Special Issuance problemo...need advice

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Ryan Yde

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Ryno Yeti
Hey all, I have nowhere else to turn, and you all have proven to be a great source of information and advice. I am a private pilot w/instrument rating who has been flying since Summer 2016. I absolutely love it. I had to fight through red tape and nonsense to get my 3rd class medical. It took me nearly ten weeks to do so. I was diagnosed with 3rd degree AV block in 2013, which affected my heart's electrical system. I have yearly follow-ups with my cardiologist and submit documentation to the FAA to renew my SI. No changes have been seen, my condition has been resolved and I have been stable for years. To provide additional info, I am not on any drug nor was medical intervention required, other than hospitalization and telemetry tracking for approximately 8 weeks following diagnosis. I do NOT have a pacemaker nor did I require an ablation.

Once I got my medical cert, everything was swell. It was swell when I submitted my cardiologist's report last April and my medical cert came in plenty of time. This year, however, I was not so fortunate. My cert expired on May 31st, and my file has yet to move. I call the Aerospace Medical Certification Division approximately once per week to check. My updated report was submitted by my doctor on March 18 and demonstrated no changes in health. I have confirmed that the AMCD has received the report, and my file is still "in review."

What, if anything, can I do to expedite? Does the FAA have a deadline to make decisions on renewal? (I read 60 business days, but am not sure if this is accurate). Previously, before first issuance, I contacted my House Representative and Senator, both of which were kind enough to write a letter to the FAA and open a Congressional Inquiry, which may have been effective. It's frustrating not having an answer in a remotely-timely fashion when NOTHING HAS CHANGED. UGHHH. Sorry for the yelling, it's just upsetting that I can't forge ahead with my training until that little piece of paper arrives. Just seeing what my options are/what I can expect.

Thanks in advance, ladies and gentlemen.
 
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I don't think congress critters can help as much as you wish they could.

We have been told that CAMI just has too much work and not enough personnel to handle the load so applications are handled in short amounts of time. Processing times for Special Issuances approaching 12 weeks is becoming the norm.

Your AME should be willing to help with the process. Have you made contact with him or her?
 
AggieMike88 said:
I don't think congress critters can help as much as you wish they could.

We have been told that CAMI just has too much work and not enough personnel to handle the load so applications are handled in short amounts of time. Processing times for Special Issuances approaching 12 weeks is becoming the norm.

Your AME should be willing to help with the process. Have you made contact with him or her?
Click to expand...

I'll try contacting Congress again just to see if it works a second time and if the timing was merely correlational, or if it was causal. I will report back on what I find.

I would hope the FAA would prioritize renewals over initial deferrals, as the people who are requesting renewals are usually already deeply invested in flying and would be most inconvenienced by a lapse.

I will do that and reach out to my AME. Thank you! I just feel a little bad. I only paid the man $80 two years ago and he's done a lot for me...should I give him an additional sum commensurate with the work? Not sure what proper etiquette and the "norm" entails for this type of thing.
 
Offer to pay him for his time if he says he can expedite for you. Beyond that, if he refuses extra money, just pay it forward... (i.e., spread the good word about him).
 
Also: though you are committed to the SI process this time around, have you considered going BasicMed in the future? With the long turnaround times at CAMI these days, that's yet another possible reason to abandon the broken SI system for those with complicated SIs - that is, if the kind of flying you do is legal with BasicMed.
 
azure said:
Also: though you are committed to the SI process this time around, have you considered going BasicMed in the future? With the long turnaround times at CAMI these days, that's yet another possible reason to abandon the broken SI system for those with complicated SIs - that is, if the kind of flying you do is legal with BasicMed.
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That's certainly a good idea. I plan to fly recreationally while accruing hours, though eventually want to transition to a 2nd class. I am sincerely hoping that when the AMCD physician on-staff reviews my file, s/he will decide to grant me a standard 3rd. If this is not the case, I will follow through with BasicMed to allow more time to elapse and avoid a headache until I can get a standard 2nd class issuance.
 
azure said:
Also: though you are committed to the SI process this time around, have you considered going BasicMed in the future? With the long turnaround times at CAMI these days, that's yet another possible reason to abandon the broken SI system for those with complicated SIs - that is, if the kind of flying you do is legal with BasicMed.
Click to expand...
I read that if a medical condition has been resolved for at least five years without any symptomatic episodes and no significant medical changes, it is likely that you'll get a standard 3rd. *fingers crossed*
 
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