Your pilot and medical certificates mean everything and AOPA’s Pilot Protection Services’ trusted legal counselors and medical certification specialists can help protect them. We assist thousands of members each year with certificate-related legal and medical issues. Fly with the peace of mind that, as pilots, we’re here to help keep you flying.
While your first thought might be to call and explain what happened, it’s frequently best to think it through first. The AOPA Legal Services Plan can advise you of your rights and when it might be beneficial to speak to the FAA. We’ll also help you determine if submitting a NASA form would help protect your certificate from possible FAA enforcement action.
If you have received a letter from the FAA (or think you might receive one), contact us immediately so we can inform you of your options. In many cases you’re required to respond to the FAA within a short period of time and having the support and guidance of an attorney can be invaluable.
Getting things off on the right foot with the FAA by providing them with the correct documentation not only leaves a positive first impression, but is a critical step in helping to avoid unwanted scrutiny of your records and unnecessary delays in the review and evaluation of your medical application. In fact, providing the FAA with improper records could result in a denial of medical certification if the information you provide reveals a disqualifying medical condition.
AOPA’s Pilot Protection Services - Medical Certification specialists will proactively review your medical records prior to submission to the FAA. By leveraging our expertise, you’ll benefit in two ways. First, we’ll make sure that you are providing the correct and complete information that the FAA requires to make a decision; and second, we’ll provide you with an experienced opinion about the likelihood for issuance of a medical certificate based on the facts contained in your records.
The FAA medical certification review is a complicated and bureaucratic process. Combined with the fact that many of the case histories submitted to the FAA are complex, complicated and consist of multiple medical conditions, it’s not unusual for airmen to wait weeks (or even longer) before they hear back from the FAA. This can be a frustrating and unsettling experience. That’s why AOPA’s Pilot Protection Services offers the “FAA Status Check” benefit. Upon your request and authorization, our Medical Certification specialists will submit periodic inquiries to the FAA in order to monitor the status of your case review and advocate on your behalf.
As a Plan participant, in-house counselors (and even representation by one of our panel attorneys) are just a phone call away.
See AOPA Legal Services Plan Description for complete details and exclusions.
