Steps for class 3 medical

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Hawkeyes

Filing Flight Plan
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Hawkeyes
Hey everyone!

I've done some reading and searching on this forum regarding the basic best practices for getting my medical. I wasn't able to find any overview type thread and am hoping you can help. I'm sorry, as it's possible this is covered somewhere.

You've advised me not to assume I can pass the medical, which is sound advice. You've also advised don't just fill out forms and stroll in to an AME. I haven't heard anything that would preclude me (altho I do have some colorblindness for shades of red/yellow and am not sure exactly what the FAA can see/find), but it does seem complex with lots of gotchas.

What is an ideal path to getting this done? Do I need an in-person consult with an AME first, to make sure I have my ducks in a row? Is there some kind of checklist of things I should gather? Would TurboMedical be a good idea and effectively accomplish this, so I could schedule the physical with an AME? With the current pandemic lockdown, I'd like to get this scheduled in June and move forward as efficiently as possible.

Thanks in advance!
 
Do a regular physical at your doctor and see how it goes. My annual physical at my doctor is as stringent as my flight physical, and they take blood. Normal BP, heart rate, eyesight and hearing with no “yes” on the Medexpress, you should breeze through a Class 3. My annual Class 2 takes about 30-35 minutes from start to finish.
 
Most AMEs use solely a set of Ischihara color plates. Your regular eye doctor should have those if you want to do it outside the AME office. How many you're allowed to miss depends on just which set they are using. General advice is to make sure that they have the plates in good condition and that the room you're viewing them has ample natural light. Dr. C used to have a glass vestibule in his office that he'd put people who were borderline (color vision, not psychiatric) into for testing. Dr. B also has all the alternate methods.
 
I don’t think TurboMedical is an active thing any more.
The simplest way to do a consult is to
  1. Gather up all relative medical history information you need
  2. Talk with the pilot community near to you to find the best AME for your situation and is known to be willing to do consults.
  3. Call and make an appointment, pointing out to the helper that this is a consultation only, not a live exam. Be ready to pay the normal fee for the doctors time
  4. Fill out MedXpress and save the PDF file. Bee 100% honest in what is recorded.
  5. Print off the completed form, but use scissors to remove the confirmation bet at the bottom. This number is what allows the doctor or his staff to open the file. If it is not there, the file cannot be “accidentally” opened.
  6. Go to the appointment, bringing all the medical history info and the MedXpress hard copy less the confirmation number.
  7. On arrival, staff may ask for the MedXpress form. Hand that over. If they say something about the missing confirmation number, remind them that this was an consultation visit and you are not obligated to turn it over to the staff. You want to speak to the doctor first.
  8. If they still make a fuss, ask to speak with the doctor to settle the matter.
  9. If the doc also insists on having the confirmation number firs before he helps you, ask him again about consultation first without the number. If he says no, vote with your feet and seek a better AME.
 
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I'm a little worried about my BMI (37) triggering a sleep study and the color blind test. It seems I could work through both of those. Does it make any sense to pursue a sport license for now, and upgrade to the PPL when I've got my medical finished (or maybe lowered my BMI)?

Thanks!
 
Research availability of sport planes for rent and instructors who will teach the sport plane level. The number of each is muuuch lower than "regular".
 
As far as lowering your BMI, that is a good thing to do no matter what. Getting it back toward a more normal range is an investment in long term health.

Making aviation a motivator to be healthier is a good thing!
 
Hawkeyes said:
I'm a little worried about my BMI (37) triggering a sleep study and the color blind test. It seems I could work through both of those. Does it make any sense to pursue a sport license for now, and upgrade to the PPL when I've got my medical finished (or maybe lowered my BMI)?

Thanks!
Click to expand...


That’s what I did, but...

- One of the top Sport Pilot training operations in the US is nearby.
- They also rent LSAs.
- I’m not very big.

With your BMI, one would assume you’re a big guy. If your instructor is also large, you might have trouble carrying full fuel in an LSA. If there’s a nearby place to train for Sport, have a chat with them and also discuss W&B.
 
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