Hey Everyone,
I’m a current flight instructor at a part 141 flight school. I just found this page, and I’m really excited that something like this exists. A little background about me:
I graduated college with the most flight certificates and hours out of anyone in my class. I was a CFII ready to take on the world! I had the opportunity to either stay at my university as an instructor (I was instructing my senior year) or move back home and build flight time more quickly. I elected to forego the security of a university and go teach part 61 to rack up the flight hours before the airlines.
Well, 3 months into working 60 hour work weeks, my left lung collapsed while I was preflighting a plane. I knew immediately that I would be grounded from flying. I had emergency surgery the next day, and started the long recovery. I called AOPA and was connected with someone who tried their best to help.
I made the mistake of thinking it would be an easy fix, and the AME I had would help. Wrong. My AME wouldn’t return my phone calls, and I was left dealing with the faa alone. I submitted the medical test that the AOPA person told me to, and I sent it to Oklahoma City. 6 months later, I received a letter stating that all medical privileges were revoked indefinitely. That was a bad day. I called an aviation attorney who then hooked me up with an AME who deals with extreme medical cases.
We get my appeal started, which consisted of at least 15 different tests that the FAA’s consultant wanted to see. That took about 6 months to complete everything. I got great results with beaming reviews from pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons, and I submitted it back to the FAA.
Well, long story short(ish), it has now been 2 years, 7 months, and 6 days since I have soloed an aircraft, with no indication that clearance is coming soon. That statement breaks me.
I have wanted to be a pilot since I was 3, and honestly, it’s been devastating. I consider myself to be an optimist, and I have wholeheartedly made my situation better by returning to the flight school I learned at to teach at and get my masters degree. But I still yearn for the moment I can fly without the need of another certificated pilot. I’m still fighting the fight, because it’s worth it for me.
What’s Your Title?
Pilot
What is your favorite quote?
“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard”
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