dolphinhh65
Filing Flight Plan
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2015
- Messages
- 1
- Display Name
Display name:
Linn
Fellow Aviators,
For those of you facing a FAA deferral on your medical application, I have just finished the process (Sep 2019). I am a professional pilot who suffered a heart attach in late Dec 2018. I had a 100% blockage in the LAD artery (I was not flying at the time). I had an emergency CATH procedure with one Stent placed. Pretty standard stuff. As soon as I was released from the hospital (about 2.5 days later), I began the research on how to extricate myself from the mess. After several hours of online research, I found this site to be the most valuable. That's why I'm posting now...to return the favor. After reading practically every post similar to my situation, I felt I knew what to do next. I setup an appointment with my local doctor who happens to be an AME. When I asked if he would help with the deferral process, he recommended I look for an AME with more experience with deferrals. This AME was fairly new, and looking back, he gave good advice. In my opinion, you need a Senior AME with lots of experience dealing with CAMI (the FAA Medical folks in OK City). Enter Dr. Bruce Chien. I sent him an email via his Aeromedicaldoc website. He responded in less than 2 hours. I sent him the very modest retainer fee and we were off to the races. He held my hand thru the entire process (not to be confused with him doing everything for you). To put it simply, YOU do the grunt work, he makes sure it's done correctly. To give you of an example of his value, he requested that I obtain all of my medical records. He advised me well in advance that if my CATH doctor left any Artery blockages that were 70% or larger, the FAA would reject my application....thereby wasting my time! Sure enough, buried in the CATH report, Dr. Chien found that I still had an untreated 70% blockage in the nearby Circumflex Artery. Back to the CATH lab exactly 30 days after the first CATH, and everything was fixed. Then 90 days later another CATH....what I like to call the "FAA CATH", a mandatory CATH to just look around and make sure everything looks good. That's right, I had 3 CATHs. During the 90 day "recovery period" between my 2nd and 3rd FAA CATH, I was busy getting everything in my application together. As soon as possible after the 90 recovery period & FAA CATH, I was standing in Dr Chien's office for the Flight Physical. He will advise on everything you need to do and have for the best chance for a successful Physical. Following the successful physical, the paperwork was immediately submitted by Dr Chien. 4.4 months later, I received the my Medical Certificate. My position on the long line at CAMI fell in Aug...which is when CAMI decides to take a month off. So I was a bit unlucky on my timing. Otherwise 3.4 months might be the current wait time. Total time from heart attack to flying was 9 months in my case. I give my 100% endorsement for Dr Chien. I could not have done it without him. Good luck with your journey.
For those of you facing a FAA deferral on your medical application, I have just finished the process (Sep 2019). I am a professional pilot who suffered a heart attach in late Dec 2018. I had a 100% blockage in the LAD artery (I was not flying at the time). I had an emergency CATH procedure with one Stent placed. Pretty standard stuff. As soon as I was released from the hospital (about 2.5 days later), I began the research on how to extricate myself from the mess. After several hours of online research, I found this site to be the most valuable. That's why I'm posting now...to return the favor. After reading practically every post similar to my situation, I felt I knew what to do next. I setup an appointment with my local doctor who happens to be an AME. When I asked if he would help with the deferral process, he recommended I look for an AME with more experience with deferrals. This AME was fairly new, and looking back, he gave good advice. In my opinion, you need a Senior AME with lots of experience dealing with CAMI (the FAA Medical folks in OK City). Enter Dr. Bruce Chien. I sent him an email via his Aeromedicaldoc website. He responded in less than 2 hours. I sent him the very modest retainer fee and we were off to the races. He held my hand thru the entire process (not to be confused with him doing everything for you). To put it simply, YOU do the grunt work, he makes sure it's done correctly. To give you of an example of his value, he requested that I obtain all of my medical records. He advised me well in advance that if my CATH doctor left any Artery blockages that were 70% or larger, the FAA would reject my application....thereby wasting my time! Sure enough, buried in the CATH report, Dr. Chien found that I still had an untreated 70% blockage in the nearby Circumflex Artery. Back to the CATH lab exactly 30 days after the first CATH, and everything was fixed. Then 90 days later another CATH....what I like to call the "FAA CATH", a mandatory CATH to just look around and make sure everything looks good. That's right, I had 3 CATHs. During the 90 day "recovery period" between my 2nd and 3rd FAA CATH, I was busy getting everything in my application together. As soon as possible after the 90 recovery period & FAA CATH, I was standing in Dr Chien's office for the Flight Physical. He will advise on everything you need to do and have for the best chance for a successful Physical. Following the successful physical, the paperwork was immediately submitted by Dr Chien. 4.4 months later, I received the my Medical Certificate. My position on the long line at CAMI fell in Aug...which is when CAMI decides to take a month off. So I was a bit unlucky on my timing. Otherwise 3.4 months might be the current wait time. Total time from heart attack to flying was 9 months in my case. I give my 100% endorsement for Dr Chien. I could not have done it without him. Good luck with your journey.