Approved for special issuance but lifetime monitoring... feeling really bummed out

Something is fishy about this. If you currently have a 3rd class and SI, than you did possess a valid medical in the rule timeframe and therefore should be able to let it lapse and be good to go.

I'd check with two local celebrity docs: @bbchien and @lbfjrmd

And also an aviation attorney or the AOPA legal squad to see what the real scoop is.
 
Something is fishy about this. If you currently have a 3rd class and SI, than you did possess a valid medical in the rule timeframe and therefore should be able to let it lapse and be good to go.

I'd check with two local celebrity docs: @bbchien and @lbfjrmd

And also an aviation attorney or the AOPA legal squad to see what the real scoop is.

I'm trying to find somewhere online where it says that I can't get a BasicMed if I've ever been denied in the past. Not seeing anything (yet).

I wonder if my diagnosis of OCD back then is the culprit... could it be that the diagnosis itself disqualifies me from BasicMed even though I haven't had it nor have I been treated for it for 15 years?

Planning to call AOPA tomorrow and see their thoughts on all of this.
 
If the SI is not maintained, the medical will be withdrawn. That will disqualify the pilot from BasicMed.

sure, you can get BasicMed anytime now, but if you lose your regular medical then you become disqualified. It is not “switching” to BasicMed, they are two different systems. Getting BasicMed has zero impact on the rules for the 3rd class.

THIS you nailed it
 
Update:

I scheduled the BasicMed physical today and just got home.

Long story short I started flying when I was around 18 years old (2007). I applied for my 3rd Class Medical around 19 (2008) and then being the stupid teenager I was I apparently got some letters from the FAA about seeing a HIMS Psychiatrist back then and ignored the letters, did the whole college thing and stopped flying (lack of funds).

Now 14 years later I decided to start the journey over again and this time I decided to get the Medical Certificate out of the way before I start.

Today the HIMS certified AME I saw said he can't pass me for BasicMed because I previously had the denial from the FAA around 14 years earlier.

Is there anyway I can appeal this to the FAA? The denial 14 years ago wasn't because I had a medical reason to be denied, it was because I was a dumb broke college kid. Am I stuck now with having to report every 6 months?

I called the HIMS Psychiatrist I saw to get the Special Issuance and he wants $800 per appointment every 6 months which then gets forwarded to the HIMS AME that wants another $250 to send that on to the FAA. I believe they want me to renew my medical yearly which would add another $250 on to that yearly total... ~$2,350 gets me a decent amount of hours in a 172. $23,500 every 10 years to just maintain a medical certificate seems kind of ridiculous.

To make matters worse the letter I received specifically calls out me being seen by this specific HIMS Psychiatrist. I could live with going and seeing someone local every 6 months and telling them "no I still do not have OCD from nearly two decades ago", but this Psychiatrist is a 4 hour round trip for me.


DO not go to an AME for Basic Med. Go to your normal doctor, or better yet a Doc in the Box that does DOT physicals. It matters not if your AME "fails" you on Basic Med. You can tell him/her to pound sand. I called several AME to see if they'd do Basic Med - you'd think I was a plague carrier. There is no Appeal for Basic Med. It is between you and your doctor. When you have it in hand, just tell the FAA what the doctors name is who gave you Basic Med. You are done.

BUT you do have to keep your 3rd class in force until it expires, least the FAA revoke it and make you ineligible for Basic Med. The FAA can't revoke an expired medical, and thus can't do that to take Basic Med away from you.
 
There's also a BasicMed FAQ. I don't recall whether it deals with this issue.

file:///C:/Users/ANONYM~1/AppData/Local/Temp/basicmed_faq.pdf

I believe there was a recent thread that dealt with letting an SI lapse and switching to BasicMed. I'll see if I can find it.
 
DO not go to an AME for Basic Med. Go to your normal doctor, or better yet a Doc in the Box that does DOT physicals. It matters not if your AME "fails" you on Basic Med. You can tell him/her to pound sand. I called several AME to see if they'd do Basic Med - you'd think I was a plague carrier. There is no Appeal for Basic Med. It is between you and your doctor. When you have it in hand, just tell the FAA what the doctors name is who gave you Basic Med. You are done.

BUT you do have to keep your 3rd class in force until it expires, least the FAA revoke it and make you ineligible for Basic Med. The FAA can't revoke an expired medical, and thus can't do that to take Basic Med away from you.
You don't have to tell the FAA about your BasicMed exam, but when you take the required online course, you do have to enter the medical license number of the doctor who did your exam, and the course provider (AOPA or Mayo) reports the relevant information to the FAA.
 
I believe there was a recent thread that dealt with letting an SI lapse and switching to BasicMed. I'll see if I can find it.

I'm not sure this is the thread I was thinking of, but it looks relevant:

If you have a HIMS AME sponsored SI, you have to serve out the terms of that SI until the end of the "not valid for any class after ___/__/____" date. Then you are free to do Basic. Just don't try coming back....you'll have to demonstrate continuous compliance with the terms of that HIMS SI, or start at the very beginning, again.
 
