Special Issuance Medicals
 

Hello, I was wondering if I would even be considered at a major airline if I have a special issuance on my medical? I don't want to spend all of my money on flight school if I know I would never have the chance to fly for the major airlines.

Best Regards,
Robert

probably depends on the hiring climate at the time. Some yes.. some no. there is more to aviation... even big plane aviation than the Legacy carriers.


probably depends on what the SI is for as well.

It would be for ADD.

An SI is a bad thing...usually it allows a professional pilot to remain employed at his current job. But it is likely to be a hindrance to getting hired in the first place. Also consider the fact that a professional pilot will normally need to work for several (or more) employers, including two airlines before reaching his "career destination"...you will have to fight this battle again and again every step of the way. I have seen major airlines post a requirement that applicants hold a "clean" first class medical with no SI's or restrictions other than corrective lenses.


That said, ADD is probably about the best you could hope for as far as SI's go. I think most folks understand that ADD may have been over-diagnosed over the last 15-20 years, and some normal but energetic kids might have been labelled.

Also in your favor is the fact that the recent trend has been for airlines to relax their medical requirements...many no longer do an exam, but simply take your FAA medical at face value. But some of the more desirable airlines tend to be pickier.

Your decision is tough. I would carefully consider some things...

- If you find yourself in an aviation dead-end, would you be willing (and able) to switch careers back to a desk job? Realize it might take ten years to figure out if this issue is going to haunt you.
- Are you currently affected by ADD? How severe was your condition? If there is any indication that you might require on-going treatment or drugs, that would be bad.
- Assuming that you are not currently afflicted, can you attempt to get the SI removed eventually? You would have to research this with the FAA and possibly an aviation medicine consultant.
- If you think you might have been over-diagnosed, could you get re-evaluated and get the diagnosis "reversed"?

Good Luck

Lori, what do you know about recent trends with SI medicals?

Well, I'm in high school right now. I take my medication primarily for school. It helps me to concentrate on doing my homework. I am in no way dependant on it though. I am able to focus on anything if I really enjoy it and I really enjoy flying. I was considering getting my degree in Aviation Operations from St. Cloud State University and enrolling in the AT-CTI program assosciatied with that degree. I realize that their is a medical required for ATC, but I believe that if I get off my medication in college I would get the ATC medical. I would work as an ATC for a few years. During these years I would battle with the FAA trying to receive a pilots Class I medical. If that was granted I would try and get the SI taken off the medical. If I am then able to get an unrestricted medical, I would take the money I have saved and enroll in a program where I would earn all of my ratings and hours. Then I would try and get a job with an airline. I just hesitate to get a degree in flight if I'm not certain that I could get a job afterwards. Who knows, if I become an ATC, maybe I would just want to stay an ATC and fly in my spare time as a general aviation pilot. But my dream is to be a pilot for an airline and fly to all corners of the world. I'm not going to give up on my dream. I've devoted most of my life to flying and I don't want to just quit because of some stupid disease I have, in which people think I am uncapable of flying safely because of it.

Aopa
 

You may want to start by joining the Aircraft Owners and Pilot's Association. I think it's $39/year and they do a jam up job on all things aviation - including medical advice. They are geared toward General Aviation. AOPA Online: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association

There are some docs and companies that specialize in airline pilot medicals: a search of this forum should give you some leads on who is good and who is not.

Good Luck!

Don't get an aviation degree, they are useless and will not help you get a flying job. Pilot employers care only about experience (ie quality flight hours), not where you went to college or what you studied. If you ever think you might want to be a pilot, get a degree which provides a useful non-aviation skill...odds are very high that you will need it eventually. There are some other threads on these forums which discuss this in detail.

An ATC degree would be useful, but there are a couple limitations. The degree might get you in the door, but you still have to successfully complete operational training...not everyone does. Also ATC is not a field you can jump in and out of as a backup to flying...they have a low age cutoff, so if you are not in by that age you are out of luck.

Understood, but charging blindly ahead may result in long-term financial consequences. In your situation, you will need a fallback position. Sounds like ATC might work out for you. If you can eventually get the SI removed from your medical, then you can reasonably consider an airline career.

If I had the chance to do it all over again and had some issues that may preclude me from the flight deck......ATC would definitely be the way that I'd go.


