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).
What is the FAA reg that covers operating an aircraft while on any drug that affects the person’s faculties in any way contrary to safety?
14 CFR part 91, section 91.17
Notes- Sleep aids. They are allowed, but the FAA requires you to wait 5 half lives before flying.
Melatonin is not controlled or addressed by the FAA
14 CFR part 61, section 61.53 states that a person given a waiver under part 61 of the FAA is the reg that tells a pilot that they must not fly if they knowingly have a medical issue or medication they know could make them unsafe.
Supplements/herbals/vitamins are generally not restricted by the FAA.
Notes- When waiting five half lives.
Example Ambien 1/2 life is 4.5 hours. So 4.5 hours x 5 equals 24 hours before flying.
This is based on max dose of the sleep aid.
Notes- AME’s may issue the medical certificate if the BP is
The AME must provide a letter from the treating physician addressing CAD risk factors. A physical that addresses cardiovascular exam parameters (bruits, retinal changes, pulses, etc), review the meds, a lipid panel and fasting glucose, and EKG (for an INITIAL evaluation). If BP exceeds 155/95, a three day series of AM and PM blood pressure readings should be taken and an average BP obtained.
Notes- Contact lens wear is ok, bifocal contacts are ok. Monovision contact lenses are not ok.
It causes a loss of stereopsis.
Notes- Skin cancer is of a concern when the Broslow depth exceeds .75mm or local lymph node spread occurs. Airman with melanoma less than .75mm can be issued by the AME. Greater than .75 require and MRI of the brain and a special issuance by the FAA. First and Second class pilots require a brain MRI every six months. Third class requires one annually.
20% will have mets to the brain. 60% of brain mets from melanoma have led to seizures and other neuro incapacitating events. If there is distant lymph node spread or mets, the airman will be disqualified for 3 years. When disease free will be required to provide a current status and brain MRI every 3 months. If the metastasis is the brain, then the airman is disqualified for 5 years and then when “cured” will provide status and MRI of brain every three months
Notes- an airman that develops monocularity, either due to the loss of an eye in trauma or due to central vein occlusion etc, will be given a certificate, but must first wait six months to adjust to monocular cues, as well as a flight capabilities test to obtain a SODA (statement of demonstrated ability)
An airman with monocularity has their visual field reduced by as much as 30%.
The FAA will NEVER certificate an airman with homonymous hemianopsia due to stroke. They would be particularly unsafe because the both eyes have a defective quadrant.
Notes- syncope. An AME may certificate is it sounds like a single episode of vasovagal syncope with no underlying cardiac factors. However, a second episode will require FAA special issuance. If a third event occurs, certification may not be likely.
If the workup and history are vague, the airman could be grounded for up to 2 years.
Notes- Diabetes on oral medications is disqualifying and the case must be deferred to the FAA for special issuance.
Historically, if the airman is on both a beta blocker for hypertension AND an oral hypoglycemic, he will need to change the antihypertensive medication prior to medical certification because beta blockers can maks the symptoms of hypoglycemia (stops the tachycardia etc). This was an issue for the first generation beta blockers. Recently, the FAA has allowed the second or third generation beta blockers.
Notes- insulin dependent diabetics can be given a special issuance by the FAA for a THIRD class certificate. The are typically told to run a little “sweet” in the cockpit. They must have a glucometer available and have enough 10 gram snacks to last the duration of the flight.
The US is one of the only countries that allow an insulin dependent diabetic to fly.
Notes- 1st class medical- required for airline transport pilots. 2nd class medical- Part 135 or commercial pilots. 3rd lass medical - Part 91 are general aviation pilots
FAA CFR Part 121- Air Transport Pilots
FAA CFR Part 135- Commercial pilots
FAA CFR Part 91- Private General Aviation Pilots
