AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2014 - 98

NEWS & NOTES

MEMBER SERVICES

PILOT PROTECTION SERVICES

BY WARREN
SILBERMAN, D.O.

Are you medically safe to fly?
You may need to provide the proof
FAR 67.401 SAYS that if an airman has a medical condition, he or she

will have to demonstrate that he or she is safe to fly for the duration
of that medical certificate to the federal air surgeon. In order to demonstrate this, the airman may need to provide evaluations and testing.
Once the airman is granted a waiver, he or she must re-demonstrate
that he or she is safe to fly at regular intervals.
There are two types of waivers that the FAA can issue: One, a statement of demonstrated ability (SODA), is issued for conditions that are
stable, such as a one-eyed pilot, and generally require a medical flight
test. This test is usually given by an aviation safety inspector at the local
FSDO. The other is given for a condition that can change over time, an
example being diabetes. The airman provides evaluations and tests
to demonstrate that he or she is safe. These are reviewed at the FAA's
Aerospace Medical Certification Division or regional medical offices
and waiver letters (authorization letters) are issued. The medical certificates that the airman receives are generally time-limited as the airman
must re-demonstrate that he or she is safe with regular testing.
Dr. Warren Silberman is the former manager of FAA Aerospace
Medical Certification and a doctor of osteopathic medicine. A pilot

AOPA Pilot
Protection Services

There are 15 medical conditions that are absolutely
disqualifying and require review by a FAA physician.
Here is a list of those conditions:
Angina pectoris
Bipolar disorder
Coronary artery disease that has required
treatment or is symptomatic
Diabetes mellitus that requires insulin or oral
medications for treatment
Disturbance of consciousness without
adequate explanation
Epilepsy
Heart transplant
Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
Permanent cardiac pacemaker
Personality disorder manifested by overt acts
Psychosis
Substance abuse
Substance dependence

since 1986, he is recognized nationally as an expert in aerospace/pre-

Transient loss of nervous system function

ventative medicine.

Valve replacement

ON THE

WEB

For more information on the AOPA
Pilot Protection Services program, visit
www.aopa.org/pps.

The FAA will grant a special issuance for the majority of
these conditions. Please check the AOPA medical certification website or call AOPA to get an answer to a specific
question about any of these conditions.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR MEMBERSHIP
AOPA TRANSITIONED to a new database management system to better serve our members.
Since the transition, we've seen an increase
in the number of credit card declines because
of inaccurate expiration dates. To ensure
uninterrupted membership benefits and to
verify we have the most accurate data, we
are asking all members on Automatic Annual
Renewal to go into their account online and
confirm or update the expiration date on
file. Please follow these important steps to
complete your membership renewal through
our secure website:

98 | AOPA PILOT March 2014

* Log into your AOPA account (www.aopa.
org/login)
* Click on "Update AAR Card Information"
* If an update is required, click on Update My
Credit Card
* Provide your updated credit card information-
you will need to enter the entire card number
with updated expiration date
* Select "Update Card Information" to replace
the credit card on file
For assistance, please call us at 800-USAAOPA (872-2672), Monday through Friday,
8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time.

BENEFITS OF AUTOMATIC
ANNUAL RENEWAL
* Convenience-no bills,
no checks, no hassles
* Uninterrupted AOPA
membership benefits
and services
* One-time $4 savings
on membership dues
* Five bonus AOPA Debonair
sweepstakes entries

http://www.aopa.org/pps http://www.aopa.org/login http://www.aopa.org/login

AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2014