AAL763

Hey Guys,

This is my story.

A few years ago I contacted Pilot Medical Solutions and asked them about my use of Adderall for ADD. The secretary I talked to told me that my Condition and History were disqualifying. She then said that I would be eligible for an SI provided I am off the meds for 90 days. This response caused me to change my mind about becoming a pilot, because I knew that most airlines won't hire a guy with an SI.

Now for the great news.

I contacted the Chicago regional flight surgeon via e-mail and contacted the FAA medical office via phone. Both of them said told me that it is possible to get a Clean medical with no SI's on it. They both said that all I need to do is come off the meds for 90 days, go to the AME for the initial exam and provide him with a copy of all my medical records. They then said that my medical application will be deferred to the FAA. After reviewing the request the FAA would require me to take a psychological evaluation according to their standards. If the results of this show that either a.) ADD is no longer affecting me and doesn't require medication or b.) My ADD was diagnosed in error, I would be able to receive an Unrestricted (or Clean) medical.

Although to most of you this may not sound like good news, it is great news for me. Because of this, I may have a chance of obtaining my Unrestricted Class 1 Medical, therefore allowing me to hopefully become an airline pilot.

Now, because I am a freshmen in college and still taking the medication, It is too late to obtain a degree in flight, as I would have already needed my medical. I plan on dropping the medication for good after my first year and then go apply for the medical next fall.

Next year, I will also be transferring to the University of North Dakota to pursue a bachellors degree in Air Traffic Control with a minor in Atmospheric Sciences. I know that ATC's must have the same medical as pilots. However, you don't have to have the medical in order to graduate with a degree in it. This would give me time in college to obtain my medical while still taking courses in ATC. If I don't get the medical, I could still pursue a career in Airline Dispatching with an ATC degree. If I get my medical, I plan on becoming an ATC for a few years after college to earn enough money to pay for flight school. After I've earned enough money, I'd enroll in a flight school to earn all of my licenses/ratings. After flight school I hope to become a pilot for a regional airline such as Skywest, ASA, etc. Finally, after a few years flying regional, I would hope to move on up to the majors(my dream being Delta). This leads me to my final questions.

Q1.) Even if I have a clean 1st Class Medical, do the major airlines look at your past medical history during their own medical evaluation or do they just evaluate your current condition?

Q2.) Would they potentially hold something like this against me?

Q3.) Would being an ATC look good at an airline interview?

Q4.) Do you guys think this is a good plan?

Q5.) If any of you guys on here went through this process or something similar, do you have an SI or a Clean medical?

Q6.) I would love to hear stories from anyone who went through something similar.

This is my story/plan. I would be glad to receive any suggestions or comments.

Best Regards,
Robert

Bguerry48

Great question Robert! I too am wondering the same thing. Looking forward to reading some responses.

lbfowlerjrmd

stop the medication, then apply. Answer all ? truthfully. You may be asked by the faa for more info. You should prevail. As far as an airline career . . . later. Start flying and build hours! Luck!

AAL763

What would the psych test be like? What is the FAA looking for in the psych evals?

I am completely able to function and concentrate without my meds. The only reason I've been on them since 4th grad is because my mother feels it helps me concentrate on doing homework better. I don't take meds on weekends or summer break.

Best Regards,
Robert

lbfowlerjrmd

if a psyc eval is requested, it would just be a interview with the psychiatrist/psychologist. You should do fine. For your own confidence you may want to stop the med and wait awhile say 3 months .

AAL763

The only thing I worry about is them giving me a test similar to the one I had to take when I was diagnosed. I don't think anyone would have been able to pass it. It's a shame that the FAA views people with ADD unable to safely fly. In my opinion, most pilots, and pretty much all air traffic controllers exhibit signs of ADD. I feel that ADD actually makes me a better pilot. Just because I may have had difficulty in grade school doing my homework doesn't mean I can't focus on flying.

tuggz19

Before you go spending all your hard earned money at UND, you should be aware that ATC medicals are NOT the same as a pilots. Although they are similar to a pilot's Class II medical, the standards are different, sometimes significantly. FAA Order 3930.3A governs the ATC health program, something that might be worth researching before making that kind of commitment.

rickair7777

You were probably over-diagnosed and over-medicated, that's seems to be a common enough theme for your generation. Doctors trying to "cure" childhood.

However...someone who really is clinically afflicted with ADD would probably not be a safe pilot.

satpak77

check the books by Dr. Amen or call his clinic directly. Some natural solutions exist for ADD. However "bonafide" ADD is basically a condition requiring a RX solution due to the way the ADD brain behaves and reacts.

As another poster said, you could be misdiagnosed.

AAL763

Thanks for all of your comments. In regard to the one comment on ATC medicals being different then pilots medicals, When I contacted the flight surgeon, he said that I would be eligible for both a controller clearance and a pilots medical if they deem me capable.