Getting back into flying after having a heart attack.

[blackvette702]

I'm 62 & had a heart attack 11 years ago. I want to start flying again. How hard will it be to get a 3rd class medical again?

 

[RyanB]

Are you specifically wanting a 3rd Class? You should be able to go Basic Med, but will need a Special Issuance due to the Myocardial Infarction. I’d go ahead and find a doc nearby that is capable of doing Basic Med and get the ball rolling.

 

[Kenny Phillips]

Are you specifically wanting a 3rd Class? You should be able to go Basic Med, but will need a Special Issuance due to the Myocardial Infarction. I’d go ahead and find a doc nearby that is capable of doing Basic Med and get the ball rolling.

You must have had an FAA medical within ten years to go Basic Med.

 

[RyanB]

You must have had an FAA medical within ten years to go Basic Med.

Good point, but he didn’t specifically say when his 3rd Class expired, so there may be some hope!

 

[Stewartb]

You'll need to get a SI 3rd class.

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...aam/ame/guide/dec_cons/disease_prot/coronary/

 

[blackvette702]

It's been over 10 years now my 3rd class expired. I'm looking for a 3rd class because my business and I will be flying a Pilatus PC-12. I'm waiting to get a copy of my medical records for the hospital but was told by them that my records were purged. I'm getting the feeling that this is going to be a royal pain in the rear end to get done. Thank you guys for the info.

 

[Stewartb]

If I was you? I'd call the RFS office and ask what I needed to do. Or AOPA PPS if you happen to subscribe to that. The RFS office's Program Manager has been a best resouce for me.

 

[lbfjrmd]

any good AME can handle this ... I assume you see a doctor for your heart on occassions. Go apply for 3rd class and provide info requested By FAA.

 

[bflynn]

Regardless of when his medical expired, he is not eligible for basicmed yet. He will have to reestablish the 3rd class with a a special issuance first. Or he could fly sport with a drivers license.

As to the 3rd class process, it is not something I am familiar with. My recommendation would be to find a local AME and ask him. The more of what the FAA wants to see that you can bring to the exam, the shorter the SI wait will be. The exam will get deferred, but if it gets deferred and you already have all the forms submitted, then you are months ahead of the response curve.

I know that some people do get their medical back, so it is a very possible thing to do.

 

[benyflyguy]

It's been over 10 years now my 3rd class expired. I'm looking for a 3rd class because my business and I will be flying a Pilatus PC-12. I'm waiting to get a copy of my medical records for the hospital but was told by them that my records were purged. I'm getting the feeling that this is going to be a royal pain in the rear end to get done. Thank you guys for the info.

You might be able to piecemeal stuff from your pcp or cardiologist as they might have some stuff saved.

 

[azure]

It's been over 10 years now my 3rd class expired. I'm looking for a 3rd class because my business and I will be flying a Pilatus PC-12. I'm waiting to get a copy of my medical records for the hospital but was told by them that my records were purged. I'm getting the feeling that this is going to be a royal pain in the rear end to get done. Thank you guys for the info.

Not necessarily. From what Dr. Bruce Chien has posted in similar cases, you will need at least a current cardiac assessment from your treating physician and a stress treadmill EKG, using the Bruce protocol, to at least 9 minutes and a heart rate of 90% of (220 - your age). I'm not sure whether the stress test has to include nuclear imaging as well. Because the nuke entails significant radiation exposure, I wouldn't get that done proactively, only once you're sure the FAA requires it. Whether they are going to insist on the hospital records or not, I'm not sure. If they were actually purged (as opposed to sent to Iron Mountain), then that sounds like a good reason to find an alternative way to satisfy FAA, and a good pilot advocate AME (like Bruce) is what you need.

Side issue: what others have said about the time limit for BasicMed being "within the last 10 years" isn't quite accurate. The time window is, any time since July something (16?), 2006, which is over 12 years ago now. Unfortunately, because of your MI, the time window is irrelevant unless you already had an SI for it since the MI. Otherwise, you need a one-time SI, which you can then let expire after a year and go BasicMed.

