Aviation Medicine

I am in a tough situation and would really appreciate any and all advice that I can get, so thank you in advance for taking the time to read this post. I got sponsored by a reserve unit for the June board this year. Went through MEPS, and submitted my paperwork requesting my FC1. My recruiter came back and said that I failed depth perception, got a "PASS C", and that I am DQ'ed, that there is no waiver, and that I am done and cannot be a pilot. I find this very hard to accept as I have devoted everything in the past few years to achieving this goal. Luckily my sponsoring unit has not dropped me, and they are asking around to see if there are any solutions. I have tried lo…

<<removed>>

I went to an ENT specialist and he said I have a deviated septum. He suggested a Septoplasty and a Tubinectomy. My concern is I am about to take the FCIA exam in the near furture. Will the surgery have a negative effect on getting the physical certified? Would it be best to have the surgery before or after the physical? Also if the surgery is completed before the physical is there a specified time for recovery before the physical can be completed.

I tried searching and I couldn't find anything on it but I was just curious if Type 1 or 2 diabetes is disqualifying for flying status in the AF. Thanks

I'm being medically retired due to bipolar II. Thanks to the lithium, it's under complete control and I might as well not even have it. Unfortunately, the military is very clear about it and I cannot stay in. But what about flying for the airlines? I've got the hours and experience. I know the FAA lists bipolar as a disqualifying condition, but it is waiverable. Any insight into this?

I was hoping any flight docs out there could fill me in a little bit about the process of transitioning from being a flight doc or a general internist to a specialy in the AF such as a Diagnostice Radiologist. My brother is a soph in ROTC and wants to pursue something like this but wants to get more info before he goes to Field Training and incurs a commitment to the AF and find out that its something that he can't pursue after all. We really don't have any med groups in CO that have specialties such as that so if anyone else has any ideas of med groups that he could get in touch with would be great as well. Thanks! also, sorry for an grammaical errors and the like... …

Was looking through the forum and only found passing mention to it. was wondering what exactly was waiver-able about it, if anything at all? im going in for a eye test before i start my journey, in the past i have been border line for depth perception issue but i also have slight myopia that may have contributed to it. im going in for a retest to make sure even with the correction there is no issues with depth perception/diplopia . if i do have confirmed diplopia, am i pretty much screwed when it comes to flying?

I received some terrible news from my ANG recruiter today: "The doctor at MEPS has Permanently Disqualified you for military service, reason: Acute Pericarditis" What does this mean exactly? Is this a deathblow to a career in military aviation? I'm really in a state of shock right now and am looking for some answers... Some background: I was picked up for a pilot slot with an ANG unit last year and have been in the process of trying to get clearance to get my MEPS physical (a physical I've passed no problem in the past) so that my Brooks physical can be scheduled. Unfortunately, I saw a doctor last fall for chest pain, and they diagnosed it is an acute pericardi…

So I live in P-cola stationed with the navy. I've been seeing the orthodontist at Eglin, which is an hour and a half drive away. I really don't mind the drive and I'm happy with the care provided, however there have been some issues. Today, I had an appointment that had been canceled on me before, so before I made the drive today, I called to make sure I was still good to go. I was told yes, so I proceeded on my way to Eglin. Well, as luck would have it, I got a call right as I was about to pull through the gate...my doctor needed to cancel my appointment...30 minutes prior to my appointment time. So, not only did it take an act of God to get off the flying sched…

My FC1 physical is coming up soon and I have to submit a 2807 detailing my medical history. I was wondering if all surgeries reported will need the surgery report to go along with it. I had my adenoids out when I was a child at 8 and can get the paperwork if necessary, but not in time for the physical. I was wondering if that would be something they would request a surgical report on or if I should even report it/ avoid it on the form. An additional piece of data is this is on my FAA- FC3 physical form. I am not sure how in depth the doc's look at that or if they just look to see I have my FC3 cert and move on.

I am just wondering if I have the vision standards needed for an initial Class 1 flight physical so I can go to UPT. I currently hold a USAF class 3 due to my AFSC (1c5x1d). I am currently an AGR so getting lasik/prk is something I am considering if I don't have the mins to get into a UPT slot. Below is my medical info. Also, are any of these standards waiverable??? Uncorrected Far Vision OD: 20/100, OS: 20/100 Uncorrected Near Vision OD 20/20, OS: 20/25 Corrected Near & Far Vision OS: 20/20, OD: 20/20 OD: -2.75 -0.25 x 110 OS: -3.50 DS If anyone has any answers I would really appreciate it.

Search only brought up questions about supplements. At age 29 I'm pretty much (well am) no longer eligible to go for pilot, however I am still interested in pursuing service. I was just given a prescription for low testosterone form the doc, just wondering if having a medical history of that will ever raise any issues down the line.Google wasn't very helpful either on this one. Thank you!

Does having a hard cast on your hand definetly DNIF one from all AF aircraft until it's removed?

