Breaking the silence in aviation

Instead of hiding the most difficult chapter of his aviation career, King has been documenting it publicly on LinkedIn, posting updates about his FAA medical deferral.

The fear is exactly why King chose to speak up and what mental health advocates say keeps too many pilots silent. "I'd rather go through this process now," King said. "I didn't want to get into a situation where I'm flying for my livelihood and then have to go through that process."

King had already earned his private pilot certificate and instrument rating when he disclosed a prior diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder during a medical renewal. He had originally enrolled in UND as a commercial aviation major, but after the FAA medical deferral stretched beyond a few months, he changed his major to aviation management.

The disclosure triggered a lengthy process of deferral, documentation requests, specialist evaluations, neuropsychological testing, cognitive training, additional documentation requests, and a required period of demonstrated stability. He estimates the process will cost him more than his private pilot certificate did.

"It's not just the wait," he said. "It's the cost. If it were free and took two years, that would be one thing. But waiting years and spending fifteen or sixteen thousand dollars to get your medical back, that's what makes it hard."

King's diagnosis stemmed from stress during a major life transition: preparing to leave home for the first time for college and pursue an aviation career. He sought therapy not during a crisis, but as support during that period, encouraged by his parents. Still, his disclosure was enough to trigger the FAA's extensive review process.

Despite the setback, King says he does not regret being honest. "This is just a roadblock. I'm getting it done," he said. That resilience is part of what has made King's posts resonate online. In an environment where many aviators discuss mental health only anonymously, if at all, he has attached his name and face to a process most would rather hide.

The stakes of that stigma became tragically clear in 2021, when University of North Dakota aviation student and certificated private pilot John Hauser died by suicide in a deliberate airplane crash after leaving letters stating that he feared seeking mental health treatment would cost him his future in aviation. His death intensified calls for reform and remains a sobering example of what advocates say can happen when pilots feel trapped between getting help and protecting their careers.

In the aftermath, UND expanded mental health support for aviation students. The Hauser family also established the John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Initiative Fund, which now helps support several student mental health programs, including the Green Bandana Project and UpLift peer-support program.

The Green Bandana Project is a peer-support initiative run by SAVE, Suicide Awareness Voices of Education. The program trains students in suicide prevention and mental health resource awareness. Participants wear green bandanas on their backpacks to signal they are safe, nonjudgmental peers who can listen and help connect classmates with professional support.

"You never know who the safe person to talk to is," said Autumn Lemieux, program associate at the nonprofit SAVE. "A big goal of ours is to create that visible signal of, 'I'm here, I can help.'"

The program aims to make students more comfortable seeking support by creating visible, approachable peer connections and increasing awareness of campus resources. Rather than acting as counselors, Green Bandana participants serve as visible bridges to care, making support easier to find before problems escalate.

"We're not expecting students to be professional help themselves," she said, "but to be a bridge to that professional help."

With the larger issue remaining the system itself, advocacy groups like the Pilot Mental Health Campaign founded by a coalition of aviators, healthcare professionals, and policy experts strive to create an industry where pilots can seek help without fear of professional repercussions.

"The FAA doesn't support aviators and their mental health as much as they could," said Elizabeth Carll, director of communications for PMHC. "We're working to change that, and they are agreeable to a lot of change, but it can't change quick enough."

Carll knows this process personally. After beginning treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor for a mental health condition, she said it took about two and a half years to receive her FAA special issuance medical. Today, in addition to her advocacy work at PMHC she is a pilot at a major airline.

Her experience, like King's, shows how long and expensive the process can become for pilots who are trying to follow the rules. "If we treated mental health like normal, everyday physical health, we could start to normalize it," Carll added.

PMHC focuses on advocacy including support for the Mental Health in Aviation Act, which aims to improve how the aviation system handles mental health and medical certification. Carll said the group's work is rooted in a simple idea: Pilots should not have to choose between getting help and their future.

For King that message is urgent. He still wants to fly professionally. He still believes in aviation. But after more than 500 days in limbo he too believes the system needs to change. "I think therapy and learning how to cope with stress makes you a better pilot," he said. "Pilots are taught not to fly with external pressures. But if people are afraid to get help, they wait until things get worse."

That is the contradiction advocates are trying to fix: Aviation demands honesty, self-awareness, and good judgment, yet its culture has often discouraged pilots from admitting when they need support.

Carll also personally believes pilots must see they are more than just their job. "You are more than just your hobby. That goes unsaid way too much."

For now, King keeps posting updates while he waits, hoping that by the time he flies again, the next pilot who asks for help won't have to choose between honesty and their future.

Pilots navigating certificate or medical review questions can access guidance and legal resources through AOPA Pilot Protection Services. If you or someone you know is struggling, and in a crisis, call or text 988, the national suicide and crisis lifeline, for immediate support.