zlacker

>>tafda+(OP)
This case infuriates me.

At the time, I had just finished sending in an appeal to being denied a medical clearance to become a pilot because of a history of clinical depression.

That appeal required undergoing a battery of tests, a psychological evaluation, multiple meetings with a therapist and a report from the same, and 15 hours of flight instruction plus a report of my performance by the flight instructors.

I intended to be professional. Everyone thought I was safe to fly.

I nevertheless thought the FAA would deny my appeal. I was right. [1]

So because I once had clinical depression, I can't get a medical. And yet, yahoos like this get to fly simply because stupidity and malice isn't as well-documented as a history of mental illness. Sigh...

To be clear, I don't think the FAA is at fault here; they didn't know, and they acted fast once he did it. They did a great job.

I just wish they would let me fly.

[1]: https://gavinhoward.com/2022/09/grounded-for-life-losing-the...

>>gavinh+Ht
That is a good reason to forever hide your mental illnesses, which mean they will never get treated. Stupid policy.

>>insoma+kz
I know someone going through flight school right now who largely reached the same conclusion: that soon, we'll have next to no inbound new pilots, because Gen Z and Alpha are diagnosed with various mental conditions at high enough rates (in hopes of getting treated, which we should be encouraging) that FAA medicals will become less and less likely.

The FAA needs to get its stuff together in this regard, and quickly.