Aerospace Psychiatry

I am an instrument-rated private pilot and a retired US Air Force flight surgeon with over a thousand flying hours.

I’m board certified in Psychiatry and Forensic Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. I was board certified in Aerospace Medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine for twenty years. I’m very familiar with Federal Aviation Regulations and medical standards for certification, having evaluated nearly four hundred individuals seeking a pilot medical certificate or medical qualification to be an Air Traffic Control Specialist. I’m also familiar with how Veterans Administration disability ratings can complicate FAA medical certification..

I have a good working relationship with staff at the Federal Air Surgeon’s office in Washington, DC, and at the FAA Aerospace Medical Certification Division in Oklahoma City, having served alongside several of them during their military service.

I also follow pilots enrolled in the Human Intervention Motivation Study (HIMS) program or who are taking antidepressant medications on a Special Issuance Authorization. I work closely with HIMS Aviation Medicine Examiners.

Usually a pilot receives a letter saying something like “…we are unable to determine your eligibility to hold an airman medical certificate…”. Air Traffic Control Specialist candidates may receive something similar about not being medically qualified.

The FAA requires more than, “I saw Mr. Jones in my office today for 45 minutes. He seems to be doing well, according to what he told me. I don’t see any problems with him flying.” My evaluation requires a careful consideration of the pilot’s entire life, level of functioning, any psychiatric history, any alcohol or substance abuse, legal problems, and any continued medication use. This usually requires a much longer evaluation appointment, culminating in an 8 to 12 page report with a formulation of what happened and its aeromedical risk implications.

I charge a fixed fee for most evaluations. After we agree on the fee and appointment date and time, I start drafting a report with the documentation the pilot provides. In most cases I request the FAA airman medical file on behalf of the pilot, with the pilot's signed release. Evaluations must be in-person at my office. I complete the report within a week of receiving all the needed information.