Originally Posted by
sailingfun
Before anyone sees a Doctor for possible sleep apnea issue I would consult your AME. The FAA has a somewhat complicated protocol before allowing a pilot to return to flying who has a sleep apnea diagnosis. It might be good to also consult with AMAS. They can insure as smooth a process as possible and help avoid pitfalls.
Totally agree, and wish I had done that as well. That being said, for me anyway, it is a process but seems fairly straight forward, and much more streamlined than a few years ago. According to AMAS, a diagnosis of OSA does disqualify a medical, but only until 7 nights of data using treatment can be obtained. Then the treatment data and a slew of other paperwork from the pulmonologist is sent to the FAA. I can return to work while it is being evaluated. I do have to burn some sick time (I’m fine with that) to get the data in, but will be fine to work after that. Then I think it’s a paperwork issue to get a Special issuance, then have documented data showing 75% usage at least 6 hours a night every 12 months. Or something like that.
But your point is well taken. I should’ve looked into all this first, but I was convinced I did NOT have an OSA problem. Definitely go through AMAS first. It’s ‘free’ and takes the guesswork out of it.