Page 25 - Volume 15 Number 1

has resolved or is being treated in an aeromedically safe manner, the FAA may reissue the airman’s medical certificate. A denial of an application is extremely rare.
The third possible outcome is an intermediate decision termed a DEFERRAL. In this situation, the AME notes a medical condition that is questionable with regards to eligibility for medical certification. The pilot takes the physical examination, but rather than issue the medical certificate or give the pilot a denial letter, the AME defers the application and medical certificate to the Regional Flight Surgeon or the Aeromedical Certification Division in Oklahoma City. With the AME’s permission, the pilot may continue to fly on their current medical certificate until it lapses. The AME may also ground the pilot at that time.
Unfortunately, deferrals often take several months to obtain a response from the FAA. The FAA response letters frequently request the pilot provide additional medical information to support the application. A 30-day suspense from the date of the FAA letter on this reporting requirement is common. If no information is received at the end of the period, the FAA may deny the airman’s medical certificate. The pilot is not eligible to use the older medical certificate. Instead, the pilot must await the arrival of the previously deferred certificate to be returned from the FAA office that to which the AME forwarded it. If additional information is required by the FAA, this process may take several additional months. Submission of complete information to the FAA is CRITICAL to timely certification decisions.
Savvy pilots can see the advantage in this situation of having the AME call the FAA Regional office or AMCD to get an answer immediately rather than using the mail to handle a deferred medical application. Also see “Documentation” section in tip #6 below.
JANUARY 2011
4. Take your physical ex- amination early in the month that it is due.
Often, pilots wait until the last several days before their medical certificate lapses to schedule another physical examination. Sometimes, an examination cannot be scheduled prior to the lapse of the pilot’s previous medical certificate. If a medical condition arises that requires additional information,
obtaining that information may take several days. Often, the aviation medical examiner will hold the certificate for several days pending receipt of additional information in hopes of issuing a medical certificate to the pilot. The maximum time an AME may hold a medical application before electronically submitting it to the FAA is 14 calendar days. If the physical is scheduled early in the month, the pilot has sufficient
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