EAA Urges FAA to Focus on Clearing Backlog Rather than Surveying for Probelms
For quite awhile the FAA’s Aerospace Medical Certification Division (AMCD) has had a significant backlog of applications for medical certificates. Current estimates show about 1000,000 to 140,000 applications are waiting to be reviewed.
The FAA decided to start a survey asking people if they are satisfied with the level of service they are receiving from the AMCD. The EAA has sent a message to the FAA essentially telling them to stop wasting time with surveys and clear the backlog.
Conducting a quality service survey is misguided “since airmen themselves have little or no direct contact with AMCD throughout their aviation careers, unless they encounter medical conditions that jeopardize eligibility for medical certification.” Even then, such contact is limited to written and telephone communication as they attempt to determine their application’s status.
On 1/10/2006 I renewed my flight medical and was issued a certificate.
On 3/24/2006 I recieved a letter from the FAA Aerospace Medical Certification Division that they required an electrocardiogram and VA medical evaluation regarding my history of asbestosis. I am a 0% disabled Vietnam veteran. The VA, by statute has 22 days to release information so factoring the FAA’s mail notification and 30 day demand schedule two Federal statutes are in conflict. I pleaded my case with the VA and since they are interested in helping veterans stay employed they expedited my medical records. I was successful in getting the requested records via registered mail to the FAA with two days to spare.
Late on 5/8/2006 I recieved notice from the FAA that tehy had not recieved my records and demanded I surrender my medical certificate.
At 05:30 on 5/9/2006 I contacted a lawyer with AOPA and he initiated a conference call to the FAA Aermedical Division. We were told that my records had not been scanned in to their system and would not be for another 3 to 6 weeks so I was considered out of compliance with their time restraints. We were informed that I should have filed for an extension if I could not meet the FAA time requirements and that I could have done that within 7 days of tehir notification. My attorney then asked and was told the extension would have been denied because even if I’d mailed it 6 weeks before I was notified it would not have cleared their mail room in time.
Protect yourself, don’t loose your right to fly, file for an extension immediately, just in case you recieve correspondence from the FAA.