Over 55 and the 3rd class medical

[benflyn]

Bighorn and others,

You might try drinking plenty of water, 1/2 oz / pound of body weight / day, and a couple tablespoons of Bragg's apple cider vinegar with mother.
This might help with the blood pressure and you might be able to get off the meds.

http://www.watercure.com/

http://www.watercure.com/wondersofwater.html

[OscarDeuce]

Bighorn and others,

You might try drinking plenty of water, 1/2 oz / pound of body weight / day, and a couple tablespoons of Bragg's apple cider vinegar with mother.
This might help with the blood pressure and you might be able to get off the meds.

http://www.watercure.com/

http://www.watercure.com/wondersofwater.html

While I don't doubt the water is beneficial, that's almost a gallon of water a day. If I drank that much water, I wouldn't have time to do anything but drink and pee! Since I already suffer from itty-bitty bladder syndrome, I'd never leave the bathroom.

I've tried the apple cider vinegar - sorta tastes like battery acid - only a lot worse. Couldn't keep it up long enough to tell if it worked.

What does work for me (and I think everybody is going to be different depending on your metabolism) is cutting out nearly all sugars and carbohydrates. Also avoiding anything with artificial sweeteners. On this diet I've been able to go from 200/170 to 130/90 without medication.

However, that's not the real point Bighorn and others, including myself were making. Heck, most of us who fly want to stay healthy and keep on top of our game. Just abolish the third class medical.

Best,
O-2

[hotrod150]

...In my case I truely believe my AME is abusing his granted power by delaying my 3rd class medical. I also believe that I will get my 3rd class medical but at a cost that should not be. At this point there is nothing I can do but jump through all the hoops to satisfy a power hungery AME, which is disappointing.
....

Shitcan that guy! I don't see why you can't jump ship to another AME, even mid-stream during the SI process. If he's not part of the solution, then he's part of the problem.

[hotrod150]

......I guess light sport works for some people but some of us have a mission profile that requires something faster or able to carry more or to fly at night, IFR, or in major terminal areas. I had high hopes for the AOPA initiative but they saddled us voluntarily with most of the same limitations as light sport. WTF? ...........

The latest proposal will allow us quite a bit more airplane than LSA/sport pilot. True, it's still day VFR only, but SP sez 1320# max weight, 120 knot top speed, 2 seaters only -- the new proposal allows recreational pilot aircraft limits: no max weight, fixed gear, up to 180 hp, up to 4 seat airplanes with 2 seats filled. That will allow a huge number of additional aircraft to be flown with no medical required: C150,C172,C177,Cherokee, Supercub,etc etc.. It'll meet my needs , at least until I hit the lotto & buy that C185, as well as the needs of a lot of other GA pilots out there. Sorry if it doesn't meet yours, but they can only do so much, so fast. If this one goes through, maybe in another 5 years they can relax medical cert requirements further.

[Bighorn]

You might oughta consider a different AME next time, if you don't trust this one.

Cary

This is a given.....however it not a solution to the issue. I'm not a rule breaker however I may disagree with some of them, but until they change I'll stick with it. If you put up the target, hold it still and I hit it.
I will start to interview AME's and the first question will be "Do you except all the test done by another Health Care Provider?" second question What is it that you specifically need? Please provide me a list.

[rjb]

Shitcan that guy! I don't see why you can't jump ship to another AME, even mid-stream during the SI process. If he's not part of the solution, then he's part of the problem.

Do not jump ship mid-stream! 2nd hand, not 1st hand, experience but I believe doing so will open you up to a pile of abuse. The apparent rationale is that you are fishing for a medical. (In my friend's case, his AME went on vacation and he wanted his medical to go get a plane in Minnesota, so he innocently went to somebody else to try to further the process - that did not work out well.)

I do agree that once you get past this round, you should find somebody different.

Good luck,
Dick

[58Skylane]

I failed my last CDL physical, the hearing part. I went back the next day (Doc in the Box at WalMart), and easily passed. The doc that day simply whispered a bit louder. I found my last few Cdl phy's more demanding then my 3 rd class's when I still went that route. Rightly so. My crane weighs 40 k +, the plane 730, I drive in traffic, fly in remote areas mostly, so Joe Sixpak is much more endangered by my crane driving then my S-7 flying!

