Documents pilots need to provide for conditions AMEs can issue

Warren Silberman

• Former Manager, FAA Aerospace Medical Certification 
• Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine 
• Expert in Aerospace/Preventive Medicine 
• Pilot since 1986

Glaucoma: The airman needs to have his or her eye physician complete FAA Form 8500-14. This form can be downloaded online. The form of glaucoma that is acceptable for certification is open angle glaucoma or a previous history of narrow angle/angle closure glaucoma treated with iridectomy or iridotomy and currently stable. The medications that are not acceptable are Pilocarpine and other miotics, cycloplegics (atropine), or oral medications. The intraocular pressure must be less than 23 mm Hg in both eyes. The airman must also provide the results of current Humphrey Visual Fields.

Hepatitis C: The condition must be stable with no complications to be able to gain issuance with this protocol. No medications are acceptable. The airman will need to provide a current (within the past 90 days) set of liver function studies.

Hypothyroidism: The airman must be what is called “euthyroid,” meaning that all thyroid function tests are within the normal range. The airman should not have any symptoms. The standard thyroid replacement medications are acceptable (check with AOPA's medical certification folks). A thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level within past 90 days must be provided.

Hypertension: The condition must have been stable for at least two weeks. There should be no symptoms. The blood pressure in the AME's office should not be higher than 155/95. Combinations of up to three medications are acceptable (alpha blockers, ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, and or diuretics). Centrally acting anti-hypertensives are unacceptable. 

Learn more about the AOPA Pilot Protection Services program.

To continue reading, please log in or join AOPA now to have access to these exclusive expert resources.

In my last article I began giving you all some details and pointers on what you need to get your treating physicians to provide you prior to going to your AME should you have one of the conditions that AMEs can issue (CACI). To reiterate, the following conditions are included in this new medical certification procedure: arthritis, asthma, chronic hepatitis C, glaucoma, hypertension, hypothyroidism, migraine and chronic headaches, pre-diabetes conditions, and renal cancer.