Ever in your life…how do you remember??

C

Class 3

Guest
I’m a little ‘later’ in life and finally have the resources to do more ‘me’ things. I’ve taken a few lessons, and now need to do the physical. That is an intimidating form, which led me to find this site.

Some stuff is easy to answer. Never had a problem with (o) booze or (n) drugs, don't have (k) diabetes. Never had any legal issues.

For some of these, what is the threshold of materiality? (E) Allergies, sure - I sneeze in the spring. Claritin is helpful if it’s a bad year. (C) Unconscious for any reason: Pretty sure I got knocked out a few times in my younger years in sports and maybe in a car crash. Does it matter? (X)Other illness - where do you even begin???

And some I really can’t even recall. The stomach one. Maybe? I have a distant recollection of having some digestive issues as a young man. Anxiety or depression? I recall going through some tough times. I think I spoke to a doc about it. I don’t know what they wrote down or if they prescribed anything. I remember doing some kind of cardiac/treadmill test in my 30’s…but don’t recall why - just that it was a non-issue. Been to the ER a time or two, have no idea if I’ve been admitted. I think I had a kidney stone 10 or 15 years ago…

I guess my question is, what is a reasonable standard to apply to these answers? I am aware of no medical conditions. I do not take any regular prescription meds. I barely take anything over the counter (occasional Advil. Claritin if the pollen count is high). I’ll take the occasional antibiotic, or whatever I get prescribed, for your run of the mill illnesses, infections, etc.

Do I go from best recollection? How much do I try to dig up of my medical records?

I’m not trying to hide anything, I just really don’t recall every medical event I’ve ever had. Maybe I am overthinking this, but I don’t need a hobby causing legal problems.
 
I feel your pain. Now that I have to get a first class medical every 6 months, it's easy to remember, by referring to online records. But back before that, I often had a real hard time remembering even fairly significant medical procedures. Heck, I even forgot to put down my vasectomy. So my solution was simple - I just asked my wife, who seems to remember all of this kind of stuff. I know that doesn't really help you unless you have a similar spouse.

I don't know what to tell you other than just do the best you can, with whatever medical records you can find. Obviously if you forget to include inpatient psychiatric care, that's probably going to be a problem. But if you forget to put in that you got the sniffles in fifth grade, yeah probably not really an issue.
 
I’d say to answer it to the best of your knowledge. Do you have any meds that you took for a long time? Anything at present? Any drug or alcohol charges while driving? I think these are the key ones they are looking for. If you are taking meds there is a database online to search before getting that prescription.
 
Going Sport Pilot without a medical required works well if you can deal with a few limitations. It appears that many of the current limitations could disappear this year if MOSAIC finally goes through ...
 
It depends on how many months/years, how much frustration, and how much money you want to spend to prove to FAA that you are fit to fly. Your choice.
 
You are required to answer to the best of your knowledge. That's it.

And several of your questions are answered in the instructions. Most people apparently don't read them, but they're actually helpful.
 
As others said, follow the instructions as best you can. The practical risk of nondisclosure is not disclosing something potentially disqualifying. And the things that are potentially disqualify are usually big enough to remember.
 
Class 3 said:
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I’m not trying to hide anything, I just really don’t recall every medical event I’ve ever had. Maybe I am overthinking this, but I don’t need a hobby causing legal problems.
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The medical application only causes a legal problem when you knowingly lie on it AND the FAA can prove it. Do you have reason to suspect that’s the case?

The good news at this point is that you can opt on to the sport pilot path and not worry about any of that right now. The more good news is if you do submit an app and you haven’t left something egregious out, it’s a one and done event then you can switch to BasicMed.

The bad news is if you are leaving out something significant, then a denial stops you dead until you can satisfy the FAA. There are plenty of places like Wingman Med, AMAS, Left Seat, and others that will help you better understand specific things that might or might not be a problem from a medical perspective. Call one of them up and ask them their advice.
 
(1) The SUBSTANCE of omission really boils down to if there was billable insurnace for healthcare related to "when my older brother dropped me on my head and I passed out".
(2) Ask, your spouse. She remembers.
(3) Read the pull downs while your doing medxpress. IT sez, state licenesed care professionals" or some such.

All you can do is the"the best you can". It then becomes up to the AME to "put it together". Realize that after submission, the file is still not live. Remove the confirmation code which also appears at the bottom of the first page (white out does a fine job), and go to an AME for a consult only. At that point your medxpress self expunges in 60 days. And you CAN do another from a different email address.

Some AMEs (as a caution) review the "Airman Copy" obtained a the "completed application" button (after the submit) before doing a THING. 100% of the time.

IF the AME will not do a consult you went to the WRONG AME. Pay his fee, move on to another.

BC
 
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I had similar questions for my first medical. My AME said something along the lines of "if you weren't admitted to the hospital, or you weren't prescribed anything, they don't care". I'm not sure that's completely accurate, but the point is whether your health history has something in it that is disqualifying, and as was mentioned above, those are pretty much things you'd remember. They're also generally long term things, not a one-time test.

I'd love to know how these forms get reviewed. Is it all insurance billing codes? How do they even access and process those records for for thousands of applicants all over the country? If they ever get around to using AI, will there suddenly be thousands of records flagged that applicants "forgot" about? Is there currently an army of government employees looking at medical records? Maybe in an old mine, dimly lit by florescent bulbs?

I think the answer is to do the best you can. If you hide something, you might get caught. Eventually. Maybe. But the consequences for lying are pretty bad. If you forget something, well you still might get caught, but the consequences are less dire.
 
Pretty sure the FAA is looking for stuff like hospital visits and other disqualifying medical events not that one time you went to your PCP to get some medicine for the flu. Answer as best as you can.
 
When I was 16 I had allergies one spring. So my AME prescribed Claritin when it wasn’t over the counter yet. Since then I have to answer “seasonal allergies- previously reported no change” even though it’s been years since it has been an issue. Kind of annoying every 6 months just for that. I’d hate to have had more procedures or surgeries that require an appendix on the form each time.
 
Kent Wien said:
When I was 16 I had allergies one spring. So my AME prescribed Claritin when it wasn’t over the counter yet. Since then I have to answer “seasonal allergies- previously reported no change” even though it’s been years since it has been an issue. Kind of annoying every 6 months just for that. I’d hate to have had more procedures or surgeries that require an appendix on the form each time.
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That would make you about 40. If that's still the only thing you have to report with PRNC, consider yourself lucky!
 
This is where I wish MedExpress maintained the information you put in. So if one day years down the road I forget to again report having pneumonia two decades ago PRNC, the FAA doesn't come at me for omission.
 
Kent Wien said:
When I was 16 I had allergies one spring. So my AME prescribed Claritin when it wasn’t over the counter yet. Since then I have to answer “seasonal allergies- previously reported no change” even though it’s been years since it has been an issue. Kind of annoying every 6 months just for that. I’d hate to have had more procedures or surgeries that require an appendix on the form each time.
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I started doing exactly that 25 years ago. An attachment with a table covering the answers to 18u and x, and 19 (visits within 3 years). I just updated it with new information. Prior 18u and x stuff became "all prior to [date] previously reported no change," and new stuff was added. And rolling changes to the 3-year part. I gave it up when I went to BasicMed. Until this years when I decided to go back to it with some small modifications because, frankly, it's easier than putting that same information in the boxes on the form.
 
Thanks to all who replied. I think the language just intimidated me and I over thought it.

Ever is just a really long time to remember, especially in a field that does not tend to answer questions in plain English.
 
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