SI Submitted

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AAQ

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Hello All,

I recently submitted everything required to fulfil my First Class SI application to my HIMS AME. I had 2 good reports from both the psychiatrist and psychologist. Both of which wrote in their reports that they saw no aeromedically relevant issues that should prevent me from flying. I also have over 2 years sober at this point and over 1 year of HIMS monitored sobriety along with aftercare records from AA.

Are my chances pretty good now that I have seemingly checked all the boxes? Does the FAA often agree with the doctors they sent me to see? Or do they do their own analysis?

Lastly, what is the timeline now from submitting of the medical packet by the HIMS AME to receiving a letter from the FAA?

any info would be appreciated!

Thanks
 
AAQ said:
Lastly, what is the timeline now from submitting of the medical packet by the HIMS AME to receiving a letter from the FAA?
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My 3rd class application for a substance-dependence SI was submitted in mid-March 2021 and I received my SI in late July. I had 20 years sobriety when my application was submitted.

I'm also 3rd class and lower down on the priority list than a 1st class so yours may go faster.
 
allPrimes said:
My 3rd class application for a substance-dependence SI was submitted in mid-March 2021 and I received my SI in late July. I had 20 years sobriety when my application was submitted.

I'm also 3rd class and lower down on the priority list than a 1st class so yours may go faster.
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Congrats. Do you mind sharing what kind of condition they put on the SI? I am assuming you had to go through the full HIMS and battery of tests? I am nervously waiting to hear back from the FAA after submitting my papers 10 days ago.
 
ahmad said:
Congrats. Do you mind sharing what kind of condition they put on the SI? I am assuming you had to go through the full HIMS and battery of tests? I am nervously waiting to hear back from the FAA after submitting my papers 10 days ago.
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I had a history of mild depression and anxiety along with substance abuse and dependency. I did have to take the full battery of tests and did fine on all of them so says the report I received. Good luck with your medical!
 
Congrats on doing well on the eval and COG! I took both of mine and did well on them back in May, AME submitted my packet in June and I’m still waiting - ADHD and mild anxiety. Patience is the name of the game, I’m sure more knowledgeable members of this forum can provide further context, however I’ve been told the wait time is anywhere between 3 and 9 months. Take care!
 
allPrimes said:
You can read the whole thing from start to finish here: https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/com...sober-for-19-years-active-in-recovery.126871/
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I read the story, and it's both encouraging and discouraging, depending on one's point of view. It's really true that you have to want it bad. It's unclear to me whether you now have conditions you have to comply with to keep your medical. Do you still have to submit to random testing? Do you still have to have periodic psych exams?
 
FL320 said:
Congrats on doing well on the eval and COG! I took both of mine and did well on them back in May, AME submitted my packet in June and I’m still waiting - ADHD and mild anxiety. Patience is the name of the game, I’m sure more knowledgeable members of this forum can provide further context, however I’ve been told the wait time is anywhere between 3 and 9 months. Take care!
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I think if the folks at okc made the decision it is 6-8 weeks. if okc can't issue a decision then it goes Washington which takes 6 months. That's what I have heard.
 
Certifiable said:
It's unclear to me whether you now have conditions you have to comply with to keep your medical. Do you still have to submit to random testing? Do you still have to have periodic psych exams?
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  • Random, unannounced urine screens, 14 every 12 months.
  • Signed AA logs, minimum of twice/week. (I already go to more than this as a matter of course but I get my “sheet signed”)
  • Meet with my HIMS AME once/quarter with every-other meeting in person. (He’s a four-hour drive from me in non-winter driving conditions but just at a one hour flight.)
I don’t have the requirement of having psych exams. I know I’m an alcoholic. I’ve been sober 20+ years. I have a sponsor. I sponsor people. I have service commitments.

I can go basic med in December. I saw my HIMS AME yesterday and he encouraged me to stick it out for another year, suggesting that the FAA will likely want at least a year relationship with me before they "turned me loose" into the lowest step on the HIMS-monitoring model. His words: "your situation is unique. Most HIMS participants are coming in to monitoring from a recent issue but you've been sober for over 20 years. If you can stick it out to July, I'll call the FAS then."
 
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allPrimes said:
I can go basic med in December. I saw my HIMS AME yesterday and he encouraged me to stick it out for another year, suggesting that the FAA will likely want at least a year relationship with me before they "turned me loose" into the lowest step on the HIMS-monitoring model.
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When your AME said to "stick it out," does that mean not switching to BasicMed? Can the FAA prevent someone from switching to BasicMed?
 
allPrimes said:
I saw my HIMS AME yesterday and he encouraged me to stick it out for another year, suggesting that the FAA will likely want at least a year relationship with me before they "turned me loose" into the lowest step on the HIMS-monitoring model. His words: "your situation is unique. Most HIMS participants are coming in to monitoring from a recent issue but you've been sober for over 20 years. If you can stick it out to July, I'll call the FAS then."
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This strikes me as him looking out for you, that there is an advantage. I understand it's an expensive hassle, so what is your benefit to staying in the program? Do you have commercial plans?
 
Certifiable said:
When your AME said to "stick it out," does that mean not switching to BasicMed? Can the FAA prevent someone from switching to BasicMed?
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Exactly. To my knowledge, there isn't a way for the FAA to prevent someone switching to Basic Med unless, of course, they didn't comply with all of the rules of their SI.

bflynn said:
This strikes me as him looking out for you, that there is an advantage. I understand it's an expensive hassle, so what is your benefit to staying in the program? Do you have commercial plans?
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I took that to be the case as well. I have no real desire to attempt commercial flight but I would like to fly into Canada. That's the only thing that's holding me back. I doubt I'll ever end up flying a plane that needs to reach into Class A to be as efficient as it was engineered to be. For me, the biggest expenses are the 14 in 12 urine analyses at $70 each. Over the course of the next 10 months that works out to about $780 on alcohol/drug testing and about $400 for the HIMS AME visits, so about 1.18 AMUs total. Then again, my HIMS AME's call to the FAA in July 2022 doesn't guarantee that I'd end up with a free and clear 3rd class.
 
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Oh. I'd be sticking that out.
And his fees are not exorbitant.
In the words of an old boss of mine: "Since When did you think aviation might be inexpensive?"


HIMS AME.
 
You only need to pay $70 per test? The urine tests the faa require of me cost over $140 per test and I don’t even have an SI
 
George S said:
You only need to pay $70 per test? The urine tests the faa require of me cost over $140 per test.
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Sorry. $75/test. They email the results to me and fax the results to my HIMS AME.

Before I started, I shopped around. I found a local testing company (that does a lot of drug testing for local courts and state DOT) and asked what they'd charge for ongoing testing that meets the panel required by the FAA. Initially it was higher but because the testing was going to be ongoing indefinitely, she cut me a deal. I was told a few months ago that the local company has a few other FAA-related clients. Pilots or controllers, I'm not sure.
 
My old AME used to run a drug testing center for FAA purposes. That was his real money maker. The medicals were just because he liked doing them. He always says he gave a 50% discount to pilots. Odd that the examining room had a toilet in it. The other advantage was he moved into a new office and he started giving me directions with relation to his old location. I'm like "Hey, are you on Carpenter Drive?" "Yes, 107 Carpenter Drive." "My office is in 105 Carpenter, I'll just walk over."
 
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