What can cause you to fail a flight physical?

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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The FAA medical certificate disqualifying conditions include:
  • 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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Most people pass the aviation medical exam without a problem. Pilots with certain medical conditions may require a special issuance medical certificate, which means that the doctor must submit your application to the FAA for review.

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During a Class I flight physical, your doctor will: Check your eyesight and hearing. Perform a comprehensive physical examination including your lungs, heart, blood pressure, stomach, extremities, and nervous system.

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Before Your FAA Medical Examination
  1. Get plenty of rest SLEEP HYGIENE.
  2. Drink plenty of water the day of the exam.
  3. Avoid foods/beverages with caffeine, sodium or carbohydrates/sugar at least 8 hrs prior to the exam.
  4. Avoid eating at least 4 hrs prior to the exam.


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The flight physical takes about 30 minutes and involves several steps, including: Checking your eyesight and hearing. Performing a complete physical examination of your body including your head, torso, and extremities. Checking your vital signs including blood pressure, pulse, and respiration.

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Check your eyesight and hearing. Perform a comprehensive physical examination including your lungs, heart, blood pressure, stomach, extremities, and nervous system. Perform an electrocardiogram (EKG) to determine any abnormalities in heart rhythm or other heart functions.

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The FAA encourages pilots to seek help if they have a mental health condition since most, if treated, do not disqualify a pilot from flying.

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The FAA encourages pilots to seek help if they have a mental health condition since most, if treated, do not disqualify a pilot from flying.

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Avoid eating heavy foods, especially spicy foods and foods that you wouldn't even normally eat. Eating something that could really upset your stomach, or give you something worse like food poisoning, isn't fun. It's best to eat healthy foods even if it's just 24 hours before your trip, this could help a lot!

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Drink Water
Water fills you up. It also keeps you better hydrated at high altitudes. Both will leave you feeling better when the plane lands. Avoid caffeine, as it dehydrates and may leave you unable to sleep during the flight.

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Since the 1930s, airlines have been aware of the impact of fatigue on pilot's cognitive abilities and decision making. Nowadays prevalence of fatigue draws greater attention because of boom in air travel and because the problem can be addressed with new solutions and countermeasures.

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Sitting down in a tight seat for 13+ hours can sometimes lead to circulation issues, including swelling in the feet. According to The Healthy, the chance of your body forming blood clots increases when blood isn't moving correctly, such as when onboard a long-haul flight.

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The cabin can play havoc with your ears, sinuses, gut and sleep. gut problems – just accept that you're going to fart more. You can also feel more sleepy than usual. That's due to the body not being able to absorb as much oxygen from the cabin air at altitude than it would on the ground.

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