FAA Aeromedical Branch  

Over the past six months, I’ve experienced significant delays with the FAA Aeromedical Certification Division despite having fully submitted all required documentation and receiving clear medical clearance from my treating physicians. The delay has been entirely administrative in nature, including repeated requests for records already provided and issues with internal processing of submitted materials. Even with my AME directly contacting the FAA on my behalf, he has encountered the same inability to obtain meaningful information or progress. When calling to check status, pilots are typically met with civilian staff who can do little more than read from a limited “notes” screen, offering no real insight into the review process.

Compounding the issue, medical packets sent via overnight delivery, often at significant personal expense, can sit in FAA mailrooms for up to three weeks before being uploaded into the system, further delaying review timelines. At present, there appears to be no effective mechanism for escalation or intervention short of contacting a congressional office. This lack of transparency and process control has placed my employment as a FAA Part 135 pilot at risk and created operational strain for my employer. While there are indications the FAA may be working to modernize the special issuance review process, the current system is clearly falling short and is negatively impacting pilots, operators, and ultimately the flying public, especially in the context of an already constrained pool of qualified pilots. What should have taken no more than 6 months to return to active flight status, is now approaching the 1 year mark... This is unacceptable by any standard!

Has anyone else had similar problems recently or has this been a long-term problem?