Tom, I used my sisters chiropractor one time for my CDL physical test. He didn't have any test equipment for the hearing test. So he stood behind me and snapped his fingers at different lengths from me and ask if I could hear each snapping of the fingers. That was the easiest hearing test I ever took.

But yeah, the Idaho CDL physical test is stupid simple. In fact, they use the Federal DOT physical platform. I thing each state can alter the Fed. DOT platform as long as each item is of tougher standards than the federal. I know CA is completely different than the Fed. But it is much tougher too.

[jones571]

If you hit a dead end and aren't happy with the current AME you have, there is a guy in Peoria, IL named Dr. Bruce Chien who really helped me out after a frustrating experience with a local AME. I had to go on Metformin for type 2 diabetes, so I had to self ground until I could get a special issuance. My local guy told me expect to wait at least 3 to 4 months after submitting the paperwork for the SI due to the backlog in OKC, I was not wanting to accept that, found Dr. Bruce on the AOPA website on the medical matters forum. He works with lots of airline pilots and folks who need to have their medicals current without delay. Upon his recommendation, I sent him my lab work and a letter from my treating physician, then went to visit him in person for an exam, and after the exam, he scanned the documents, emailed them to OKC, picked up the phone and talked to one of the examiners in OKC in person while I was sitting there in his office, got a verbal approval and I walked out of there with my third class SI. This guy is really good, cost me a couple hundred bucks but WELL worth it. Hope this helps

[skywagon guy]

I've found over the years that some AME's are nit picking on some things. Others don't even go there. I switched over about 6 years ago from a guy that my son's and I have used for many years. The AME I use now is about my age and use to fly. My son's are getting fed up with our long standing AME. One son went to him for the 3rd class in January and was told he needed to wear glasses to see the stuff in the cockpit. He had to go to his eye doctor and get a letter stating he didn't need to. The AME's office had made a big mistake in the eye test and apologized. He was pissed. The other son has a bowel codition called colitis. He keeps it under control with meds. He has to get a letter from his doctor telling the AME he's good to go for flying. He called the AME's office to say he was faxing the letter over and would be in for his third class next week. They lost the letter and he had to go back to his Doctor and get another, lost about 3 weeks of flying because of that. The son's are going to switch over to my AME.
Ron
PS choose wisely these days when selecting an AME. Ask around and talk to other pilots.

[hicountry]

My Doctor is my AME, who is also a pilot, who is partnership in a hangar and plane right next to my hangar. This Dr. has been my doctor for the last 25 years..no secrets here.

[Magnet]

Flying a light sport aircraft with a pilots lic has no restrictions. Rec pilot or sport pilots lic have restrictions.

[OscarDeuce]

Flying a light sport aircraft with a pilots lic has no restrictions. Rec pilot or sport pilots lic have restrictions.

I'm by no means an expert on the LSA rules, but I do know it's not quite that simple. If you do not have a medical, it doesn't matter if you have a private, commercial, or ATP, you're still restricted to day VFR under 10,000 feet, etc.

At one point, even the FAA and the LSA manufacturers were confused on what happens if a pilot with a private license or above, and a valid medical, flies a light sport aircraft with respect to night operations, IFR (if the aircraft is so equipped), etc. Perhaps this has been clarified by now.

Best,
O-2

[hotrod150]

Currently, if you fly with a private license but without a medical, you can exercise sport pilot privileges. That means with all the SP restrictions: day VFR, and all the LSA aircraft limitations-- the most notable being the 1320 max weight.
This new proposal would create a medical certificate exemption under which a private pilot or recreational pilot could exercise recreational pilot privileges. The FAR's spell them out, but basically day VFR, 180hp & under, fixed gear, max 2 souls on board. The FAR's spell out additional restrictions for recreational pilots, with regards to airspace, etc, but I believe that with the radio/airspace/cross country training that was required in your training they would not be applicable if you have a private or higher license.

[hotrod150]

....... and a couple tablespoons of Bragg's apple cider vinegar with mother............

I tried the apple cider vinegar thing a few years ago & it didn't help my BP a bit, just tasted bad. There's enough things that leave a bad taste in my mouth, I don't need another one.

[Bighorn]

My Doctor is my AME, who is also a pilot, who is partnership in a hangar and plane right next to my hangar. This Dr. has been my doctor for the last 25 years..no secrets here.

That's my point , there shouldn't have to be secrets...........

