F
Finally Flying
Guest
Finally! After what feels like a lifetime, having a first class medical in hand is the freshest breath of air ever.
A little backstory. I attempted to get a first class in 2019 and was quickly deferred due to a dual diagnosis. It was recommended that I see a HIMS AME. In 2020, this process began with outpatient treatment, 90 meetings in 90 days, 14 tests in 12 months, and counseling. A P&P was also ordered. After scoring well on the Cogdcreen and all the other brain games, I had high hopes that I would be successful. The FAA rightfully put me through my paces but I continued. I kept attending meetings, I kept seeing a counselor, I kept checking and and getting any advice I could. Several AMEs felt I would be successful. @bbchien being one of them. I just kept reading his posts and remembered that the FAA had something I wanted… not the other way around.
After 4 years of back and forth, my AME finally got my file moved to the FAS office and almost a year later, I called to check in and found out they finally issued my special issuance! I couldn’t believe it and got down to my AME as fast as I could to get my medical in hand.
I’m finally flying again and it’s just as magical as it was 20 years ago. I can’t thank those that helped me along the way enough. Your advice kept me determined to continue on. I’m here to say that it can be done even with extremely complicated cases but you have to give the FAA exactly what they want. Find a team that’s willing to advocate for you and make sure you give them your whole story so they can actually help you. I was lucky enough to find that team.
A little backstory. I attempted to get a first class in 2019 and was quickly deferred due to a dual diagnosis. It was recommended that I see a HIMS AME. In 2020, this process began with outpatient treatment, 90 meetings in 90 days, 14 tests in 12 months, and counseling. A P&P was also ordered. After scoring well on the Cogdcreen and all the other brain games, I had high hopes that I would be successful. The FAA rightfully put me through my paces but I continued. I kept attending meetings, I kept seeing a counselor, I kept checking and and getting any advice I could. Several AMEs felt I would be successful. @bbchien being one of them. I just kept reading his posts and remembered that the FAA had something I wanted… not the other way around.
After 4 years of back and forth, my AME finally got my file moved to the FAS office and almost a year later, I called to check in and found out they finally issued my special issuance! I couldn’t believe it and got down to my AME as fast as I could to get my medical in hand.
I’m finally flying again and it’s just as magical as it was 20 years ago. I can’t thank those that helped me along the way enough. Your advice kept me determined to continue on. I’m here to say that it can be done even with extremely complicated cases but you have to give the FAA exactly what they want. Find a team that’s willing to advocate for you and make sure you give them your whole story so they can actually help you. I was lucky enough to find that team.
