Regarding a One-Time Seizure

[Ben Wilke]

Hello all, coming with a quick question. I have always had a love for aviation, and it has been a dream of mine to become a pilot one day. However, in October of 2018, I had a seizure in high school. While most suspected sleep deprivation and being overworked, I was never given a definitive diagnosis. I was wondering if this would bar me from obtaining my pilot's license.

I am hoping from a reply from @bbchien but all input and experience would be appreciated. TIA.

 

[Ben Wilke]

I would like to add that I have never been on medication and have never had another incident along these lines.

 

[Daleandee]

There is no medical required for a Sport Pilot Certificate. If a light sport plane and the reasonable limits required meet what you desire to do then I'd encourage you to consider going that route.

 

[lsaway]

Are you aspiring to be a commercial pilot or private? I don't know anything about the medical process for you, but sleep deprivation and over worked sounds like a typical entry level pilot job (it was for me). If that triggers a seizure, I don't think you should be considering this.

 

[Ben Wilke]

Are you aspiring to be a commercial pilot or private? I don't know anything about the medical process for you, but sleep deprivation and over worked sounds like a typical entry level pilot job (it was for me). If that triggers a seizure, I don't think you should be considering this.

Private pilot. And it wasn’t just typical sleep deprivation, I was on 1 hour the day of and ~4 hours a night the days leading up to the incident, but the hospital couldn’t “prove” this.

 

[Ben Wilke]

Private pilot. And it wasn’t just typical sleep deprivation, I was on 1 hour the day of and ~4 hours a night the days leading up to the incident, but the hospital couldn’t “prove” this.

Also, normal EEG, EKG, and all medical tests showed normal chemistry and bodily function. There was no definitive cause.

 

[flyingron]

This is going to require a special issuance if it's issuable at all. Understand that even a sleep-deprived induced seizure is still epilepsy. A single childhood seizure with explanation is potentially issuable but it's going to take a special issuance. A febrile seizure is about the only exception to the "I had a seizure when I was a kid" thing that can be issued in the office.

 

[lsaway]

There was no definitive cause.

As far as I know, FAA needs a definitive cause, and the burden will be on you to find the cause.

 

[Kenny Phillips]

John King got his medical back after a one-time seizure; his "adventure" is chronicled in Flying magazine.

 

[Half Fast]

John King got his medical back after a one-time seizure; his "adventure" is chronicled in Flying magazine.

IIRC, he got a special issuance that required him to fly with another pilot, which was acceptable to him since he and Martha fly together.

Then he went Basic Med.