I am in for a tough time getting my 3rd Class medical, and I could use any advice or encouragement.

No matter how hard you try, you will never get positive feedback here. I’m not talking about giving false hope, but rather nobody will accept your mea culpas.
Doesn’t matter how many times you admit you were wrong, folks here always find a way to say “you don’t get it”.

I do wish you luck.
 
Question for you, @Nick C . In your original post you wrote:

I have recently started training for my Private Pilot Certification after more than 10 years since I first began.
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Did you have a 3rd class medical 10 years ago?


In any case, please understand that all the issues that prompted you to drink don’t really matter much in this context. We all face tough times in life (my own dad passed two weeks ago); the difference is in how we respond to them. You responded by abusing alcohol, and that doesn’t bode well for you when the next crisis comes along.

In some ways your situation is worse than someone who gets drunk as recreation. It’s probably easier to give up a recreational activity than to change how you react to a problem. How will you respond someday when your wife or child get diagnosed with cancer? Or when you lose your job and face a foreclosure? Or whatever....?

Yes there are ways you can fly legally without a medical. But legal doesn’t mean wise. Please get your health in order for your own sake and for the sake of your passengers.
 
bbchien said:
Uh-oh. >0.20 = lots of tolerance. That’s Rehab- territory.....
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Yes, it was definitely a problem. As I understand, there are a lot of possibilities to demonstrate recovery, all of which I am willing to do. In the long run, it will only do me good regardless. I had a discussion about this whole process with my providers this morning. Dr. Bruce, I emailed this case to you, and I would love to discuss your thoughts on this as soon as you have the time.
 
Half Fast said:
Question for you, @Nick C . In your original post you wrote:



Did you have a 3rd class medical 10 years ago?


In any case, please understand that all the issues that prompted you to drink don’t really matter much in this context. We all face tough times in life (my own dad passed two weeks ago); the difference is in how we respond to them. You responded by abusing alcohol, and that doesn’t bode well for you when the next crisis comes along.

In some ways your situation is worse than someone who gets drunk as recreation. It’s probably easier to give up a recreational activity than to change how you react to a problem. How will you respond someday when your wife or child get diagnosed with cancer? Or when you lose your job and face a foreclosure? Or whatever....?

Yes there are ways you can fly legally without a medical. But legal doesn’t mean wise. Please get your health in order for your own sake and for the sake of your passengers.
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No I didn't have it. My only choice to get a PPL is to get my 3rd class now. And yeah, I can understand what you mean. Drinking heavily recreationally could, I suppose, be viewed as "better". Either way it's bad. The good news is that now I am using constructive outlets and professional guidance to work through the hard times; something I had never done before. If things get tough again, I can lean on that support rather than lean toward another bottle. I'm pretty confident.
 
Kritchlow said:
No matter how hard you try, you will never get positive feedback here. I’m not talking about giving false hope, but rather nobody will accept your mea culpas.
Doesn’t matter how many times you admit you were wrong, folks here always find a way to say “you don’t get it”.

I do wish you luck.
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Yeah I can see that. The nay-sayers and tough critics are, in an odd way, helpful. It may hurt to read what they say, but they help keep me grounded. I want to stay optimistic, but understand the reality and gravity of the situation at the same time.
 
Nick C said:
Yeah I can see that. The nay-sayers and tough critics are, in an odd way, helpful. It may hurt to read what they say, but they help keep me grounded. I want to stay optimistic, but understand the reality and gravity of the situation at the same time.
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You'll find the the FAA aeromedical folks are going to be much bigger naysayers and much tougher critics than any of the folks on this board. Be prepared.

Good move contacting Dr. Bruce. He'll give it to you straight as long as you're 100% transparent with him. Don't try to BS him even a little tiny bit.
 
Half Fast said:
You'll find the the FAA aeromedical folks are going to be much bigger naysayers and much tougher critics than any of the folks on this board. Be prepared.

Good move contacting Dr. Bruce. He'll give it to you straight as long as you're 100% transparent with him. Don't try to BS him even a little tiny bit.
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As they probably should be! I don't plan to withhold a damn thing from Dr. Bruce.
 
Just an update for anyone who is interested:

After lots of reading, conversations with advocates, AMEs (including Dr. Lou!), and others in the community, and a lots of option weighing, I have made a decision on how I will proceed. Instead of rolling the dice with the class 3 and setting myself up for a long deferral, I have decided to pursue light sport. I am going to purchase a nice, used Flight Design CTLS, finish my training, and fly that for at least a couple of years. It will suit my needs and wants for the time being!

Regarding mental health, I am doing very well. Although it was not through a HIMS psychologist, I was cleared by a psychologist yesterday of my ADHD diagnosis. She said in no uncertain terms that there was no way I could have ADHD. In fact, she stated that I evaluated much higher than average for attention and awareness. I didn't get a clear report yet regarding the depression; she stated I should continue seeing my therapist for maintenance as my grief, while well-managed, is still quite strong. In both regards, I have discontinued all medications and have noted no negative side effects. Turns out, a lot of my symptoms were definitely related to my abuse of alcohol, from which I have been effortlessly dry for the past 4 months. I plan to sign up for random testing as a means of demonstrating sustained abstinence. I will also attend an AUD treatment program to ensure I stay on my current trajectory. In a couple years, I'll start exploring the pathway to Class 3 again.

As far as training is concerned, I'm back in the air! I flew from my home field to KLEX to look at the CTLS a couple days ago. I got to log a cool 4.3 hours of cross country. As it stands now, I only need to complete the solo requirements, ground school, written testing, and check ride! I plan to celebrate my certification (once I have everything I need, of course) with a 3 hour flight to First Flight in Kill Devil Hills.

