar disorder; or
  • A substance dependence within the previous 2 years, as defined in §67.307(a)(4) of 14 Code of Federal Regulations
Unless the PTSD has led to overt acts or progressed to a psychosis, it doesn’t make the list.

If you, subsequent to having the medical, develop any other condition not on the list you have no need to jump through the SI hoops. You can simply go Basic Med. Sleep apnea? No biggie, just go Basic. Cancer? No SI needed, go directly to Basic Med. And so on.
 
My AME signed off for basic med with continued therapy. Thanks everyone for the info. See y’all in the skies.
Great! NEVER go back to an AME. IF by accident he/she or someone in the office sneezes wrong (helpfully sending in some paper work or something), the FAA will take that to mean you're re applying (yes, even though you never even opened Med Express again) and cancel your Basic Med, and you enter an expensive journey to try and get some medical.

BTW - Why did you get a 1st class????
 
No.

PTSD is not one of the items requiring a one-time SI. Here’s the list:

  • A personality disorder that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts;
  • A psychosis, defined as a case in which an individual —
    • Has manifested delusions, hallucinations, grossly bizarre or disorganized behavior, or other commonly accepted symptoms of psychosis; or
    • May reasonably be expected to manifest delusions, hallucinations, grossly bizarre or disorganized behavior, or other commonly accepted symptoms of psychosis;
  • A bipolar disorder; or
  • A substance dependence within the previous 2 years, as defined in §67.307(a)(4) of 14 Code of Federal Regulations
Unless the PTSD has led to overt acts or progressed to a psychosis, it doesn’t make the list.

If you, subsequent to having the medical, develop any other condition not on the list you have no need to jump through the SI hoops. You can simply go Basic Med. Sleep apnea? No biggie, just go Basic. Cancer? No SI needed, go directly to Basic Med. And so on.
Serious question: so let’s say I get diagnosed with ADHD tomorrow. Clearly I’m no longer eligible to fly under my current FAA medical. I can just go BasicMed?
 
I never said it still had to be valid. (And no need to do the quotes thing to try and put me down, as already stated I couldn’t think of the proper way of putting it at the time.) Point is that with a PTSD diagnosis, that class I will at the very least be suspended pending a psychological evaluation, no? He would certainly have to do one for a new app. I doubt you can just keep on flying BasicMed in that case. You would need the one-time SI. All the cases I’ve found are for people that had PTSD at the time they applied, rather than receiving g the diagnosis afterwards.
I wasn't using quotes to put you down. I was using them to specify which part of the sentence I was referring to.
 
Serious question: so let’s say I get diagnosed with ADHD tomorrow. Clearly I’m no longer eligible to fly under my current FAA medical. I can just go BasicMed?


Assuming you can get a state licensed physician to approve your Basic Med form, I don't believe there's any regulatory prohibition. Bear in mind that Basic Med also requires you to have a driver's license, so a malady that would preclude driving (such as terrible eyesight) would also ground you, even though it's not specifically in the Basic Med rule.

From your example, if you were diagnosed with ADHD, do you think you're required to surrender your medical, or are you just required to disclose it to your AME at renewal time, or is it okay to merely ground yourself now and let your medical expire on its own?
 
Serious question: so let’s say I get diagnosed with ADHD tomorrow. Clearly I’m no longer eligible to fly under my current FAA medical. I can just go BasicMed?
That would depend on whether your condition was severe enough to prevent you from operating the aircraft safely. The relevant regulations are 61.53(b) and (c)(2):

(b) "Operations that do not require a medical certificate. For operations provided for in § 61.23(b) of this part, a person shall not act as pilot in command, or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight crewmember, while that person knows or has reason to know of any medical condition that would make the person unable to operate the aircraft in a safe manner."

(c) Operations requiring a medical certificate or a U.S. driver's license. For operations provided for in § 61.23(c), a person must meet the provisions of -

(1) Paragraph (a) of this section if that person holds a medical certificate issued under part 67 of this chapter and does not hold a U.S. driver's license.

(2) Paragraph (b) of this section if that person holds a U.S. driver's license.
It would also depend on whether your condition triggered one of the one-time SI requirements that Half Fast listed.
 
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Basic Med is essentially a self-certification in which you are required to see a doc every four years and take a class every two years, both to provide you with the information you need to make a sound determination about your fitness to fly. It is not an FAA medical and the FAA does not make the fit-to-fly decision.
 
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