Brand new - just did medxpress

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Calrugerfan

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calrugerfan
I just submitted my info on Medxpress. I believe that I know have to make an appt with an AME.

Then what? How long does it take before I an start learning to fly?
 
now. go get in a plane. I don't think you NEED the 3rd class medical to start training, I think just before you solo (the pro's can validate this statement).
 
Calrugerfan said:
I just submitted my info on Medxpress. I believe that I know have to make an appt with an AME.

Then what? How long does it take before I an start learning to fly?
Click to expand...

You don't need a medical to learn to fly, but you will when you solo.

Head to the airport and start flying! (But don't spend too much money until you actually GET your medical.)
 
Matthew said:
You don't need a medical to learn to fly, but you will when you solo.

Head to the airport and start flying! (But don't spend too much money until you actually GET your medical.)
Click to expand...

Agreed… Go flying but when you really get "hooked" make sure you get it so there's no let down if there's an issue..
 
...my guess is that most folks would know if they are going to have issues with the medical. There are certain issues that can be deal breakers - color blindness, diabetes, medications, high blood pressure, etc...

I did a few lessons before I had my medical done but I wasn't too worried about mine - I'm in pretty good health. The one that can sneak up on you is blood pressure if you don't get it checked often and if it's too far out of whack they'll ground you until you fix it.

As others mentioned you can fly with a CFI all you want - you just need the medical to solo and of course to get your actual license at some point.
 
Calrugerfan said:
I just submitted my info on Medxpress. I believe that I know have to make an appt with an AME.

Then what? How long does it take before I an start learning to fly?
Click to expand...

Today, the medical is not needed to start, and it will likely be 15 flight hours before you are ready to solo. Unless your AME finds a problem they will be able to issue your medical/student pilot certificate at the end of the appointment and you can solo that day. Have fun and get at it.
 
kenjr said:
...my guess is that most folks would know if they are going to have issues with the medical. There are certain issues that can be deal breakers - color blindness, diabetes, medications, high blood pressure, etc...

I did a few lessons before I had my medical done but I wasn't too worried about mine - I'm in pretty good health. The one that can sneak up on you is blood pressure if you don't get it checked often and if it's too far out of whack they'll ground you until you fix it.

As others mentioned you can fly with a CFI all you want - you just need the medical to solo and of course to get your actual license at some point.
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I dunno - I have first hand experience with a student who waited until he was ready to solo before he got his medical. Turned out he had been on some ADD medication for a little while in the past. He didn't realize it was a "big deal". Doc Chien and another helpful AME had to get involved.
 
Thanks. Thats what I thought. So how long does it take for the certificate to arrive?
 
I'm looking to start lessons in January. Discovery flight then ground school then actual flying.
 
Calrugerfan said:
I'm looking to start lessons in January. Discovery flight then ground school then actual flying.
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Doing ground before flying isn't very productive. Normally one does a concurrent and integrated program which gives a better understanding and retention of the details involved.
 
WARNING!

The only way to fill out the MedXepress form (online 8500-8) is using Microsoft Internet Explorer. No other browser allowed. If you try, you get a snarky error message.

Whoever at FAA approved this limitation as a requirement should be moved to janitorial services.
Whatever contractor got the contract and convinced the FAA that IE was the ONLY way to go, should be sent to work on healthcare.gov.

Now I have to go find a windows box in a location (neighbor?) where I don't mind the lack of privacy.

Update: See my last msg in this thread. Grump. [pejorative] [injective] [obscenity]
 
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murphey said:
Now I have to go find a windows box in a location (neighbor?) where I don't mind the lack of privacy.
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If you aren't in a major hurry I can loan you a winders laptop so you can complete the form at your leisure.
 
murphey said:
WARNING!

The only way to fill out the MedXepress form (online 8500-8) is using Microsoft Internet Explorer. No other browser allowed. If you try, you get a snarky error message.

Whoever at FAA approved this limitation as a requirement should be moved to janitorial services.
Whatever contractor got the contract and convinced the FAA that IE was the ONLY way to go, should be sent to work on healthcare.gov.

Now I have to go find a windows box in a location (neighbor?) where I don't mind the lack of privacy.
Click to expand...

:confused: I'm pretty sure I did mine on my iPad using Safari.
 
