Hello all,
I'm trying to get an idea of what to expect in regards to my FAA medical. Thanks in advance for any information you can provide - I would love to hear from the very knowledgeable @bbchien if possible.
I consulted with an AME last year around November, and explained my past history to the best of my ability - I printed all the available info from online court records and brought them in to my AME. He suggested that I go straight for first class for a couple of reasons - he suggested that since my application will likely be deferred, that once I get the application approved by the FAA, it will be in my past (absolved, basically) and a non-issue moving forward. He also suggested that the review process should be no different whether I went for third class or first class, and that by skipping straight to first class, I avoid the possibility of further review down the road if I wanted to, for instance, upgrade my 3rd class to a first class later on.
So in November, I submitted my application, got my exam with the AME, which was deferred as expected.
It took months, but the FAA finally sent me a letter requesting all relevant records, arrest reports, sentencing reports, a statement from probation officer's, etc...
I had 2 drug related incidents 3 months apart at age 18 (back in 2003/2004)
The first involved possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, and possession of alcohol (as a minor). I was not operating impaired and this was never suggested. I got a good lawyer and ended up with an A misdemeanor.
3 months later I was caught obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. Again - got a good lawyer and ended up with an A misdemeanor for Deception.
My license was never suspended for either incident, nor was I ever required to take part in any treatment or programs of any kind.
Both incidents stemmed from the same situation -- My boss and his wife at the time were using me to obtain drugs to fuel his wife's addiction - they should have been role models, but instead used their position to take advantage for their own gain as well as introducing me to marijuana.
Nonetheless, this was a wake up call - I quit that job, removed myself from their association, and had no further issues since. I discontinued the marijuana, never had any substance-related issues, and rarely consume alcohol. I haven't really had to think about my past for well over a decade until now.
I'm curious what is in store for me now. It took quite the effort (especially because of how old the records are), but I obtained every last document they asked for and submitted them all, along with a requested personal statement.
It took them 6 more months to review, but they just finally sent me a 2nd correspondence. The letter starts with "Your application reveals the needs for additional information regarding your use of Marijuana". This time, they wanted a forensic drug screen within 48 hours of receiving their certified letter. It took ALL DAY to finally find a lab willing to do a 10-panel forensic test on a self-referral (almost everyone I contacted turned me away), but I finally found a lab and got the test done the same day I received the letter. I haven't done drugs since my youth (stopped it all once on probation), and at least by the normal definitions, am not substance dependent. Not only do I not do any illegal drugs, but I barely and rarely drink. Typically only special occasions if at all and very little (I'm a lightweight).
The other item they are wanting is an evaluation done by a certified drug/alcohol abuse counselor, or psychologist, or psychiatrist. They aren't requiring it be done by anyone certified in HIMS or similar, but they recommend that it be done by someone familiar with aviation guidelines. They included a list of everything that the evaluation needs to address.
I'm still searching for someone to do the evaluation, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. At this point, I'm wondering if this is going to turn into an endless back and forth with the FAA, or if there is hope and what might be down the road for me.
One more problem I want advice on is this: on my application, I marked NO on the question asking if I've ever failed a drug test. To my knowledge, I had not. But when I obtained the court records (after I received the first letter), it turns out that I did have a positive drug screen for cannabis on a pre-sentencing drug test that the court required (prior to being placed on probation). I don't recall it, and in fact, the probation department's letter states that I never had any positive drug screens. The full records, of course, (including the aforementioned drug test) were sent in to the FAA in the initial packet of information that they requested. I'm uncertain how to address this issue, or if this completely ruins the possibility of an issuance. They did not address this at all in their subsequent correspondence and I'm uncertain how it should be handled.
To be honest, I did not expect these incidents from my youth, nearly 20 years ago, to be such an issue and I'm finding the process to be quite exhausting. I'm wondering if there is any hope or if I'm perhaps just wasting my time (and money).
As I wrote in my personal statement: "Since this time, I have had no legal issues whatsoever and have developed into an upstanding member of society who continually attempts to better himself. These incidents happened nearly 20 years ago, and my past is not indicative of the person I have become." and "In conclusion, although I still feel bad about my involvement in these past offenses, I do not believe that these mistakes I made at age 18, nearly 20 years ago, should affect my eligibility to receive my medical certification now and I hope that you agree." - I absolutely feel this way, but I'm uncertain if the FAA will concur...
Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide. I'd be happy to provide any further details requested.
