FAA Medical: Well-Prepared Applicants Face Fewer Delays

For the past year, EAA has been partnering with groups across the entire aviation industry to encourage medical certificate applicants to “preflight their medical.” Early indications show that this effort is working. Well-prepared applicants, sometimes even with complex cases, are moving through the issuance process with minimal delays. While timescales vary based on the case, wait times for special issuance applicants with complete files can be as short as a single month and sometimes even shorter.

EAA endorses the industry’s “Preflight Your Medical” checklist, which is a good place to start before any FAA medical application, whether or not you anticipate any complications. If you are aware of any conditions that may need more testing and/or documentation, it is important to contact your aviation medical examiner (AME) ahead of time. An experienced AME can help you prepare for the application, which is crucial because wait times skyrocket for applications submitted without any supporting information. In these cases the FAA will send the applicant a list of required documentation, but it will take time for the FAA to receive the initial application and issue a response.

The FAA has also published a “know before you go” document for the Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners. The “AME Guide” contains very useful information for applicants, but since it is primarily written for AMEs it can sometimes be difficult for medical laypeople to navigate. The FAA has been working to change that in recent years.

Even with the recent encouraging signs for smoother applications, EAA continues to work hard on reforms for the entire process. Staff and volunteer AMEs are active on the FAA’s sweeping committee to implement the changes mandated by Sections 411 and 413 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which aims to reform the application system, special issuance process, and places a specific emphasis on the FAA’s handling of mental health cases. As we push for evolving, appropriate medical standards, well-prepared applications are crucial. Not only will your medical be issued in a minimal amount of time, but the FAA will have the time and resources to process more complex and difficult applications, helping your fellow members and airmen get safely back in the air faster.