FredFenster said:
I used firefox with no issues.. :dunno:
Click to expand...

Just got off the phone with MedExpress help...they claim Firefox works. After 20 min of screwing around with my system, finally got in using Firefox.

But be aware, the snarky error message is incredibly misleading.
 
Matthew said:
I dunno - I have first hand experience with a student who waited until he was ready to solo before he got his medical. Turned out he had been on some ADD medication for a little while in the past. He didn't realize it was a "big deal". Doc Chien and another helpful AME had to get involved.
Click to expand...

I'd agree - do it ASAP otherwise you might be spending $$ on training that's not going to do you any good or...you'll be ready to solo and have some situation with your medical and it could be months before the situation is resolved...if it ever gets resolved.

For me, I had never been on any medication (other than 'normal' stuff - antibiotics, cold medicine, etc...), no surgery, never in the hospital, no broken bones, prior military so knew I wasn't color blind, etc... and had Lasik a few years back so have 20/20 vision.
 
murphey said:
Just got off the phone with MedExpress help...they claim Firefox works. After 20 min of screwing around with my system, finally got in using Firefox.

But be aware, the snarky error message is incredibly misleading.
Click to expand...
Many web applications make a claim that only certain browser(s) and possibly version(s) are supported, and most of those notices range from incomplete (more browsers work than they indicate) to just plain false.

A more advanced topic, but many sites take active steps to disallow certain browsers… and many browsers have a developer option to make it look like they're a different browser (which usually lets the site work correctly).
 
kenjr said:
...my guess is that most folks would know if they are going to have issues with the medical. There are certain issues that can be deal breakers - color blindness, diabetes, medications, high blood pressure, etc..
Click to expand...

My guess is that most people do not know what will cause issues with a medical until it is too late. The real deal breakers (add, anti-depressants, stress issues, etc.) are things that many people would think of as no big deal, while big deal "medical" things like heart attacks or organ transplants can be dealt with.
 
murphey said:
Whoever at FAA approved this limitation as a requirement should be moved to janitorial services.
Whatever contractor got the contract and convinced the FAA that IE was the ONLY way to go, should be sent to work on healthcare.gov.
Click to expand...

Sent, they got promoted to work on healthcare.gov :rofl:
 
Henning said:
Doing ground before flying isn't very productive. Normally one does a concurrent and integrated program which gives a better understanding and retention of the details involved.
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Ok. I just assumed that was the order. I'm going to be using a flight school so I'll be following their curriculum.
 
Calrugerfan said:
Ok. I just assumed that was the order. I'm going to be using a flight school so I'll be following their curriculum.
Click to expand...

Good, most people don't end up with a formal 'ground school' anyway. Think of it like learning Algebra by reading the whole book first, then going back to the beginning to work on the practice problems. You'll find that you'll have read the book at least twice by the time you're done.
 
Calrugerfan said:
I just submitted my info on Medxpress. I believe that I know have to make an appt with an AME.

Then what? How long does it take before I an start learning to fly?
Click to expand...
Wait until you have flown a few times before you get your medical. Your instructor will have a good idea of who some of the good AME's to go to are. Personally, I refer my students/anyone who asks to a guy that is a 1 hour drive away because he is that much better than the two we have in town.
 
GCA319 said:
Personally, I refer my students/anyone who asks to a guy that is a 1 hour drive away because he is that much better than the two we have in town.
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I ended up traveling to Newark Airport because the AME was $140 cheaper than the cheapest AME in town, plus no appointment because he just sees airline pilots all day. It's worth it to call around and get recommendations on which AME around is better.
 
Aviatrix said:
I ended up traveling to Newark Airport because the AME was $140 cheaper than the cheapest AME in town, plus no appointment because he just sees airline pilots all day. It's worth it to call around and get recommendations on which AME around is better.
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$140 cheaper?:eek: I don't pay a $140 to begin with, I think the most I ever paid was $120, my normal guy charges me $90. Back in the day I'd wash Doc Peterson's plane and we'd call it even.
 
Henning said:
$140 cheaper?:eek: I don't pay a $140 to begin with, I think the most I ever paid was $120, my normal guy charges me $90. Back in the day I'd wash Doc Peterson's plane and we'd call it even.
Click to expand...

I only pay $90 too. Must be an NYC thing.
 