Dr Bruce’s advice seems to contradict the FAA memo from 2018 which states that if the medical expires, then the FAA no longer has a valid reason to ask for more testing, there is no medical.

The OP’s medical expires in 3 months. After that, the SI is no longer relevant. To understand this, consider if the OP was going to take a break from flying and didn’t need the medical. Must he continue to get tested and maintain a medical he won’t use? Or does he let the medical expire and then thenFaA no longer has a reason to talk to him.
 
The HIMS requirement is for the SI. BasicMed doesn't require that. You need to find a GP who'll do the BasicMed exam.

Here's the mental health portion of the BasicMed requirement. Your case doesn't fit it. Therefore all you need is a 3rd class to qualify. Unfortunately the FAA thinks you need an SI. That's all for the 3rd class. You don't need the SI for BasicMed.

Medical Conditions Requiring One Special Issuance Before Operating under BasicMed
  • A mental health disorder, limited to an established medical history or clinical diagnosis of—
    • A personality disorder that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts;
    • A psychosis, defined as a case in which an individual —
      • Has manifested delusions, hallucinations, grossly bizarre or disorganized behavior, or other commonly accepted symptoms of psychosis; or
      • May reasonably be expected to manifest delusions, hallucinations, grossly bizarre or disorganized behavior, or other commonly accepted symptoms of psychosis;
    • A bipolar disorder; or
    • A substance dependence within the previous 2 years, as defined in §67.307(a)(4) of 14 Code of Federal Regulations
 
Last edited:
The medical card in your wallet usually expires before the SI letter's expiration date. Let the medical card expire. If you don't comply with the terms of the letter it won't be renewed. End of story. By then you have BasicMed and you have no reason to care.

Somebody show me something that says that's incorrect.
 
Dr Bruce’s advice seems to contradict the FAA memo from 2018 which states that if the medical expires, then the FAA no longer has a valid reason to ask for more testing, there is no medical....
Hmm...I see what you mean.

Also, when does your medical expire? If the medical expires first, then as soon as it's dead, you're free of the SI requirements.

Chief counsel memo holds some information, but it's still incomplete. https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/agc/practice_areas/regulations/interpretations/Data/interps/2018/Domingo-AFX-1-2 - (2018) Legal Interpretation.pdf

My reading is that as long as both the SI and Medical are not expired, you're stuck with them.
 
Today the HIMS certified AME I saw said he can't pass me for BasicMed because I previously had the denial from the FAA around 14 years earlier.

Is there anyway I can appeal this to the FAA? The denial 14 years ago wasn't because I had a medical reason to be denied, it was because I was a dumb broke college kid. Am I stuck now with having to report every 6 months?

First, you shouldn't go to an AME for Basicmed. Some of them will do it, but many will not. You can go to any doctor, the intent is that you get it from your primary care doctor.

Second, there is no "denial" for basicmed, so there's nothing to appeal. If one doctor won't sign it, just find another who will.
 
I'm trying to find somewhere online where it says that I can't get a BasicMed if I've ever been denied in the past. Not seeing anything (yet).

Yes, you can get Basic Med if you've been denied before getting a medical.

I think you're mixing this up with flying on a driver's license as a Sport LSA pilot. You can't do that if you've ever been denied / revoked / recinded.
 
Dr Bruce’s advice seems to contradict the FAA memo from 2018 which states that if the medical expires, then the FAA no longer has a valid reason to ask for more testing, there is no medical
I think that quote from Dr. Bruce might have been for a pilot who had to pass some med tests while holding a current medical certificate—such as getting monitored for alcohol. The pilot must submit to those tests until the current medical certificate expires. If the pilot doesn’t comply, the medical certificate will be revoked by the FAA, and he or she cannot qualify for BasicMed.

Once the medical certificate expires (i.e., the date on med certificate passes), the pilot no longer has to comply with the SI, because he or she no longer wishes to hold a medical certificate, choosing to fly with BasicMed instead. The FAA cannot revoke an expired medical certificate.

It seems to me like the original poster needs get a new third class med certificate (an SI will likely be required). If the issued certificate is valid for, say, six months, the OP will need comply with whatever tests are required during that six month period. When that six month period elapses and the med cert expires, there will be no need to see an FAA psychiatrist or do whatever the SI requires. Having a med certificate that was not revoked will allow the OP to get BasicMed.

However, the OP might need to see a run-of-the-mill board certified psychiatrist every-so-often while under BasicMed as per 14 CFR 68.9(c). My feeling is that the psychiatrist would only be consulted by the FAA if the pilot did a bad thing (regs violation, crash, or whatever) and the FAA wanted contact the doc. If a bad thing happens and there is no doc, then FAA would not be happy.

I’m not a doctor, I don’t work for the FAA, nor have I recently stayed in a Holiday Inn Express. ;)
 
...I think you're mixing this up with flying on a driver's license as a Sport LSA pilot. You can't do that if you've ever been denied / revoked / recinded.

