AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2025 - 100

FLY WITH AOPA
MEDICAL LY SPEAKING /
Use the checklist
Effective communication with the FAA
YOUTUBE ISN'T NECESSAR ILY one of the
valuable resources that pilots routinely
use for preflight planning, flight training,
or proficiency, but there are certainly some
great channels that might be helpful to you.
In addition to " AME Minute " and
other valuable FAA medical playlists,
other great channels include
WestCoastFlyer featuring a young and
experienced pilot who flies the Cirrus
Vision Jet in California; CitationMax,
with videos from a guy named Max
who flies a Cessna Citation CJ3+; and
MissionaryBushPilot, which takes you
to the wilds of Papua, New Guinea, in a
nicely equipped Daher Kodiak 100. A key
takeaway from these great videos is all
three pilots' strict adherence to checklists
and in-flight communication.
When it comes to your FAA medical
certificate, checklist discipline is no
less critical, especially now when there
are substantial delays in the processing
and issuance of deferred medical applications.
As with preflighting the airplane,
preflighting your upcoming FAA medical
exam can save you frustrationt. A key point
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100
AOPA PILOT / January 2025
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to remember is the FAA Aerospace Medical
Certification Division (AMCD) is looking at
every deferred application with the goal of
finding a way to " yes " and the issuance of
the medical certificate. However, the pathway
to yes is not always easy or fast, so if you
have a medical condition that may require
FAA review before the medical is in hand,
everything you can do to make the process
go smoothly will benefit you in the end.
Just a few " checklist " tips to help with
the process include doing your homework
before you make an application.
The AOPA website has abundant information
about many medical conditions
and what the FAA will need to clear your
case. The key to providing information to
the FAA via your AME at the time of the
flight physical is to have " just enough, but
not too much " paperwork. AMCD is a typical
government bureaucracy with a lot of
work to do and not enough human assets
to efficiently handle the workload, so if
you provide incomplete information, or
provide far too much paperwork, the process
will take a long time before you get a
decision. When you have your complete
AOPA PILOT
INFORMATION
CENTER HOURS
Do you have questions or
need information about an
aviation topic? Access the
team of aviation experts
in our Pilot Information
Center. Call 800-USAAOPA
(872-2672) Monday
through Friday, 8:30 a.m.
until 6 p.m. Eastern time,
with your questions.
Visit aopa.org/membership
to learn about upgrading to
levels of membership with
Pilot Protection Services
coverage included.
BY GARY CRUMP
Pilot Protection
Services
packet of records, take them with you to
the AME appointment. Your AME can
now upload those records directly into
the system, and that will save some time.
Mailing hard copy records is an option,
but it adds several weeks to the review
process. If you receive a letter from the
FAA asking for more information, you will
see a PI number, and that is your permanent
ID number in the FAA aeromedical
system, so write that number on every
page you're sending. The FAA gets a lot of
mail, and sometimes things get misplaced,
so having the PI number will help in getting
your records to the correct file.
Read the FAA letters carefully and more
than once. They are often detailed and may
ask for a lot of records, so be sure when
you send the records, you're sending them
everything they requested. Gary Crump is
director of medical certification for the AOPA
Pilot Information Center.
aopa.org/pps
AV I AT ION F INANCE
Q Are aircraft valuation
services available through
AOPA Finance? I've been
flying a friend's Cessna 150
for a few years and wanted
to make an offer to buy half.
A AOPA Aviation Finance
will prepare a valuation
for you as a part of the
application process. If you
would like to get started
with approval, please give
us a call or complete our rate
quote form on our website.
aopafinance.org
800-62-PLANE (75263)
http://www.aopa.org/pps http://www.aopa.org/creditcard http://finance.aopa.org http://www.aopa.org http://www.aopa.org/membership/personal http://www.aopa.org/membership http://www.aopafoundation.org http://www.aopa.org/pps http://www.aopafinance.org http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org http://www.aopa.org/offers
AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2025
