Hawker445

I'm speaking on behalf of a friend that wants to fly professionally. He has his commercial now.
Under the Regs he isn't eligible for a medical certificate b/c of the neurological condition, he has a LOA from the FAA that allows him to get it and gets an OK from a doctor every year to prove he's fine. He has no issues except for a slow learning curve and a few spots on his person.

I'm curious if there are any pilots out there/here that have this condition or know anyone.

He's a little anxious that it's going to affect his prospects for a successful career in the majors or anywhere and I just want to help him see that it's possible to succeed and shouldn't worry.

CaptYoda

What Class of medical certificate does he currently hold under Special Issuance from the FAA? What is the prognosis for his condition? Will he get worse with time and not be able to hold a class I medical? If class I medical certification is questionable then he may need to rethink his plans for airline commercial flying.

As long as he can hold a FAA class I medical, there should be no issue with being able to fly professionally. However, you mention that he has a slow learning curve which may affect his ability to successfully complete an airline training program which can be quite a "fire hose" event for a newcomer.

He should contact AOPA or folks like leftseat.com, AMAS or Bruce Chien for a free consult regarding successful long term class I certification. It will be a shame to invest a lot of time and money for a professional career that may come on an end abruptly.

Hawker445

He has a class 1. I don't believe he has to fight the FAA for the medical. His prognosis says he remains asymptomatic and acts as if nothing is there like a normal person. It's just takes him a little longer to learn new stuff. He perhaps learns things better than others in some cases I've seen.

As far as I know he's earned high marks on his written tests (with very diligent amounts of studying) and gets his hours for certifications with in a typical amount of time. (Pvt at 50, instrument at 100 and commercial at 270 in just over a year. He's a smart guy.

However he has mentioned some trouble with recall on Orals on the super technical side, which is what would concern me at the majors. Hes passed all checkrides on the first try. But with an ample amount of preparation he should be fine from what I've seen.

I'll talk to him a little more. He's one of my best friends and would hate to see all of this crushed right in front of him.

CaptYoda

Based on what you are telling me, he will probably do better than many others who don't have his condition!

I think he is clearly aware of his condition, puts in the extra effort needed and so he should have the same career opportunity as anyone else.

The key is being able to continue to hold a class I medical and make it through training. I think it's important to speak with a medical professional familiar with the FAA stance on certification for the long term.

Mochaswirl1

Hi Hawker445,

I am curious how things have worked out for your friend with NF and getting his/her pilots license.