70% after fighting for years (they denied my 2 big ticket items, Sleep Apnea and back issues blaming both on me being "morbidly obese" at 6'4" 225#)

I get $1770ish a month (70%,married with a certain disability that pays a flat rate on top of whatever %)

Pays for my toys. As in truck payment, camper payment, insurance on both and dirtbike parts.

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Can anyone recommend a FAA/FC1 savvy VSO to appeal a claim ruling?

I got my disability rating back and I got 70% for joints/neck/back aches and pains. That's great, but my hearing loss and tinnitus claims were denied because I missed the appointment, and around the 10th phone call trying to get it rescheduled, the VA ruled on my claim. I was told it's no big deal, I can appeal that decision, and I'm sure I'll get an appointment and that will be fine. But if I'm going to appeal the decision anyways, I would like to have a pro look over my records and see if there is anything missed or out of line, and I want to make sure I'm not hosing myself by being talked into pushing for something that will jeopardize my class 1. Any recommendations are appreciated!

If you can't find such a person, you could contact an aeromed consultant such as AMAS and have them review whatever the VSO comes up with.

For the most part the FAA is very tolerant of muscular/skeletal issues, and normal getting old stuff. This guy would have no problem getting a 1C, as long as he didn't admit to drinking too much rum



Neurological, cardio-vascular, mental health, PTSD, TBI, OSA, addiction, and anything LOC tend to be the common red flags which make FAA certification problematic for vets.

You can also review this FAA doc, it has some detailed certification criteria for AME's to use in the field. Anything which exceeds these tolerances, or isn't specifically addressed, will presumably be deferred to the FAA for decision.

https://www.faa.gov/ame_guide/app_process/exam_tech

Anyone have any knowledge/advice on claiming IBS? It's mild and I don't take meds for it. I've seen a gastro and am able to manage it pretty well with diet. That said, it's a condition I have and one I believe was caused my my service, so I would like to claim it. I just don't want to put my FC1 in jeopardy, and I'm not sure if IBS is a red flag to the FAA. Thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide.

Rickair7777's hyperlink a few posts back was very helpful.

Within a few clicks, there was some information regarding IBS and colitis.

https://www.faa.gov/ame_guide/app_pr...itions/colitis

Yes, saw that. Very helpful to get pointed in the right direction. I'm guess I'm looking for direct feedback from anyone that's claimed it and done the CACI (Conditions AMEs Can Issue) process. It seems easy and straight-forward, but again, just wondering if anyone has experience with it to say "yeah, it's easy and NBD," or "It's a struggle every year and the FAA pushes back, etc." I'm going to call the AME next week to discuss, but am trying to get some first-hand intel ahead of that if possible. Thanks.

Questions about PTSD on the disability claim and first class medicals.

Quick background: I filed my claim last summer and separated in October, still waiting for the VA to make a determination. I worked with a DAV rep to create and submit the claim, and got talked into including PTSD before I knew any better. Luckily, I consulted with a couple of AMEs before attending any PTSD-related C&P exams, but not before my husband, my best friend and I submitted personal statements about the associated trauma. I've never been diagnosed with PTSD and it appears nowhere on my record. I never attended any of the psych evals, and every time they scheduled me for one, I canceled and stated that my reason for canceling was that I was no longer pursuing PTSD on my claim.

Couple of questions: First, is there any way that the VA could potentially diagnose me with PTSD based simply off the buddy statements? I'm hoping that a diagnosis would require being evaluated by a professional since you could theoretically put anything down on paper, but also a bit worried that the VA will try to do me a "favor" here. Is it possible that they could give me a 0% rating for PTSD? If so, is that something that will need to be disclosed along with anything else that I get above a 0% rating for?