Originally Posted by FlyingKat

Spoken by someone who doesn't have the first clue about how special issuances work. Why don't you call Oklahoma City and get schooled before shooting your mouth off. If you had the first clue about what kind of hell you have to go through to get a special issuance then you wouldn't even have started this thread. I hope you do call the press, because they will do their proper diligence and find out the truth from FAA aeromedical. Then you will look like a clueless idiot and the media will ignore you.

All it takes is a fool like this to misinform some in the press, and then years of hard work with physicians and flight surgeons trying to work with pilots to certify people by looking at the science and not old prejudices. Any pilot on a special issuance has to submit a complete and current medical history from a treating physician every time they go for a medical. To get a letter for a special issuance, it has to go through Oklahoma City and is not issued by your AME. Any medicals issued by your AME from that point on are reviewed by Oklahoma City. These letters expire, and to get a new one you have to go through the initial process all over again. Many decide the flying profession is not worth it and decide to leave rather than deal with the special issuance process because it is so difficult.

Unfortunately we do have rights in this country, unlike China and even the FAA has to have some respect for them. If you think things are so great there then leave, and don't let the door hang your @ss up on the way out.