Flying while waiting for medical

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A while back, I made an unintentional omission on my medical form that should have caused my application to be deferred. I'm working with an AME to get all my ducks in a row, but in the meantime, I'm wondering if my current medical is still technically valid or not. Am I grounded until the FAA grants me a new medical, or can I keep flying on the one I've been using for the past several months until the FAA says otherwise?
 
I'm pretty sure the FAA and the issuing AME would advise you to self-ground. In fact I think the Conditions of Issue listed on your medical cert require it.
 
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I'm sure that a denial invalidates your existing unexpired medical, but I'm not so sure about a deferral. My gut feel is you're still legal to fly on your existing unexpired medical since many people with SI's get deferred every time the renew, but it's worth asking the local FSDO to be sure, and yes, you can ask anonymously if you like.
 
Yes, pilots with SI medical get deferred. We're expected to apply for renewal with enough advance time to allow the new approval to happen prior to expiration of the old. Any lapse is a lapse. Grounded. In my case my SI term is one year but I have to provide a worksheet filled out by my physician every 6 months. Failure to do so will nullify my SI. I only have to see an AME and do an 8500-8 every 2 years so I'm used to dealing with the FAA on my own behalf in the interim. Any change in health during the SI period must be reported to the FAA. That isn't limited to a change in the SI condition, but is any change. It's right there in writing on the SI letter. Sort of like the Condition of Issue clauses in all medical certs. In any case a special issuance medical is issued by OKC or a region flight surgeon, not an AME.
 
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Stewartb said:
Yes, pilots with SI medical get deferred. We're expected to apply for renewal with enough advance time to allow the new approval to happen prior to expiration of the old. Any lapse is a lapse.
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We're not talking about a lapse here, but rather an overlap from the deferral of the new application to the expiration of the old certificate, and I'm pretty sure that allows continued flight until the old one expires as long as the new one isn't denied before the old one expires.
 
Ron Levy said:
We're not talking about a lapse here, but rather an overlap from the deferral of the new application to the expiration of the old certificate, and I'm pretty sure that allows continued flight until the old one expires as long as the new one isn't denied before the old one expires.
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I didn't read that he'd reapplied yet or had been deferred, just that he was getting things ready with his AME to "come clean" on a new application.

To the OP, I'd ask your AME.
 
I don't care to argue. I'm just reporting my own experience of having a current medical and a subsequent deferral condition. And I hadn't omitted any info. If the OP calls FSDO or his region Flight Surgeon I'm pretty certain of what they'll say. I remember making that call myself. Truth is I don't really care if he does or doesn't. I was just providing an answer to his question.
 
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