I'm trying to get an idea of what to expect in regards to my FAA medical. Thanks in advance for any information you can provide - I would love to hear from the very knowledgeable @bbchien if possible.
I consulted with an AME last year around November, and explained my past history to the best of my ability - I printed all the available info from online court records and brought them in to my AME. He suggested that I go straight for first class for a couple of reasons - he suggested that since my application will likely be deferred, that once I get the application approved by the FAA, it will be in my past (absolved, basically) and a non-issue moving forward. He also suggested that the review process should be no different whether I went for third class or first class, and that by skipping straight to first class, I avoid the possibility of further review down the road if I wanted to, for instance, upgrade my 3rd class to a first class later on.
So in November, I submitted my application, got my exam with the AME, which was deferred as expected.
It took months, but the FAA finally sent me a letter requesting all relevant records, arrest reports, sentencing reports, a statement from probation officer's, etc...
I had 2 drug related incidents 3 months apart at age 18 (back in 2003/2004)
The first involved possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, and possession of alcohol (as a minor). I was not operating impaired and this was never suggested. I got a good lawyer and ended up with an A misdemeanor.
3 months later I was caught obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. Again - got a good lawyer and ended up with an A misdemeanor for Deception.
My license was never suspended for either incident, nor was I ever required to take part in any treatment or programs of any kind.
Both incidents stemmed from the same situation -- My boss and his wife at the time were using me to obtain drugs to fuel his wife's addiction - they should have been role models, but instead used their position to take advantage for their own gain as well as introducing me to marijuana.
Nonetheless, this was a wake up call - I quit that job, removed myself from their association, and had no further issues since. I discontinued the marijuana, never had any substance-related issues, and rarely consume alcohol. I haven't really had to think about my past for well over a decade until now.
I'm curious what is in store for me now. It took quite the effort (especially because of how old the records are), but I obtained every last document they asked for and submitted them all, along with a requested personal statement.
It took them 6 more months to review, but they just finally sent me a 2nd correspondence. The letter starts with "Your application reveals the needs for additional information regarding your use of Marijuana". This time, they wanted a forensic drug screen within 48 hours of receiving their certified letter. It took ALL DAY to finally find a lab willing to do a 10-panel forensic test on a self-referral (almost everyone I contacted turned me away), but I finally found a lab and got the test done the same day I received the letter. I haven't done drugs since my youth (stopped it all once on probation), and at least by the normal definitions, am not substance dependent. Not only do I not do any illegal drugs, but I barely and rarely drink. Typically only special occasions if at all and very little (I'm a lightweight).
The other item they are wanting is an evaluation done by a certified drug/alcohol abuse counselor, or psychologist, or psychiatrist. They aren't requiring it be done by anyone certified in HIMS or similar, but they recommend that it be done by someone familiar with aviation guidelines. They included a list of everything that the evaluation needs to address.
I'm still searching for someone to do the evaluation, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. At this point, I'm wondering if this is going to turn into an endless back and forth with the FAA, or if there is hope and what might be down the road for me.
One more problem I want advice on is this: on my application, I marked NO on the question asking if I've ever failed a drug test. To my knowledge, I had not. But when I obtained the court records (after I received the first letter), it turns out that I did have a positive drug screen for cannabis on a pre-sentencing drug test that the court required (prior to being placed on probation). I don't recall it, and in fact, the probation department's letter states that I never had any positive drug screens. The full records, of course, (including the aforementioned drug test) were sent in to the FAA in the initial packet of information that they requested. I'm uncertain how to address this issue, or if this completely ruins the possibility of an issuance. They did not address this at all in their subsequent correspondence and I'm uncertain how it should be handled.
To be honest, I did not expect these incidents from my youth, nearly 20 years ago, to be such an issue and I'm finding the process to be quite exhausting. I'm wondering if there is any hope or if I'm perhaps just wasting my time (and money).
As I wrote in my personal statement: "Since this time, I have had no legal issues whatsoever and have developed into an upstanding member of society who continually attempts to better himself. These incidents happened nearly 20 years ago, and my past is not indicative of the person I have become." and "In conclusion, although I still feel bad about my involvement in these past offenses, I do not believe that these mistakes I made at age 18, nearly 20 years ago, should affect my eligibility to receive my medical certification now and I hope that you agree." - I absolutely feel this way, but I'm uncertain if the FAA will concur...
Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide. I'd be happy to provide any further details requested.
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