You've got plenty of time AAL763. I would advise you though that if you are seeking a career as a pilot, do not get a degree in aviation. On the other hand, if you are planning on making a career out of say Airport Management & Operations for example, and have a desire to become Director of Airports at a large hub facility, then I would say....yes....go ahead and get your degree in aviation. Starting salaries at medium size airports such as KPBI, KFLL and KMIA are in the low 40's for entry-level airport ops positions.



atp

If possible, get off the drug. Learn coping strategies that will allow you to still succeed despite any obstacles in your path. The longer you are off the drug when you approach the medical, the easier the process will be.
Check the forums on jetcareers.com for their "Ask the AME" section. The good doc there can probably provide you with a path to get off the drug and be ready to tackle the FAA once you graduate.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I appreciate it.

I agree, avoid flying at a University, it becomes VERY expensive (go figure we thought aviation was a pocket burner already) and the training is very slow

I have a special issuance. Yes, depending on the company it can make a difference.

I was nearly sent home from one regional airline interview because the two interviewers (both pilots) had never SEEN a SI before. One of them took my medical to an HR person who said, "Yeah, no problem. We have several pilots with those."

Part 135 and corporate companies seem far less concerned. Maybe because a higher percentage have SIs or its the fact I have a first class for a job that requires a second class.

The SI is a strike, but with the application process changing at many airlines (computerized applications and resumes), often the first time the company will see your medical will be at the interview. Hopefully at that point, you will be able to explain what your medical means well enough to move on.

Good luck
j

Hey rickair are you sure that its still like this even today? I'm going through getting an SI right now, and from the research i've done, it doesn't seem to be a big deal.

The flight surgeon over at the Jetcareers forum said (I'm paraphrasing) that if the FAA deems you fit with a Medical even if its an SI an employer could be seen as discriminating if they held it against you because of an SI. I take it you don't agree with that?

Just asking - cause now you've got me a little worried.

The way I described it is certainly the way it has been in the past. Airlines have historically pushed the boundaries of legality with employment screening issues...and they usually get away with it, winning the lawsuits by playing the "public safety" card to a jury of your "peers".

Things have been improving lately in some respects...20/100 vision is no longer required by most airlines, and many airlines do not even bother conducting a medical exam.

The problem with an SI is that it generally means you have a condition which could change quickly, rendering you unfit to fly. An employer would be reluctant to invest their training dollars in someone who might be more likely to lose their medical, and I'm not sure that is discrimination in the case of pilot medicals. It is probably not protected under the ADA...the airlines already fought that battle and won. Most people who are fit enough to fly are too fit to qualify as disabled per the ADA.

I think things will only become more liberal going forward (unless there is a smoking hole accident involving a pilot with an SI), but I can't sya for sure whether it might impact your career...that depends on where and when you apply for a job.

But it would be a concern if I were in your shoes...I don't know what the condition is of if it's likely to worsen, but I would probably want to have a backup plan in case aviation doesn't work out. Unfortunately, the employers most likely to overlook things like this are the usually the ones you are least likely to want to work for.

I'm just about to finish up the criteria that the FAA set for me to possibly be issued a SI. I was told by the Medical Appeals office that I needed to get with the doctors that conducted my HIMS eval last year and see where they stand in terms of finding me eligible at this point in time. If issued, my hope is that by the time I finish with flight training and instructing that I will have an unrestricted medical.



atp

FYI- from Virtual Flight Surgeons:
Virtual Flight Surgeons Inc. -- Your One Source for FAA Medical Certification Waiver Assistance!

Medication Class — Attention Deficit Disorder Medications

Current FAA policy does not allow persons who use any medications for ADD or ADHD to hold an airman medical certificates.

The FAA now has a protocol for evaluating pilots with Attention Deficit Disorder prior to issuing a waiver. Some individuals using medication have been waivered after neurocognitive testing shows adequate performance at least 72 hours off the medication. If the results of this testing is favorable, the pilot may be cleared to fly if no longer taking medications. Individuals with a reliable childhood diagnosis of ADHD may have to wait 90 days after stopping medication to take the required testing.

Some of the medications used for ADHD will cause a positive drug test in DOT drug testing programs. Strattera has a warning regarding possible liver damage.

VFS can assist with in coordinating required psychological testing and waiver petitions..




Medications Within Class:

Strattera (atomoxetine) Ritalin (methylphenidate) , Adderall (dextroamphetamine)