G
gatorjesse
Guest
I though I'd share my story and get feedback from anyone that may have gone through this before. I've had a long and confusing process trying to obtain my 3rd class medical for PPL. It all started with being deferred in April 2020 due to medicine I took for anxiety. I found a HIMS AME and discontinued the medicine. After 3 months of discontinuing the medicine, my doctor wrote a letter saying that I was fine off the medicine and have shown no anxiety symptoms. I then submitted all the forms including a complete medical history for 5+ years. I stopped flying in July since there was no way I could solo until I got the medical.
The FAA found a sleep study I had done years ago that showed minor sleep apnea (8 events per hour). My sleep specialist said it was so minor that simply sleeping on my stomach or side would alleviate it and that a cpap wouldn't improve anything since it was so minor. However, the FAA saw it differently and required me to get a cpap in November. I've never had any OSA symptoms and am completely alert all day (I never get tired until bed time) so wearing an horribly uncomfortable mask all night is absurd to me. After using the cpap for around 2 weeks I submitted the forms, doctor statements, and cpap data to the FAA. To my surprise they issued me a 3rd class medical at the beginning of January. HOWEVER, the 3rd class medical is only good until April 30th. So after only having the medical for a month I now have to schedule an appointment with my AME for another medical.
Now my concern is with this cpap compliance. In December I got really sick with covid and did not use the CPAP for about three weeks to a month. I could barely breath without the CPAP on let alone try and fall asleep using it. I started using the CPAP again in early January after I was better and have been using it most every night since. I just started flying again in late January and am hoping to solo soon.
So I have 2 questions:
1) Do I simply go to my AME for reissuance of the 3rd class or do I have to submit everything to the FAA. The letter from the FAA is confusing because it basically says to submit cpap data to them 60 days before the medical expires. However, my AME says they can reissue the SI. SO this is the cause of my confusion.
2) Are they going to say I wasn't in compliance because I didn't use the CPAP while I was sick even though I was not flying?
The FAA found a sleep study I had done years ago that showed minor sleep apnea (8 events per hour). My sleep specialist said it was so minor that simply sleeping on my stomach or side would alleviate it and that a cpap wouldn't improve anything since it was so minor. However, the FAA saw it differently and required me to get a cpap in November. I've never had any OSA symptoms and am completely alert all day (I never get tired until bed time) so wearing an horribly uncomfortable mask all night is absurd to me. After using the cpap for around 2 weeks I submitted the forms, doctor statements, and cpap data to the FAA. To my surprise they issued me a 3rd class medical at the beginning of January. HOWEVER, the 3rd class medical is only good until April 30th. So after only having the medical for a month I now have to schedule an appointment with my AME for another medical.
Now my concern is with this cpap compliance. In December I got really sick with covid and did not use the CPAP for about three weeks to a month. I could barely breath without the CPAP on let alone try and fall asleep using it. I started using the CPAP again in early January after I was better and have been using it most every night since. I just started flying again in late January and am hoping to solo soon.
So I have 2 questions:
1) Do I simply go to my AME for reissuance of the 3rd class or do I have to submit everything to the FAA. The letter from the FAA is confusing because it basically says to submit cpap data to them 60 days before the medical expires. However, my AME says they can reissue the SI. SO this is the cause of my confusion.
2) Are they going to say I wasn't in compliance because I didn't use the CPAP while I was sick even though I was not flying?