$80, Class III, Dallas, close to KADS
 
I paid $110 out there. The cheapest guy in NYC was charging $250, the most expensive was $450. I got a lecture from the $450 guy saying I should pick a cheaper hobby like knitting.
 
Aviatrix said:
I paid $110 out there. The cheapest guy in NYC was charging $250, the most expensive was $450. I got a lecture from the $450 guy saying I should pick a cheaper hobby like knitting.
Click to expand...

Tell him he needs to find a cheaper mistress because you're not gonna pay to support this one.
 
Thread drifts can be fun... :lol:

Back to the OP.... we're razzing you a bit in good natured fun because we appreciate your enthusiasm and you did this a bit out of the normal order. But no harm... yet.

To be sure you are not about to step on a landmine of your own making, did you answer yes to any of thing under question 18 or question 19? Are you taking any medications that are on the verboten list? And a hot one of late... Did anyone tag you during childhood as being ADHD (rightly or wrongly)?

Unfortunately, many student pilots don't understand what importance FAA Form 8500-8 represents or what the consequences are if the submission contains information that to them is innocent, but to the FAA is a big deal. So we'd like to help make sure you haven't loaded the gun and now are pointing it at your foot. Let us know what you put down and we'll comment and kibbitz and help you.
 
murphey said:
Just got off the phone with MedExpress help...they claim Firefox works. After 20 min of screwing around with my system, finally got in using Firefox.

But be aware, the snarky error message is incredibly misleading.
Click to expand...
Murph, I'll bet you didn't know that Medxpress is unauthorized software. You can't ever find a line item in the budget for it. 20 years ago Warren Silberman looked at how CAMI operated and knew that it could not continue the way it did.

He had three spots vacant. He changed the job descriptions, hired 3 guys on "long term loan" form Northrup Grumman, to make it happen.

Tech support existed on site until 2011 when OMB pulled the rug out on that one.

Pretty good for a bootleg software app.....
 
Henning said:
Good, most people don't end up with a formal 'ground school' anyway. Think of it like learning Algebra by reading the whole book first, then going back to the beginning to work on the practice problems. You'll find that you'll have read the book at least twice by the time you're done.
Click to expand...

Reading the book(s) twice is a good idea anyway. Even the intro chapters of the Airplane Flying Handbook make more sense when you are reviewing for your checkride than they do when you have two hours dual in the logbook.

But with the model Henning describes, you'll end up reading it more than twice.
 
Henning said:
$140 cheaper?:eek: I don't pay a $140 to begin with, I think the most I ever paid was $120, my normal guy charges me $90. Back in the day I'd wash Doc Peterson's plane and we'd call it even.
Click to expand...

It's all over the map. AMEs are not covered by insurance, so we really get to see how much variation there is in office visit rates. I paid $200 for both of my medicals. Fortunately, I asked at work (we're a Federal airfield) if the onside medical folks could renew a Class II or III medical and got told they needed the practice and were trying to get approval for it. The price is REALLY right for that, and I'd be more than happy to give them the practice. Even if they wanted to do the Class I stuff (not that I need it, but if they want to practice their ECGs in exchange for a free medical, I can help out).
 
MAKG1 said:
It's all over the map. AMEs are not covered by insurance, so we really get to see how much variation there is in office visit rates. I paid $200 for both of my medicals. Fortunately, I asked at work (we're a Federal airfield) if the onside medical folks could renew a Class II or III medical and got told they needed the practice and were trying to get approval for it. The price is REALLY right for that, and I'd be more than happy to give them the practice. Even if they wanted to do the Class I stuff (not that I need it, but if they want to practice their ECGs in exchange for a free medical, I can help out).
Click to expand...

I believe they need to be Senior AMEs for a first class.
 
bbchien said:
Murph, I'll bet you didn't know that Medxpress is unauthorized software. You can't ever find a line item in the budget for it. 20 years ago Warren Silberman looked at how CAMI operated and knew that it could not continue the way it did.

He had three spots vacant. He changed the job descriptions, hired 3 guys on "long term loan" form Northrup Grumman, to make it happen.

Tech support existed on site until 2011 when OMB pulled the rug out on that one.

Pretty good for a bootleg software app.....
Click to expand...

Maybe those guys should get the ObamaCare web contract!
 
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