 

[Brad Smith]

Regardless of when his medical expired, he is not eligible for basicmed yet. He will have to reestablish the 3rd class with a a special issuance first. Or he could fly sport with a drivers license.

Sport pilots may use driver's license in lieu of 3rd class medical but must also adhere to the following condition:

"Know of any medical condition that would make that person unable to operate a light-sport aircraft in a safe manner."

This is the FAA catch-all phrase that would limit folks with a history heart attacks, diabetes, high blood pressure etc from acting as PIC of an aircraft. Some see a driver's license as the only qualifying medical requirement to fly light-sport. Not. Heck, even someone wanting to fly gliders or hot air balloons which doesn't even require a driver's license are grounded by the above phrase if they knowingly have a condition and answer it honestly.
The only good a driver's license does is possibly save healthy people money and eliminate the requirement of having to see an AME.

 

[bflynn]

That a person had a heart attack 11 years ago does not disqualify a sport pilot today. The check for self certification under 61.53 does not look at history, it checks the pilot’s conditions right now.

Regulations affecting the issuances of first, second or third class medicals do not apply to sport pilots. Regulations for flying without medical certification under basicmed do not affect sport pilots. What affects sport pilots is whether or not they have a drivers license and whether or not they know they have a condition at the time of the flight which would impair the safe operation.

I submit that a 11 year history of good cardiac health would tend to leave most people with the notion that they do not have a condition which would impair safe operation.

 

[bflynn]

You must have had an FAA medical within ten years to go Basic Med.

Small tweak since I just was looking at the Basicmed AC today. I always say 10 years too, but the phrase is “held a valid medical after July 14 2006”.

So maybe basicmed is in play since 11 years ago was 2007, but the OP will still have to get the cardiac SI.

 

[azure]

Small tweak since I just was looking at the Basicmed AC today. I always say 10 years too, but the phrase is “held a valid medical after July 14 2006”.

So maybe basicmed is in play since 11 years ago was 2007, but the OP will still have to get the cardiac SI.

Probably because it was 10 years ago when the statute was being enacted. But that's all irrelevant to the OP. Even if his last medical expired before 2006, once he gets the cardiac SI, he has had a valid medical "after July 14, 2006" and so will be eligible to go BasicMed.

 

[Stewartb]

A "cardiac SI" would be a current medical.

All the talk about Sport Pilot won't help the OP get into a PC-12.

If a guy can afford a PC-12 he can afford to enlist help getting the SI. It'll be worth the effort. Good luck, blackvette!

 

[lbfjrmd]

A "cardiac SI" would be a current medical.

All the talk about Sport Pilot won't help the OP get into a PC-12.

If a guy can afford a PC-12 he can afford to enlist help getting the SI. It'll be worth the effort. Good luck, blackvette!

agree!

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

This is the FAA catch-all phrase that would limit folks with a history heart attacks, diabetes, high blood pressure etc from acting as PIC of an aircraft.

If whatever condition is under control - why would it be a problem? The FAA doesn't think that it is necessarily a problem - if they did, then they wouldn't issue S.I.s
So, if you are safe to operate as PIC, then why would this be a problem?

 

[bbchien]

Well, Dr. Lou, and I have different approaches. First get the Cath report, admission note and discharge summary from the heart cath that you had 11 years ago. Someone needs to make certain you have no part of the heart remaining behind a 70% lesion as of 2007, because if you did even back then that's a denial now based on anatomy.

Since FAA is going to want these I'd set them up and obtain:

Stress treadmill to heart rate >90% of your age related Vmax. I would do that. I'd make it a stress Echo owing to branch blocks and the like potentially invalidating the EKG portion (like a belt and suspenders).

Fasting glucose and lipids
Current office evaluation by your cardiologist or PCP if he is willing to discuss your Cardiac risk factor management.

Then I'd apply and send it all in if it's all favorable. Why would you go before a federal review without having all your ducks lined up?

At least this way, if any of the information is unfavorable, you have not applied. A man who has not applied can’t be denied and so for Sport Pilot (waaaay down from a PC12 but flight nonetheless) remains available....


Bruce