AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2022 - 108

FLY WITH AOPA
Featured member product
MEDICAL LY SPEAKING /
Waiting game
How long before I can fly
after taking medication?
BY GARY CRUMP
Pilot Protection Services
ONE OF THE common questions we hear in
the AOPA Pilot Information Center deals
with the use of medications and flying.
Recently, the question about appropriate
wait times after using medications
before flying came up again. Associated
with the question was a discussion about
the potential adverse effects of altitude
and medications. The federal regulations
include language dealing with use
of medications. FAR 61.53: Prohibition on
Operations During Medical Deficiency
is the prevailing rule that requires pilots
to not act as pilot in command or in any
capacity as a required flight crewmember
if the pilot " knows or has reason
to know of any medical condition that
would make the person unable to meet
the requirements for the medical certificate
necessary for the pilot operation. "
There is a second part to that regulation
too, involving use of medications or
other treatment for a condition that makes
the person unable to meet the requirements
for the medical certificate (or other
qualification such as BasicMed) necessary
for the pilot operation. Then, in Part 91.17:
CONTACT AOPA
ADDRESS CHANGE?
Send us your new address and
AOPA membership number:
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
800-955-9115
aopafoundation.org
AOPA AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE
800-638-3101
airsafetyinstitute.org
108
AOPA PILOT / July 2022
AOPA CREDIT CARD
The best card for pilots.
877-787-3171
aopa.org/creditcard
AIRCRAFT FINANCING
800-627-5263
finance.aopa.org
PERSONAL INSURANCE
800-USA-AOPA (872-2672)
aopa.org/membership/personal
PILOT PROTECTION
SERVICES
800-USA-AOPA (872-2672)
aopa.org/pps
TRAVEL DISCOUNTS
aopa.org/cars | aopa.org/hotels
Alcohol or drugs, the regulation states
that you cannot operate an aircraft " while
using any drug that affects the person's
faculties in any way contrary to safety. "
The question then becomes, " What are
those medications and how does the FAA
determine which ones are OK? "
The FAA is a conservative regulatory
bureaucracy, and much of how it enforces
the Part 67 medical standards is based on
policy established within the Office of
Aerospace Medicine. Historically, the
FAA's concerns about whether or not a
medication is acceptable depends not
only on the drugs themselves, but also the
medical condition for which the medications
are prescribed.
Looking at the AOPA medications
database, you will see that some medications
have a " wait time after use " and
the FAA's rule of thumb is to wait five
times the dosing interval after the last
dose before flying. If the dosage interval
is every eight hours, 5 times 8 is 40 hours
after the last dose before flying. Gary
Crump is the director of medical certification
for the AOPA Pilot Information Center.
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. Call
800-USA-AOPA (872-2672)
Monday through Friday, 8:30
a.m. until 6 p.m. Eastern time,
with your questions.
Visit aopa.org/membership
to learn about upgrading
to our higher levels of
membership with Pilot
Protection Services coverage
included.
AOPA Weather includes METAR and
TAF condition maps that display
color-coded reporting stations for
instant interpretation of the current
and forecast conditions. Use the time
slider control on the TAF condition
map to help find the best departure
time for a flight. METARs and
TAFs are color-coded to highlight
potentially dangerous conditions and
the METAR shows a visual depiction
of wind direction and velocity
overlaid on an airport diagram.
aopa.org/weather
AV I AT ION F INANCE
Adam answers /
BY ADAM MEREDITH
President, AOPA Finance
Q My wife and I are
planning to retire. Would it
be prudent to upgrade our
airplane before retirement?
A Major life events, such
as retiring, can make
financing complicated,
especially when being done
simultaneously. It may make
more sense to upgrade
before retiring. Lenders are
going to review the last two
years for sufficient cash
flow. You should have a
good understanding of what
your income will be post
retirement. Budgeting for
the financing and aircraft
operation should be based
on that retirement income.
Just because you're retiring
doesn't mean you won't
have cash flow. A common
rule of thumb most lenders
accept is forecasted
income equal to 5 percent
of your total marketable
securities plus pensions,
Social Security, and other
investment income such
as rental real estate and
business investments.
aopafinance.org
800-62-PLANE (75263)
http://www.aopa.org/weather http://www.aopa.org/creditcard http://www.aopa.org http://finance.aopa.org http://www.aopa.org/membership/personal http://www.aopa.org/membership http://www.aopafoundation.org http://www.aopa.org/pps http://www.aopafinance.org http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org http://www.aopa.org/cars http://www.aopa.org/hotels
AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2022