Not true.

§61.303 If I want to operate a light-sport aircraft, what operating limits and endorsement requirements in this subpart must I comply with?

...(b) A person using a U.S. driver's license to meet the requirements of this paragraph must—

(1) Comply with each restriction and limitation imposed by that person's U.S. driver's license and any judicial or administrative order applying to the operation of a motor vehicle;

(2) Have been found eligible for the issuance of at least a third-class airman medical certificate at the time of his or her most recent application (if the person has applied for a medical certificate);

(3) Not have had his or her most recently issued medical certificate (if the person has held a medical certificate) suspended or revoked or most recent Authorization for a Special Issuance of a Medical Certificate withdrawn; and

(4) Not know or have reason to know of any medical condition that would make that person unable to operate a light-sport aircraft in a safe manner.​
 
Where did you see that the OP’s medical expires in 3 months ? He just got approved last year. At his age a 3rd class is good for 4 years. So he will have to do the SI psychiatrist every 6 months or what ever is necessary to keep the 3rd class alive and healthy. Only when it has timed out / expired can you fly on Basic Med and not do the SI required psych visits.
 
Last edited:
Does your medical contain the following words: "Not valid for any class after xx/xx/xxx" or "Not valid after xx/xx/xxxx"? That would be when the medical expires...

And instead of asking for opinions from SGOTI what will happen, just ask the FAA and ask for a letter explaining what will happen if you don't follow through with the SI requirements...
 
Where did you see that the OP’s medical expires in 3 months ? He just got approved last year. At his age a 3rd class is good for 4 years. So he will have to do the SI psychiatrist every 6 months or what ever is necessary to keep the 3rd class alive and healthy. Only when it has timed out / expired can you fly on Basic Med and not do the SI required psych visits.
Sorry about my six month example confusion. I just used six months as an example because it sounded reasonable based on what he wrote, and based on my own past special issuance experience. o_O

Basically, I’m guessing that if he got a special issuance letter, it’s the SI letter that expires in August of 2025. The SI letter details the conditions to be met in order for him to keep getting third class medical certificates during that time. Also, since August of 2025 is more than four years in the future, that probably is not when his third class medical certificate expires. Just guessing.

I’m also guessing that his third class medical certificates will only be valid for six months each because that is how often he said he needs to visit the FAA psychologist. I’m guessing that after getting an approval from the psychiatrist, a new six month third class medical certificate can be issued.

I believe if he wants to switch to BasicMed, he can stop doing the special issuance letter stuff whenever he stops applying for third class medical certificates. Basically, he can switch to BasicMed and then stop seeing the FAA psychiatrist whenever his current third class medical certificate expires, and he doesn’t apply for a new one.

When on BasicMed, though, he needs to be sure to comply with 14 CFR 68.9(c). Which may mean occasionally seeing a much less expensive psychiatrist than an FFA approved one.

Hopefully a person in the know will be able to officially advise the OP!
 
Where did you see that the OP’s medical expires in 3 months ?

It's in Post #29. (It's actually almost four months from now.)

Looks like I have some more digging to do. I will be contacting my AME as a starting point as the language in my letter is confusing enough to understand even if I did want to comply and not move to BasicMed. Oddly enough it says that my certificate expires on August 31st of 2021... meaning they just finally issued it and now it will expire in three months. The authorization itself expires August 31, 2025. (I'm assuming this means the SI authorization.)

After reading these comments it seems there is some ambiguity, but that if it does expire in August of this year that could be a good thing because if I can switch to BasicMed before that date then I will not be out of compliance if I let it expire without sending in the 6 month reporting requirements I have.

Hoping to have a chat with the AME today but I have a suspicion I'll have to make an appointment and see him in person.
 
How is this thread going on to 60 responses? It’s simple. He has a Class 3 now, which expires this August. There are no ongoing requirements between now and then. Get BasicMed now and fly away. Call AOPA first, but SGOTI - not least of which, PoA - will always try to make things complicated.
 
It seems to me like the original poster needs get a new third class med certificate (an SI will likely be required). If the issued certificate is valid for, say, six months, the OP will need comply with whatever tests are required during that six month period.

The OP has a current 3rd class with SI. The SI expires in 2025, but the 3rd class expires in 3 months. Once the 3rd class is expired, the FAA no longer has a valid reason to request testing, so the OP is free from the SI.
 
How is this thread going on to 60 responses? It’s simple. He has a Class 3 now, which expires this August. There are no ongoing requirements between now and then. Get BasicMed now and fly away. Call AOPA first, but SGOTI - not least of which, PoA - will always try to make things complicated.

The thread was long because we all read poorly on screen. Lots of people missing information or not reading through the whole thread, myself included.

To me, AOPA medical is just SGOTT. They were wrong the two times I called them and I dropped them the next year. AMEs got me straightened out.

Hey, look, a new topic for at least another 60 posts...
 
Thank you very much to everyone who has chimed in here, I am very grateful for all of the information.
 
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 365 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.
Back
Top