Do pilots have heart problems?

While pilots face unique challenges, frequent flyers are not exempt from heart health concerns. Long hours of travel, exposure to time zone changes, and the stresses of air travel can impact cardiovascular well-being.



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Medical Problems
Unfortunately, some medical or health issues may cause you to fail the extensive medical examinations required to become a pilot. This includes certain heart diseases, conditions such as epilepsy, poor hearing, bad vision, and even common allergies, as certain allergy medications can make you drowsy.

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Unfortunately, some medical or health issues may cause you to fail the extensive medical examinations required to become a pilot. This includes certain heart diseases, conditions such as epilepsy, poor hearing, bad vision, and even common allergies, as certain allergy medications can make you drowsy.

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What medical conditions does the FAA consider disqualifying?
  • Angina pectoris.
  • Bipolar disease.
  • Cardiac valve replacement.
  • Coronary heart disease that has been treated or, if untreated, that has been symptomatic or clinically significant.
  • Diabetes mellitus requiring hypoglycemic medications.


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Myth: I will lose my FAA medical if I seek help for any mental health situation. Truth: The FAA will be concerned if you are clinically diagnosed with a psychiatric condition (depressive disorders, psychosis, personality disorders, anxiety disorder or bipolar disorder) or a substance abuse disorder.

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Is Being a Pilot Safe? According to the National Safety Council, the risk of being injured in an aircraft accident is too small to calculate. While pilots fly more than most, the odds may be slightly increased. However, this is still minuscule.

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  • Long and sometimes unpredictable hours. Pilots work different numbers of hours depending on several factors. ...
  • Training. You need a lot of training to be a pilot. ...
  • Flight school and training can be expensive. ...
  • Stress of the job.


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This is known as the '1% safety rule'. To fly as a pilot after cardiac surgery is possible; however, special attention to perioperative planning is mandatory.

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They must be able to deal with bad weather, mechanical problems, and other potential hazards. Pilots also have to be able to stay calm in stressful situations. The lifestyle of a pilot can be very demanding. Pilots often have to travel for long periods of time, which can be difficult for families.

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In the U.S., there are no FAA age limits for pilots except for commercial airline pilots employed by airlines certificated under 14 CFR Part 121. These airlines cannot employ pilots after they reach the age of 65. However, these pilots may stay on with a Part 121 carrier in some other role, such as flight engineer.

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Keyes said those kinds of incidents are “rare but not unheard of,” with at least a few reports each year of intoxicated pilots being kept from flying. Airlines also have programs to encourage pilots to voluntarily get treatment in cases of alcoholism, he added.

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The team conducted a survey of more than 1,000 pilots worldwide in 2019 and found that 18% had moderate depression and 80% moderate burnout.

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