… I have an appointment for a first class medical coming up and I am wondering if I have to disclose a neck surgery that I had in Feb of last year .
Yes. The instructions for questions 18 and 19 are quite clear. Failure to do so is a federal felony. Is that really what you want to commit to?
… am worried that if I do disclose it I will get deferred and will have to wait even longer to start my training.
The surgery is likely a nothingburger. I’ve had open heart surgery, cancer, and a couple other surgeries. If you survived the procedure itself, you’ll likely pass. What will trip you up is the diagnosis. Waltz into the AME without knowing exactly what documentation the FAA will require related to the diagnosis, the surgery, and recovery, and you’ll get deferred. Expect a few months to a year to get that resolved.
… Any advice would be helpful thank you.
At its core, aviation requires brutal honesty because the pilot in command is trusted with final authority for the lives of passengers and the public. Secondary to that, you’re expected to know how systems work. Lesson one in aviation is learning how the FAA medical system work. You can peruse the FAA’s AME guide to find out what information needs to be provided for an in-office issuance. Get that information together, make sure it’s current (w/in last 90 days), have a consult with an AME that has a lot of experience with non-standard medical applications. At the consult, do NOT give the AME or his staff the confirmation number. Rip it off the last page of your paper copy of the app and leave it in the car. Have the AME review everything. Ask the AME what else is needed to issue in office. Ask if he will issue it in office today. If yes, walk out to the car, get the piece of paper with the number on it and give it to the AME. Walk out with a medical.
If the AME can’t issue in office, don’t go get the ripped off paper in the car. Instead, find out what else is needed. Get that information in the format the FAA requires and come back with it. Repeat the process.
Or, do it your way, omit the info, and find out what kind of delay a felony will add to your dreams.
