AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2020 - 108

NEWS & NOTES
MEDICALLY SPEAKING

MEMBER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Heart to heart
Let's talk about your
cardio history
BY GARY CRUMP
HEART DISEASE is one of the most prevalent
presentations that the FAA doctors review.
The FAA has a valuable tool called special
issuance authorization that allows the discretionary issuance of medical certification
for cardiovascular conditions.
Special issuance is a double-edge sword
for operations that require medical certificates. It's great that the federal aviation
regulations contain 67.401, because it provides the FAA administrator, through the
federal air surgeon, the ability to medically
qualify pilots with certain disqualifying
medical conditions through an "off ramp"
from the medical standards in Part 67.
The cardiovascular standards disqualify a history of myocardial infarction; angina
pectoris; coronary heart disease; cardiac
valve replacement; permanent cardiac pacemaker implantation; or heart replacement
(transplant).
With any of these conditions, special
issuance is the only avenue for the FAA
to qualify pilots with time-limited medical certificates. The agency is bound by
its own regulations to use the discretionary authority to grant medical certificates.
For all the cardiac conditions, the FAA
will almost always require a basic set of

treatment records that includes numerous tests. (If
you want to go the route of BasicMed, a one-time
special issuance will be required, after which time
you can follow the BasicMed protocols.)
The key takeaways with any medical condition
the FAA is reviewing is that the condition cannot be
considered serious enough to result in impairment
or incapacitation during the time the medical certificate will be in force (usually about 12 months). The
determination of a safe condition is in the hands of
the FAA, and that decision-making process sometimes is conservatively applied.
Your treating doctor is practicing clinical medicine while the FAA is doing regulatory medicine,
and the two are not the same. The FAA is evaluating your risk for experiencing impairment or
incapacitation, while your cardiologist is treating
you to keep you pain free, with a good quality of life.
There is some overlap in the two roles, but the FAA
wins when it comes to the issuance of your medical certificate.
aopa.org/pps

GARY CRUMP is the senior director of medical

certification in the AOPA Pilot Information Center.

AOPA FINANCE

ADAM ANSWERS
B Y A DA M M E R E D I T H
P R E S I D E N T, A O PA F I N A N C E
Q: What does the inventory
look like for single-engine pistons, turboprops, and light jets?
A: Inventory for single-engine
piston aircraft is very tight.
As an example, in looking at
three of the largest online aircraft listing services, only 13
late-model Cessna 182s were
for sale (2005 and newer) in
all the United States. The turboprop segment has more
inventory but is still tight. As
an example, 8.7 percent of the
fleet of newer late-model Daher
TBMs is for sale (per AMSTAT).
Similarly, the Cessna Citation
M2 market is even tighter, with
6.6 percent of the fleet for sale.
Buyers who aren't paying cash
or preapproved for their loan
are losing out to those who are.
aopafinance.com
800-62-PLANE (75263)

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS
The annual meeting of the members of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
will be held at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 15, 2020, at the headquarters of AOPA,
421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland, 21701, located on Frederick Municipal
Airport (FDK), for the purpose of receiving reports and transacting such other business as may properly come before the meeting, specifically including the election of
trustees. If you are not able to attend, but would like to appoint your voting proxy,
please visit aopa.org/myaccount or call 800-872-2672.

-Justine A. Harrison, Secretary

CONTACT AOPA
ADDRESS CHANGE?

Send your new address and AOPA
membership number to AOPA:
421 Aviation Way
Frederick, Maryland 21701-4798
Fax: 301-695-2375
aopa.org
TOLL-FREE PILOT
INFORMATION CENTER

800-USA-AOPA (872-2672)
pilotassist@aopa.org

AOPA FOUNDATION

AOPA AIRCRAFT FINANCING

AOPA AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE

AOPA PERSONAL INSURANCE

AOPA CREDIT CARD PROGRAM

AOPA PILOT PROTECTION SERVICES

800-955-9115
aopafoundation.org
800-638-3101
airsafetyinstitute.org

Top off your airplane and wallet
with the best card for pilots.
877-787-3171
aopa.org/creditcard

800-627-5263
aopafinance.com

800-USA-AOPA (872-2672)
aopa.org/membership/personal
800-USA-AOPA (872-2672)
aopa.org/pps
AOPA TRAVEL DISCOUNTS

aopa.org/cars | aopa.org/hotels

AOPA PILOT INFORMATION CENTER HOURS

Do you have questions or need information about an aviation topic? Access the team of aviation experts in our Pilot Information Center
during our convenient weekday hours. Call 800-USA-AOPA (872-2672) Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. Eastern time, with
your questions and our staff will be happy to assist you.
Visit the website (aopa.org/membership) to learn about upgrading to our higher levels of membership with Pilot Protection Services
coverage included.
108 | AOPA PILOT September 2020

http://www.aopa.org/pps http://www.aopafinance.com http://www.aopa.org/myaccount http://www.aopafoundation.org http://www.aopafinance.com http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org http://www.aopa.org/membership/personal http://www.aopa.org http://www.aopa.org/pps http://www.aopa.org/creditcard http://www.aopa.org/cars http://www.aopa.org/hotels http://www.aopa.org/membership

AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2020