He just found out yesterday from his AME that he'll always have an SI. He's taking meds and will be on these meds for life, hence the lifetime SI.

Not true Wannabe, the SI letter is for 6 years ....usually.... each year certain things must be submitted to the FAA to keep your SI active. The AME will issue the annual medical and the regional flight surgeon will review the data to be sure you are maintaining the standards set forth in the SI. At the end of the 6 years the SI letter that the person must carry will be reissued and can continue to be reissued every 6 years until either the pilot along with his AME petitions to have the SI removed, usually meaning the condition is now under control an no longer requiring the meds needed in the past or the pilot no longer requires a medical thus not getting his SI. YES the state that the medical is not valid for ANY class medical beyond the annual one year point is on the medical and is a give away.

I have a special issuance and I choose to have my AME also be the treating MD for my condition I think it makes it a bit easier when your MD understands what the FAA wants and needs to get the SI.

Bottom line.. is you can have an SI the rest of your career if needed, but the letter must be reissued every 6 years.

disclaimer...different conditions may have different SI letter times.... mine is 6 years.

Agreed. My situation is of a different nature and based upon the nature of my issue one can be enrolled in the SI program for up to 5 yrs given that the applicant follows a few simple rules.



atp

Different conditions, different SI times. For instance, a cardiovascular or diabetes SI is lifetime.

I have take Adderall for ADD and went to pilot medical solutions and they sent me an email saying this.

Thank you for your inquiry to Pilot Medical Solutions (www.*************).
While we can most likely help you gain FAA approval, the medication
which you submitted is disqualifying. In addition, a medical history
requiring this medication poses an obstacle to certification even if this
drug has been discontinued. Aviation Medical Examiners are not
authorized to issue certificates with these issues. They must defer the
application which can take 6 months to a year without our service. In
addition, your medical history will require special issuance of a medical
certificate under Federal Aviation Regulation 67.401 (see:
http://www.*************/special_issuance.htm).

I understand that I must get off the medicine to get my medical. Is their any possible way that I could get the SI off of my medical? Would I have to get a letter saying that I have outgrown the ADD? Or would I have to have a letter saying that I was misdiagnosed? Also, would the AME have any say to whether an SI should be taken off.

Best Regards,
Robert

He's on thyroid meds and will be for life. The FAA in all their wisdom recently decided that anyone on thyroid meds will be issued an SI. In the past this was not an issue. Go figure!