What medical conditions disqualify you from the FAA?

What medical conditions does 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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What the AME May Look at During Your FAA Medical Exam: Eyesight – Your near, intermediate, peripheral, far, and color vision will be tested. Hearing – According to FAA regulations, you must be able to acceptably understand speech and be able to hear a conversational voice in a quiet room at a distance of 6 feet away.

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If you ever need to submit medical records to the FAA, they will review everything you give them. Many pilots have waited months or years for their medical certificates because each new record they provide to justify their medical certificate eligibility reveals another ailment they did not disclose before.

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You must contact an AME of your choosing, schedule an appointment, complete an official FAA application form via MedXPress, and undergo a physical examination by an AME. If you meet the appropriate medical standards, the AME will issue you a medical certificate.

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Criminal Background Check Required
  • Aircraft piracy.
  • Aircraft piracy outside the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.
  • Armed robbery.
  • Assault with intent to murder.
  • Carrying a weapon or explosive aboard an aircraft.
  • Commission of certain crimes aboard aircraft in flight.
  • Conveying false information and threats.


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If a request for special issuance certification is denied by the FAA, the only recourse available to the applicant is to later make another request for special issuance status to the FAA, supported by evidence showing sustained medical stability or improvement.

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Your FAA medical exam will generally take about 30 minutes and the medical examiner will do a physical examination checking areas such as your eyesight, hearing, lung function and others.

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In the best case, they may issue you a certificate. Frequently, the review and submission process can repeat itself for several iterations. The process generally takes up to six months, but we have heard from a number of pilots who have spent more than a year stuck in the review and submission loop.

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Airman applicants with a BMI of 40 or more will have to be evaluated by a physician who is a board certified sleep specialist, and anyone who is diagnosed with OSA will have to be treated before they can be medically certificated.

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Sleep apnea has significant safety implications due to cognitive impairment secondary to the lack of restorative sleep and is disqualifying for airman medical certification. The condition is part of a group of sleep disorders with varied etiologies.

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An Examiner's denial of a medical certificate is not a final FAA denial. An applicant may ask for reconsideration of an Examiner's denial by submitting a request in writing to: Federal Aviation Administration. Aerospace Medical Certification Division.

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You will not be able to get TSA PreCheck with certain felony convictions on record, including convictions for espionage, murder, threat, and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) violations.

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Due to the risks to flight safety posed by ADHD, regulatory authorities worldwide consider ADHD a disqualifying condition for pilots.

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As far as when you want to renew, you can retake the course and/or the physical exam as often as you want. Some pilots have an annual physical and ask their physicians to sign the form each year. That's more a “belt and suspenders” approach, but it's fine to do that.

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Diabetes sufferers can receive a license to pilot a plane if they show that they have controlled their blood glucose levels for at least six months. However, they must also qualify for some pre-flight and in-flight procedures. Individuals with insulin pumps can also get this license.

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