Starscream

Greetings all,

Seeking advice/insight on how I should answer application questions along the lines of, ''Have you ever been removed from flight status, etc.''

I know the intent of those questions is to determine whether an individual every committed a faux-pas on the line that was egregious enough to warrant an FAA violation or a trip to headquarters for remedial training, however I was 'out' for over 2 1/2 years due to a severe Medical event (not self-inflicted or anything) that carries a mandatory 2 year grounding by the FAA, regardless of how quickly/completely one recovers.

When asked if I've been removed from flight status, do I need to be answering 'yes' to that question?

Furthermore, if,during a meet/greet with recruiters or an even interview, the topic of my 2.5 year hiatus comes up, is there anything in particular I should avoid saying about it?

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't handle my loss of Medical well at all. I did spend a lot of wasted time, money, and effort trying to get my Medical back at the 1 year mark (which resulted in an FAA denial), though an FAA Neurology consultant was pushing for certification at the 1 year mark.

I had zero success in the outside world in terms of finding a job. I was totally off payroll for over a year, and was even collecting unemployment because I just couldn't find anything else. As I learned the hard way, simply having a degree in ''something other than aviation'' alone does not suffice for having a backup to flying. Finding a job, particularly a decent paying one, is no easy feat -- especially with no relevant experience.

Finally I did secure a job last August in a Management/Assistant Chief-type position with my airline until recently regaining my Medical.

Now that I'm back on the line, I'm trying to get back into the game with regards to moving on with my career. I'm just looking for insight as to how I should explain the 2.5 year gap in my flight hours. Again, any advice on what-to-say/what-not-to-say and how to answer 'have you ever been removed from flying' type questions would be highly appreciated.

I guess my big concern is not looking like a Medical liability who is going to be absent on a regular basis. Prior to going out, I hadn't had a sick call in nearly 7 years. I was always striving for near-perfect attendance.

The Medical I was finally issued was an unrestricted/non Special Issuance, so maintaining certification going forward shouldn't be an issue.

35 year old (32 years old when my event occurred) RJ Captain with 11 years seniority/840 hours TPIC and back in revenue service as of last week.

Thanks in advance!!