In the FAA, a SODA stands for statement of demonstrated ability. It is granted when ones medical condition is technically disqualifying, but does not affect ones abilities to perform airman duties. Heres a link to more information about it if you are interested. https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/ame/guide/app_process/general/appeals/soda/ In civilian aviation, I would be eligible for one of these. I was born with a smaller left hand (this is a very rare condition) where the fingers are all shorter than the ones on my right hand, and the middle knuckles are all missing (except for the thumb's). This, luckily, does not affec…

I commission on August 10th and in April I was upgraded to a CSO slot. Naturally I had to go get a FCIA physical at the local base. Did that and there were some minor dental issues I needed to get fixed and I did that and handed in the paperwork. I get a phone call yesterday and I'm told (less than two weeks before commissioning) that I need to get glasses to 'prove' my 20/30 vision in my right eye is correctable to 20/20. This is a bit confusing because in May, the Optometrist on base told me I don't need to get glasses until training starts and my physical should be fine because he 'proved' my eye was correctable in the eye exam with the mechanism they use that has …

Hi all, A few days ago I was contacted by the National Bone Marrow Registry. I had registered with them in 2003 and now it appears that I am a possible donor. I don't think it would be a problem, but does the USAF or Brooks give any grief to guys going for their flight physicals who have gone through this process? The lady at the Registry who I spoke to was very nice and said they work with DOD a lot because they have a lot of military donors. She didn't think it would be a problem, and neither did I, but I just want to make sure. I really want to go through with the process and help someone out. Thanks...

Yea, not the most fun topic, but this is what caused the C5 squadron in Newburgh to not seek a medical waiver. The details are what hurt me. November 2003. Had a slight case of bright red blood only when wiping, and only in small amounts. I contributed this later to food from the dining center, but I get checked out several times anyways. It was intermittent for a month, then in December, no more bleeding, and still none to this day. They (military docs) decide in December to send me to a civilian doc for a colonoscopy in January '04 depite my insistence that I've had no bleeding. The colonoscopy day rolls around and I get to see the butt doc and am prepped for the pr…

Hello everyone, So recently I was selected by a AF reserve unit as a candidate for their upcoming pilot board. After a few months of talking to a recruiter I took the MEPS physical. I was told I passed by my recruiter and the MEPS doctors, and that he would go ahead and start the process with getting my FC1 scheduled. About a month later my recruiter called me and told me that the AF surgeon generals office disqualified me from even taking the FC1 due to my hearing being out of H1 limits at the 6000hz frequency in my left ear. Besides that I have no medical issues and my vision is 20/40 in both eyes. I just can't believe that I would be denied from even taking the p…

Good Evening! This week I received the unfortunate news that I got DQ’d for Hearing Loss, History of Cholesteatoma (rare ear disease for those interested) and History of Chronic Back Pain. Now I’m not one to give up that quickly so for those of you interested or willing to help out I’ll give a quick background on my situation. Last October I was picked up for a pilot slot in a heavy unit flying KC-135’s. After submitting a lot of paper work for the known medical issues above, I was finally accepted to MEPs. While at MEP’s I was unable to pass the hearing test (barely) and was DQ’d for the same 3 things, but with the option for a waiver. So I Immediately scheduled an ap…

Hello everyone, I recently went to Wright Patt and when I was up there they didn't know what was on my cornea. They wanted to make sure it wasn't something that would get bigger. They told me to go to a specialist, which I did the Monday after getting back home. The specialist said that it is just a scar on my eye. So I faxed the paperwork up there saying that it's just a scar on my eye and I think nothing more of it because the specialist was 100% positive it was just a scar. Then I get called in by my commander and I'm told that I'm still DQed and now I'm reclassified into a different job. When I was up there the optometrist said that it wouldn't be a big deal and at a …

Does anyone here have experience with dry eye and getting your pilot physical at Wright Patterson? I've got symptoms of dry eye that are unconfirmed by a doctor, mainly that I just have to use eye drops after waking up because my eyes are dry, or after hours looking at a bright computer screen in low humidity. I have my physical scheduled in a few months, and I want to tackle this so it has the least chance of causing me to get DQed. I've read the Air Force Waiver guide on dry eye and it offers a grading system for which grade 1 seems to be hardly an issue, but grade 2+ is unwaiverable for FC1. It doesn't offer a ton of guidance on allowable treatment. Since my sympt…

I was recently seen for a duodenal ulcer and the GI doc placed a few clips over a visible vessel that was a potential bleed. Do any flight docs on here know if that's an issue at your MFS/FC1? Clip is potentially visible on Chest X Ray. Thanks

Dear Flight Doc, I have a question, I think when I was little I had an inner ear infection (I was told by my parents that some sort of fluid leaked from my left ear) When I was going thru the medical exams for the flight school (that was in Turkey), the doctor saw something in my left ear and instructed me to do some valsalva maneuvers. He examined a little bit more and then told me that I previously had my eardrum had a perforation but it healed itself and the perforation was gone... That explains the click sound in my left ear when I do the valsalva... I flew for 233 hours in Turkey (under ICAO rules) and 45 hours in US with a FAA Class I medical. Didn't hav…

Goducks, I tried getting something in the Valsalva thread, and have searched far and wide and read all the other pertinent threads, but I'm still not getting what I want so I'll try in a new thread... I was recently on a chamber ride (ROTC) when I ran into some problems clearing my ears. Before the flight, the briefer was making sure we could all hear a "pop"when we performed the valsalva. I said I didn't, but I could feel some sort of pressure in my ears which was good enough for them (no sounds though). On the final descent I was having trouble clearing them, and the VS definitely didn't seem to be helping. Swallowing would relieve the pressure for a second, but …

Does anyone know the policy as far as eczema goes for a pilot? I've heard it is an automatic DQ if you currently have it but what about if you might have had it as a kid?