Thank you all for your advice, wisdom, and help. It really means the world to me.
 
A good decision, Nick. I believe you will enjoy the CTLS, and you and your better half can cavort around in it to your hearts content. Based on my experience, most kids won't be happy going along with Dad and Mom for very long, and besides that, most kids these days are so busy with activities they don't have much time for leisure. I believe most aircraft owners (including yours truly) fly mostly solo.
 
somorris said:
A good decision, Nick. I believe you will enjoy the CTLS, and you and your better half can cavort around in it to your hearts content. Based on my experience, most kids won't be happy going along with Dad and Mom for very long, and besides that, most kids these days are so busy with activities they don't have much time for leisure. I believe most aircraft owners (including yours truly) fly mostly solo.
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Yeah I think my kids are too young to even consider flying more than a quick 45 minute hop right now anyway. Not sure if I’ll be able to get my wife in the right seat of the CTLS, but I’ll try!
 
Given the recency of the event (4 months), I think this is going to be a hard sell to the FAA. If you had a few years of sobriety/stability under your belt, this would be easier but not with only 4 months. To the FAA, that’s like walking into rehab, still suffering DTs and asking for a medical.

Go down to Aviator PPG, learn to fly powered chutes, do that for a few years while recovering and then start down the process of getting a medical. It will be a bit of a challenge still, but won’t be a guaranteed denial.
 
Daniel Katz said:
Given the recency of the event (4 months), I think this is going to be a hard sell to the FAA. If you had a few years of sobriety/stability under your belt, this would be easier but not with only 4 months. To the FAA, that’s like walking into rehab, still suffering DTs and asking for a medical.

Go down to Aviator PPG, learn to fly powered chutes, do that for a few years while recovering and then start down the process of getting a medical. It will be a bit of a challenge still, but won’t be a guaranteed denial.
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Why fly chutes when he can fly an LSA?

BUT, given his history, it might be wiser not to fly anything at all for a couple of years, even if it might be legal.
 
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Half Fast said:
Why fly chutes when he can fly an LSA?

BUT, given his history, it might be wiser not to fly anything at all for a couple of years, even if it might be legal.
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https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/medical_certification/sportpilots/response4/

If you have a condition in which ou know will cause you to fail a medical exam, you’re prohibited from flying Sport Pilot also.
 
Your story is interesting. Curious who, speciality size prescribe the Prozac. And how long you been on it. The intense new drive and crazy focus accompanied with history of MDD almost sounds a little bipolar to me. Prozac without mood stabilization med will induce a manic state.
The remote road to any hopes a cert is paved with $$$. And lots of it. If the $$$ is unlimited then there’s nothing to lose in certification pursuit. But is that moolah is better served paying or planning ahead then it sounds like a fools errand.
 
Nick C said:
Thank you. I am aware of Dr. Bruce Chien, and he seems like an excellent resource. The only reservation I have in consulting with him is simply the travel distance required. I have a consultation scheduled for next week with Dr. Steven Villegas outside of Cincinnati, OH (which is still 3.5 hours away from me). Knowing that I will likely need to do a lot of in-person visits before I have the ability to fly, I must consider the amount of time it would take me to travel.
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There is going to be traveling. But visits to your AME will be few most can be done over the phone aside from the exam. Most of the work you will have to do will be consulting and visiting with specialist and possibly visiting in patient or outpatient rehab depending on what your AME suggests. And as there are only a few specialist the country that the FAA respects. Be ready to go much further then 3.5 hours. I know the process and it took about 3-5 years for many to get a first time
Issuance medical. Those who work for airlines get the processmdone a little quicker from what I have seen.

Also be ready for a lot of money out the door, the AUD needs to be explained and proof needs to be provided that you are in long term recovery. If you have to go to rehab that may be covered by insurance, after rehab you most likely will be require to go to something called aftercare aka group treatment. And on top of that the FAA strongly encourages AA/NA. You can start doing that now and go to 90 meetings in 90 days and create a personal sign in sheet.

Also the ADHD will need to be dealt with through a extensive evaluation. This takes either a full day or can be split up into two from what I was told.

Good luck and remember even when you have done everything right you still have to sit and wait for the gears or the FAA to slooooowwwwly turn.
 
benyflyguy said:
Your story is interesting. Curious who, speciality size prescribe the Prozac. And how long you been on it. The intense new drive and crazy focus accompanied with history of MDD almost sounds a little bipolar to me. Prozac without mood stabilization med will induce a manic state.
The remote road to any hopes a cert is paved with $$$. And lots of it. If the $$$ is unlimited then there’s nothing to lose in certification pursuit. But is that moolah is better served paying or planning ahead then it sounds like a fools errand.
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I am no longer on medication and the drive remains. Having a strong drive was never an issue. Before my mother died, I was on the same high-drive pathway I am on now; running/growing a business, buying a house, raising children, etc. It is only that the drive diminished when I was presented with powerful, unmanaged grief. It was a lot more of "hey lets get back to where I was and keep going; might as well start seeing some things through that I had been putting off for years while I'm at it" rather than "wow I have a new-found drive that I never had before and I'm going to leverage it into something potentially unsafe".

The story from my original post is a story about a slow decent with a sharp dive at the end, and the story of how I bent every ounce of willpower I had to climb out of the hole I had created and ensure that I never dug that sort of hole again. Nothing manic about it, though I see how it could be interpreted as such.
 
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