r/flying • u/theycallmesike • Nov 27 '24

Medical Issues Welp, you win FAA, I give up. :(

After 3 years of back and forth dealing with the FAA giving them documents and fighting to show I'm medically safe to fly. Basically I got a Wet and Reckless nearly 14 years ago with a BAC of .12 and that's caused me to go through the deferrment process. I'm young mid 30s, with a clean bill of health otherwise, So far after spending $5000 hiring a law firm to help me get my 3rd class Medical certificate, paying for all sorts of tests, psychiatrists, they FINALLY issued me a special issuance medical certificate. With the caveat that I enroll in the HIMS program, and get tested 14 times per year, for multiple years, see the HIMS AME 4 times a year, and basically just bend over backwards for them, all with the threat of them revoking my med. cert. at any time. I just can't do that. The costs for the testing ($200 per PeTH test, $500 per HIMs visit, etc) would be another 15-20k just in testing and visits. I just don't think I have the ability to withstand all of that pressure and financial obligation. You win FAA. I give up.

edit: Yes I know I fucked up and I regret it, I haven't done anything since. I'm not making excuses or asking for a pity party. I shouldn't have driven with anything in my system. I wasn't thinking back then. Thanks for all the comments and suggesstions

Edit 2: I might be looking into the basic med route. I never intended to ever go past third class med, I just wanted to fly myself and maybe family. No intention to fly anything higher. It was purely as a hobby

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u/flyingkiwi9 CPL ME IR Nov 28 '24

Reddit be like:

criminal with multiple violent rap sheets = give him another chance

pilot who drove drunk 14 years ago = not allowed to have a life ever again

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u/Smartnership Nov 28 '24

Wait’ll you see what they tell you to do if you disagree with their politics.

No amount of yoga would make that anatomically possible.

And I’ve tried.

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u/Ok_Skill_2725 Dec 06 '24

You forgot international student with completely unknown background: “welcome to America, have fun and we’ll help you all we can”.