Aviation Blog

August 12, 2020 | Pilot Law

Your FAA Medical Denial

Your FAA medical denial is not the end of the road for your flying career. Did you know that most FAA medical denials are not “final denials?” In other words, most FAA medical denials are subject to considerable “reconsideration” and potentially even review by the National Transportation Safety Board. To that end, not all FAA […]

July 3, 2020 | Pilot Law

Unreported Conditions on Your FAA Medical Application

Yes, unreported conditions on your FAA medical application could lead to serious consequences. Maybe it was an accident. You didn’t really read the questions. You misunderstood the question. You were afraid to report something that could lead to denial of your medical application. If the FAA discovers an unreported condition, including DUI arrests and VA […]

January 18, 2020 | Pilot Law

Three Steps to Avoid a FAA Medical Denial

There are three steps to avoid a FAA medical denial, whether you’ve been flying for years or this is your first FAA medical application. As you probably already know, a pilot’s license is only as good as the medical certificate that you hold. If you’re an ATP, student pilot, or just interested in getting into […]

February 7, 2019 | Pilot Law

What Should Your FAA DUI Attorney Tell You About DUI Convictions

What should your FAA DUI attorney tell you about DUI convictions? The first thing your FAA DUI attorney should tell you is that whether you are convicted of a DUI may not matter when it comes to obtaining your FAA medical certificate. More specifically, if you are arrested for DUI, but later convicted of a […]

February 3, 2019 | Pilot Law

Consequences of Failing to Report a DUI to the FAA

Failure to report a DUI to the FAA comes with some pretty serious repercussions. Generally, when you’ve been arrested for DUI, you potentially have two (and in some cases, three) reporting requirements to the FAA. The first reporting requirement occurs on your airman medical application – if you’ve been arrested for DUI, you must report that arrest […]

January 25, 2019 | Pilot Law

When a Pilot Fails a DOT Drug Test

The FAA’s guidelines at Order 2150.3b call for the revocation of all certificates when a pilot fails a DOT drug test. All Part 121 and Part 135 (and some Part 145) operators are required by the FAA at Part 120 to test pilots and other certificate holders performing safety sensitive positions for a variety of […]

January 9, 2019 | Pilot Law

FAA Medical Application Deferred Due to A DUI

Was your FAA medical application due to a DUI on your record? When a FAA medical application is deferred due to a DUI, your aviation medical examiner (“AME”) cannot issue you a medical “on the spot.” Instead, your AME has to send your file directly to the FAA (either your regional flight surgeon or the […]

January 7, 2019 | Pilot Law

FAA Medical Assistance

When looking for FAA medical certification assistance, is it smart to hire an attorney? Having a FAA medical defense attorney on your side has its benefits when you need FAA medical certification assistance. When faced with a FAA medical application deferral, FAA medical denial, or FAA medical revocation, you have options on who to get […]

December 18, 2018 | Pilot Law

It’s Taking Forever To Get My FAA Medical Certificate

It’s not uncommon for airmen with deferred FAA medical applications to find themselves saying: “it’s taking forever to get my FAA medical certificate.” When an airman’s FAA medical application is “deferred” by the Aviation Medical Examiner “AME,” the airman’s FAA medical application is sent to the cold, dark, labyrinth of either the FAA’s Regional Flight […]

December 17, 2018 | Pilot Law

Should I Respond to a FAA Letter of Investigation

The first question airmen usually ask when faced with a FAA investigation is, “should I respond to a FAA Letter of Investigation?” The answer to whether you should respond to a FAA Letter of Investigation is actually quite nuanced. In that, the circumstances of every situation will dictate whether a response to a FAA […]