FAA Guidelines Flashcards
The command pilot requires what type of FAA certificate?
1st class
Mandatory retirement for airline transport pilots is now_______.
65 years of age.
Pilots being paid to fly, and not flying more than 9 passengers and crew in turbine powered aircraft require a commercial pilot certificate and a Class ________ medical certificate.
Class II
What is the age limit for commercial prop plane pilots flying less than 9 passengers?
There is no limit.
Private pilots not flying for pay, require what class of medical certificate and what is their age limit?
Class III, there is no age limit.
Sport pilot certification is a relatively new designation by the FAA and is needed to operate low speed aircraft. The sport pilot certificate requires what class of medical certificate?
It does not require a medical certification and examination, rather a valid drivers license is a surrogate for medical and safety and eligibility to fly.
For US glider and balloon operation, only a self proclamation of health status is required. True or False?
True
What is the upper limit of age for flight attendants?
70
True or false, flight attendants may fly with diabetes mellitus or epilepsy if well controlled on medication.
True
Air Traffic Controllers are certified by whom?
FAA certification. They have a special medical requirement document for ATC’s.
What is the term the FAA uses for a waiver once a pilot with a disqualification is shown to be stable and able to return to flight?
Special Issuance
______________ is a special type of FAA waiver. It may be obtained for fixed deficit not expected to change (hearing loss, color blindness, loss of knee mobility). After application and demonstration of satisfactory performance to an FAA inspector.
Statement of Demonstrated Ability
Who may over-rule or rule on an appeal of the Federal Air Surgeon’s verdict regarding a pilot’s ability to fly?
A judge with the NTSB.
How many specific conditions are disqualifying for aviators under the FAA rules?
15
Name the 15 disqualifying conditions for the FAA.
1) Diabetes mellitus requiring hypoglycemic medication
2) Angina pectoris
3) Coronary Heart Disease that has been treated or is symptomatic
4) MI
5) Cardiac Valve replacement
6) permanent cardiac pacemaker
7) heart transplant or BiVad
8) Psychosis
9) bipolar disorder
10) Personality disorder that is severe enough to have overt acts
11) substance dependence
12) substance abuse
13) epilepsy
14) disturbance of consciousness without satisfactory explanation
15) Transient loss of control of the nervous system without satisfactory explanation
In fatal general aviation accidents, what percentage of pilots had alcohol in the bloodstream?
10 to 30%
What is the rule of thumb for “bottle to throttle” in the FAA?
8 hours
What agency is responsible for regulation and monitoring conditions at international airports?
World Health Organization
Which of the following groups require an FAA certificate to fly?
a) Pilots
b) First Officers
c) Flight Engineers
d) Flight Attendant
e) a and b
f) a, b, and c
g) all the above
A, B and C. Flight attendants do not require FAA medical certification.
Aeromedical disposition of the head injured aviation personnel is based on:
a) absence of neurologic deficit- motor or sensory (vision, hearing) function.
b) absence of post traumatic syndrome.
c) acceptable risk of post traumatic epilepsy
d) normal cognitive function.
e) all the above
e) All the above. Prior to return to status, aviation personnel should be asymptomatic, without disqualifying defect, acceptable risk of post traumatic epilepsy, and normal congnitive function.
Notes- FAA regulations are Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 67. There are 15 Disqualifying conditions.
Cardiac: Six
MI, Angina, CAD, Cardiac Valve Replacement, Permanent Pacemaker, Heart Transplant
Neuro: Three
Epilepsy, Disturbance of Consciousness without explanation, Transient loss of control of nervous system function.
Psych: Five
Substance dependence, substance abuse, psychosis, personality disorder, bipolar disorder
Endocrine: One
DM requiring insulin or hypoglycemic med
Notes- FAA does not publish an “approved” list of medications. A special issuance (waiver) is based both on the UNDERLYING condition and the medication and its potential side effects. A few caveats:
A drug that is investigational and not approved by FDA is not approved for use. A drug must not be administered greater than its FDA approved max dose.
The drug must not have adverse events greater than 1%. Typically the FAA waits until a drug has been on the market and approved by the FDA for over 1 year before allowing it. The exception to this is antibiotics, antihypertensives, and anticholesterol in which the class is well known.
Medications which are disqualifying or not allowed include biologic agents as immune modulators and anti-cancer drugs due to their high variability and unexpected side effects. Drugs for Rheumatoid, MS, and cancer for example.
Other drugs that are typically disqualifying include anti-seizure medication, psychotropic medications (anxiolytics, mood stabilizers, ADHD meds, etc), narcotics, sedative hypnotics, Antihistamines (with exception of truly non-sedating ones) and Varenicline (smoking cessation med with side effect of psychotic breaks).
In a study by the FAA over a ten year period of fatal accidents, what percentage of airman were on sedating over the counter meds? What percentage of that was diphenhydramine?
12% overall, 6% of fatal accidents the airman were taking benadryl (diphenhydramine).