I have a friend that is thinking of going on a GLP-1. The FAA says no flying for two weeks once started on the drug. That will be very difficult to accomplish at her job. How closely is this tracked by the FAA?

 

Would your friend be willing to risk their career over it?

 

Doesn't really answer the question, but I appreciate you taking the time to read my post and respond!

 

How close do you think the FAA monitors and catches those who do not put the meds they are on their FAA MedXPress ? I am guessing they do not catch anyone or very few. There really is no way to monitor what meds a pilot is getting from their family doctor . I could be wrong, but I doubt it . The whole system is based on honesty for the most part .

 

Not exactly.

EVERYTHING is in a digital record these days. Several potential issues with that...

1. If any incident occurs, they will subpoena your medical records. Insulin is one of those things which can and has caused in-flight incapacitation events. If the FAA learns that you had diagnosed but undisclosed blood sugar issues, they will turn it over to the DOJ and you will go to jail. Historical fact, not speculation.

These events have been in the news, and I experienced one where a crew-member felt light headed and we called for EMTs at the gate. The FAA was all up in that business afterwards (fortunately, she didn't know she had any insulin issues until that day).

2. Mistakes happen. I have a good friend who's entire aviation career ended because he had several unreported medical issues. He was working to get on STD for something unrelated and in the process his personal doc accidentally sent his entire medical record to the insurance company, not just the records related to the minor issue at hand. The insurance company, which normally works with the FAA to facilitate re-gaining medicals, said they could no longer pursue re-certification unless ALL of the documented issues were addressed. They didn't want to be party to fraud basically.

Since trying to come clean with the FAA would have involved admitting a lengthy history of not disclosing significant medical issues, my friend's lawyer told him that there was no assurance that criminal penalties would not result, and that he had to drop his STD/LTD claims, drop his medical application, and find a new career.

3. What if you need to get a special issuance at some point? The past history of the condition, and the history of non-disclosure is now a potential criminal matter. In addition to loss of license. Once you go on record lying, you're stuck with the lie forever, like my buddy.

I would strongly recommend doing everything above-board with FAA aeromedical, otherwise you're walking in a regulatory minefield, and you'll have to keep taking another step forward in the minefield every 6-12 months until you retire.

 

That's the nature of aviation, can't fly when medical issues pop up, and they will pop up between now and retirement for almost all of us. If the employer doesn't understand that, time to get a new employer. For real.

 

I don’t get why her current job would have a dog in the fight… if it’s a flying job they have no recourse if she is unable to exercise her ticket due to meds…

but the answer is Yes… she needs to ground herself and report it to her AME.

 

As someone who is on one of those meds the answer is simple. You take the shot, you don't fly until 14 days pass with no issues

 

You completely brushed over what I said. Of course if something happens, then you will get caught, that was not my point. My point was the Faa does not have a linked to every pilots medical records with their family doctor. Given a normal pilots career there’s no way the Faa would ever find out as far as I know . I can give you lots of stories of something happens in a pilots career in their past and it catches up with them , that was not my point . I am no way advocating lying on their medical application. My point is the Faa is very inept .

 

You completely brushed over what I said. Of course if something happens, then you will get caught, that was not my point. My point was the Faa does not have a linked to every pilots medical records with their family doctor. Given a normal pilots career there’s no way the Faa would ever find out as far as I know . I can give you lots of stories of something happens in a pilots career in their past and it catches up with them , that was not my point . I am no way advocating lying on their medical application. My point is the Faa is very inept . Just look military disability, the faa has just started that hunt .

I absolutely agree with you. 100% I would not lie. The repercussions in the future could be terrible