Today's update my Doctor Doctor sent a complete history for the last 10 years along with a family history to the AME but the AME didn't like the "Narative" part???? My Doctor Doctor has never done this before so I tried to get the AME to call him today to explain to the Doctor Doctor what exactly he wanted and he wouldn't......what a complete jerk......

Is there a place where you can report knuckleheads like this....he should not be allowed to be an AME. Is there some regional surpervisor for AME's ?????

[OscarDeuce]

My Doctor is my AME, who is also a pilot, who is partnership in a hangar and plane right next to my hangar. This Dr. has been my doctor for the last 25 years..no secrets here.

That's my point , there shouldn't have to be secrets...........

Today's update my Doctor Doctor sent a complete history for the last 10 years along with a family history to the AME but the AME didn't like the "Narative" part???? My Doctor Doctor has never done this before so I tried to get the AME to call him today to explain to the Doctor Doctor what exactly he wanted and he wouldn't......what a complete jerk......

Is there a place where you can report knuckleheads like this....he should not be allowed to be an AME. Is there some regional surpervisor for AME's ?????

Bighorn:

Some AMEs are designated "senior AMEs." They seem to be able to push things through the FAA a bit faster and may have some leverage in a situation like this. Beyond that, I don't know how to locate one - just happened to have a friend who was one.

Best,
O-2

[rjb]

To locate a senior AME
http://flightphysical.com/search/searchc1.htm

The $100 I spend yearly for AOPA medical services is well worth it. They have contacts within the FAA medical process. If you want to pursue trying to do something about this AME, I would expect them to have good advice that will keep you from further aggravating your situation.

Good luck

[Cary]

Sounds like your AME, BH, is afflicted with his own disease--God syndrome. I'll bet he wouldn't even crack a smile if you asked him the difference between God and a doc. Clearly an obnoxious SOB. And yes, there is a "head AME" for each of the FAA regions. The address for yours (Great Lakes Region) is as follows (from the FAA website):
David Schall, M.D.
Regional Flight Surgeon
Federal Aviation Administration
2300 East Devon
Des Plaines, Illinois 60018-4686
(847) 294-7491, FAX (847) 294-7808

Cary

[dogpilot]

Choosing a good AME is critical. Just like shopping for a surgeon, there are good and bad ones out there. I used the same one for years, then he retired. It is a problem, not as many MD's are entering the field as are departing it. So I tried one recommended by a friend. He was across the country, I travelled there a lot so I tried him out. Decent fellow, checked my BP, which had never been a problem before, it was just a couple of points over the limit. He picked up my forms, tore them in half, tossed them in the garbage. "You where never here, go to your regular doctor, get checked then come back."

I did as instructed and saw my more or less regular doctor (see him like twice a decade). We discussed it and I decided to loose the equivalent of a circus midget, I apparently swallowed along the way, in weight. I also upped my bike riding to 4K per year and the pressure went down to low normal. Funny, if you eat less, you consume less salt as well. Loosing weight and doing some kind of exercise fixes up about 90% of the high blood pressure problems. It has the added benefit of increasing your effective load as well.

My diet secret: go do a project in the Borneo jungle. Dried fish and rice for seven weeks, coupled with heavy work and having to walk everywhere in rather high heat and humidity seemed to melt the pounds away. Borneo is a charming place and well worth the visit, even if you don't have to dismantle a damaged Twin Otter and long line it out. If you don't have six or seven weeks to spare for your health, I can recommend the African Dysentery diet. Always seemed to make 10-15 lbs ooze right out of you in a couple of weeks.

Cutting out sodas, beer and the like reduce the calories and salt. Avoid restaurants, they load up the salt and fat to make stuff taste better. Both bad for blood pressure. Use the money saved to improve your plane. Try to avoid high fructose corn syrup in anything, which means pretty much most prepared foods or drinks. My public health buddies point to a direct correlation to its widespread introduction in the food industry and a corresponding increase in waistlines, blood pressure and diabetes.

More to the original point, a doctor heals. An AME is a doctor first, his interest should be in healing you not nailing you. Find another. If a surgeon amputated the wrong foot, would you go back?

[hotrod150]

...... Decent fellow, checked my BP, which had never been a problem before, it was just a couple of points over the limit. He picked up my forms, tore them in half, tossed them in the garbage. "You where never here, go to your regular doctor, get checked then come back." ........

Nowadays you must start the medical certificate process by filing an online application. Probably makes it less easy for the AME to do that, unfortunately.