3rd class and ssdi

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itsjustme

Guest
Not sure what to do, I think i need a consultation with my ME off the record but I've been a pilot 36 years and currently own a plane. I have or had a physical demanding job, and have had 3 cervical fusions, corp tunnel , and all have been reported. I had a back issue over the summer that finally took me out of my job and had to file disability and retire. I cannot do that job anymore.I haven't been able to fly much lately as i always would be resting up for the next week of work. I have a current 3 rd class with a special issuance for OSA that getting ready to expire. I can physically fly the airplane, just cannot crawl under or over it anymore without aggravating the back and being layed up a couple days. I know they had issues years ago with ssdi and medicals. Will a ssdi for a back issue take you out of the pilots seat? I'm perfectly fine with self grounding when conditions flair up and not trying to hide anything, its just a shame i worked for what i got but tore myself up enough to not be able to enjoy it.
 
Why not go BasicMed.

But Social Security Disability, while reportable, is generally not disqualifying. The key is what the underlying diagnoses are and what, if any, medications are being used.

Think pains and sprains vs mental meltdown.
 
I guess the issue is what do they consider neurological even on basic med. I have 3 bulging disks and I evidently have arthritis in my lower back and it flares up and gets in the nerves. If i overdue it I have pain when the lumbar gets flared up and shoots down my legs. I was dealing with a neurosurgeon and he pretty much jacked me around for 5 months. I have since started with another, he sent me and I passed a nerve conduction test in the legs.
 
itsjustme said:
I guess the issue is what do they consider neurological even on basic med.
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No mystery. They tell you.

https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/basic_med
  • A neurological disorder, limited to an established medical history or clinical diagnosis of any of the following:
    • Epilepsy;
    • Disturbance of consciousness without satisfactory medical explanation of the cause; or
    • A transient loss of control of nervous system functions without satisfactory medical explanation of the cause.
I don’t see where you described any of those three items. If those don’t apply to you, go Basic Med and don’t look back.
 
itsjustme said:
I guess the issue is what do they consider neurological even on basic med. I have 3 bulging disks and I evidently have arthritis in my lower back and it flares up and gets in the nerves. If i overdue it I have pain when the lumbar gets flared up and shoots down my legs. I was dealing with a neurosurgeon and he pretty much jacked me around for 5 months. I have since started with another, he sent me and I passed a nerve conduction test in the legs.
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You are making this too hard. BasicMed.
 
Not trying to make it to hard, just don't want to limit myself to basic med if I can help it. I'm not trying to hide anything or wanting to.I wasn't sure about this since I already had a SI for sleep apnea. I'm in compliance on that and just did my yearly check up to get the sleep docs sign off. I imagine my ME already has his new sign off,just holding back off making the ME appointment until I get all my eggs in one basket. I don't see anything for back issues disqualifying ( unless one could not work the controls) for a 3rd class other than having to check box 18. Isn't box 18 on the basic med app also?
 
OP - If you really want Class III then perhaps request a consult with your ME. Prior to the FAA Med Exam.
I had a medical incident (subsequent to Medical Certificate being issued) and was not sure about it so I scheduled an appt with my ME and asked him. He said no worries just fly when you feel better. I am not a Doc and really didn't know so I figured rather than guess - I would ask a Doc that knows? That particular incident is now reported (along with a handful of other stuff) under "Box 18" where (at this point) they are all being listed as "Previously Reported, No Change" although the nurse asked for me to continue to list the explanation after that as it makes her job faster and easier.
 
We have a client who doesn't want Basic Med because he flies a turboprop in the flight levels.

Think of the question about disability benefits as just another way for the FAA to ask "how are you doing?" the same way the want to know about meds, appointments, etc. Having a disability does not automatically mean you will be denied. And even without the disability rating from social security you still would need to disclose the condition. What the FAA wants to know is what the medical condition is, how bad it is, and what are the chances the condition will lead to potential incapacitation in performance of flight duties.

If you, and your doctors, feel that your condition is stable enough and not exacerbated by flight operations then you may still have a chance at a FAA medical certificate. Just remember that if you get denied, you can no longer use Basic Med.
 
You take a gamble with re-certification, but from what you've described it seems like an extremely low risk. The push for Basic Med is simply due to its simplicity countered by the pitfall of being denied a medical. There's no reason you can't do both, BTW, which allows you to fly during the gathering of more documentation.

BTW, all discs "bulge", like marshmallows in a smore. And unlike the situation with an AME, with Basic Med if one doc has a problem with bulging discs, you can always go to someone else.
 
I personally contacted AOPA for consult on my medical questions. I wound up going Basic Med, but I had a really good talk with them first. I explained my situation, they talked me through the basics of a SI, and I made a decision from there.

I would start there before your AME, just in case you do have something disqualifying. Then you can jump right into basic med.

Good luck!!!


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Understand the AOPA people aren't AMEs or even trained professionals. They're reading a script and they frequently make errors. If you want to know what an SI opportunity would mean to you, you need to have a frank discussion (outside of an exam) with one of the AMEs who deals with such issuances.
 
You problem will not be so much FAA. It will be the disability company when the figure out you have a pilot medical. So this is FRAUGHT.

The difficulty is “well enough to fly but not well enough to do physical labor”.

it’s a Narrow channel to navigate. I generally agree with basic med, but I can see that might become an issue as well….
 
bbchien said:
You problem will not be so much FAA. It will be the disability company when the figure out you have a pilot medical. So this is FRAUGHT.

The difficulty is “well enough to fly but not well enough to do physical labor”.

it’s a Narrow channel to navigate. I generally agree with basic med, but I can see that might become an issue as well….
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Good point.

"Disability" is occupation specific (unlike "impairment" which is daily living specific) and disability policies can be very different in types of policies and in their terms. I think that when the FAA cracked down on pilots with disabilities years ago it was more due to their falsifying their medical applications than it was the condition itself, although clearly some of the disabling conditions were also a concern.
 
bbchien said:
You problem will not be so much FAA. It will be the disability company when the figure out you have a pilot medical. So this is FRAUGHT.

The difficulty is “well enough to fly but not well enough to do physical labor”.

it’s a Narrow channel to navigate. I generally agree with basic med, but I can see that might become an issue as well….
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Another POV -
If he is well enough to drive a car, then flying a skyhawk should not be over taxing.

I can understand disability / not able to work in your current job but still have a somewhat "normal" lift. A neighbor is moving out of commercial plumbing - he just can't constantly lift piping, stooping over for installs, etc. His back and knees are shot. But he's OK to drive (and I would say fly as well).

We have a gentleman with a Cirrus parked next to our club planes. He can fly fine, but has to have the friendly FBO people move his plane back to the tie down area.
 
Half Fast said:
Which limitations are you concerned about?
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Great question.

If the OP doesn't mind flying a plane that seats no more than 6 people, flies no faster than 250 kts, stays out of Alpha, and doesn't need to fly to Canada or Mexico, then should be good to go.
 
WDD said:
Another POV -
If he is well enough to drive a car, then flying a skyhawk should not be over taxing.

I can understand disability / not able to work in your current job but still have a somewhat "normal" lift. A neighbor is moving out of commercial plumbing - he just can't constantly lift piping, stooping over for installs, etc. His back and knees are shot. But he's OK to drive (and I would say fly as well).

We have a gentleman with a Cirrus parked next to our club planes. He can fly fine, but has to have the friendly FBO people move his plane back to the tie down area.
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You must be my neighbor because you nailed the example.
 
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