question for other pilots and AMEs: should my regular doctor be my AME?

Question

or does it not matter?? cuz whenever i go to the regular doctor, i always ask how something will affect my flying (like my sinus problems) and they dont seem to give very good answers.. after getting x-rays of my face, i got a NOTE saying that my x-rays are "within limits".. and thats all it said.. trust me, its not within limits.. being brought to tears should never happen.. and when i say NOTE, i literally mean NOTE.. it was a piece of paper with one sentence on it.. no header, no names, nothing.. it looked like something a 12 year old would give his teacher when he skips a day of school to try and get excused... this was my first time going to this doctor cuz i just moved to the area.. and i wont go back again.. that NOTE really made me mad.. so is it possible to have an AME be my regular, family doctor??

thanks for answering John.. I dont really care about getting signed off.. i just want good explanations and good answers from someone who understands pilots.. the AME that i went to last time is some kind of surgeon.. i dont believe he takes regular patients.. but i would switch AMEs if i knew of one in the area that is like a family doctor

Answer 1

I would suggest you don't do this. I know this might sound wrong, but you don't want to tell your AME everything. Just go to him for the medical, and use another doctor for everything else. I got this advise from my first AME, a very long time ago. If you have something that you need to ask an AME, call AOPA medical, or ALPA if you are a member. You can even call the aeromedical division in OK city if you need to know something. I have called them before to see if certain drugs are approved for flying.

Answer 2

Unfortunately there is no "yes/no" answer. Like most things in aviation, it depends. It depends on the AME.

First we'll assume you don't want to fly if you don't meet the standards of Part 67.
Next the usual question is, if I don't; how do I get back to flying as fast and as cheaply as possible? There's where it depends on the AME. Some are advocates, some fill the square. The best thing would be to ask the other pilots in your area -- who will sign anything, who will really stand behind me to help out.
My vote would be the guy that stands behind you. I've been a union aeromedical chair and had guys sent back on drugs that weren't qualified, with stitches still in, etc. These are the "sign anything" type.
And you mention another problem, most doctors don't know squat about the FAA and Part 67 and it's very important what they write down. I had a friend of mine lose his medical for a year because of an impromptu word used by an ER doc when it was really a reaction to shellfish.

Answer 3

X-rays will have no influence on a medical certificate. The reason is that they dont have the potential for any adverse side effects. That being said, sinus problems may, and i would see a oral-nasal specialist and if any of those problems will affect your flying, consult an AME.
The difference between an AME and a regular doctor is that an AME studies the effects of drugs at altitude, where a regualar doctor would not have knowledge of altutudes effects on the body's reactation to drugs.
There is also some drugs that the FAA grounds people for, 1 being any anesthic such as novacain, benzocaine that was injected, 2cd is any psycho- type drugs such as one for depression and bi-polar.
Like the person said.. only tell the AME what he asks, a lost medical is a lost job, no questions, end of story. So pilots take this very seriously, so they dont want to raise any flags that might get their medical revoked, and gets even more of a factor as you get older.

Answer 4

One of the things I really hate about moving is finding a new family MD. It seems I just get comfortable with the one I have, and then it's time to start all over again. You sometimes have to shop around to find the right one for you.

I have always preferred to use a separate AME, because, quite frankly, there are things in my medical record that I don't want the FAA to know about. It's nothing that will effect my ability to fly an airplane, but I just prefer to keep some things private! If my AME was also my personal physician, then all that information in my records would be subject to being reported to the Government. I just don't need that.

Answer 5

It depends. I use my AME as my regular doctor because he specializes in internal medecine and he does not "knee jerk" over anything like some of them will, and he understands aviation physiology better than any "regular doctor" does. He's a really cool guy, because he says that if I ever develop a potentially disqualifying condition, he will investigate it, have me consult specialists, and will try to work around it before blowing his FAA whistle. Some AME's won't do that; they'll get you grounded at the first sign of trouble (it's a liability issue), so choose your AME carefully by finding out how he or she will handle something if a potential problem crops up. That's my two cents worth.

Answer 6

If your regular Doctor is certified by the FAA as an AME, there should be no problem. As far as some of the other answerers are concerned about the FAA finding out things from their regular Doctor, they may be in for a lot of trouble. You must fill out the medical form and include everything it asks for in a truthful manner. If you can't and the FAA does find out, your medical is gone, maybe forever, and you may be subject to a fine.

Answer 7

if there are problems , there are ame,s in many cities that will sign you off in 10 minutes,, i wouldnt get into any xrays of face or sinus crap.... and yes my doctor is ame certified,,,

Answer 8

Its up to you. It could save you money too!