Can you operate an aircraft as flying crew?

More specifics please

by Theknotguy - 2018-09-23 14:30:38

Could you give us more information, please.  What type of aircraft?  What type of crew duties?  

For the smaller airplanes - i.e. single engine Cessna's and the like you can get your license but you have to have a licensed pilot flying with you.  A really stupid rule but that's the way it is.  You can have all sorts of pilots flying around ready to have a heart attack or stroke and that's Ok.  Get a pacemaker to fix the problem and you have to have a licensed pilot flying with you.  Once again, the FAA really makes sense with their rulings.  
 

Yes, no, maybe

by AgentX86 - 2018-09-23 19:00:43

It depends on a lot of things but the short of it is that it is possible to be cleared for flight two months after lead placement or after the wound heals (about 10 days) after generator/battery replacement.  There are other caviats and I don't understand all the "class" stuff but anyone on a flight crew should be able to understand this:

<https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2013/april/12/new-medical-certification-policy-for-heart-valves-pacemakers>

yes you can, if you do it right.

by dwelch - 2018-09-28 02:57:44

I am 30 years in with pacemakers, and 20 years give or take that doctor had at least one commercial jet pilot patient with a pacemaker.

Read your FAR/AIM and notice the language of the statement from the link that AgentX86 provided.

"Both heart valve replacement and permanent heart pacemaker insertion are “specifically disqualifying medical conditions.” This means that if you hold any class of medical certificate you should self-ground (FAR 61.53) until you obtain a special issuance (waiver); if you see your aviation medical examiner (AME), he or she cannot issue you a medical until you are “cleared” by the FAA's medical certification people."

If you have experience with the FAA you realize that a lot of the rules can be waived, you need to get a waiver some are easy to get.  This many years into pacers being common it is pretty stupid for the FAA to still be considering them to be a problem.  But again typical FAA the answer may be that a wavier is easier today than it has ever been (for pacers for the right conditions).  The pilot(s) at the time way back with that doc when were getting checks every month rather than every year like the rest of us.  Small price to pay. Also very likely they had been flying a long time before the pacer and not trying to get a new license with a pacer.  Not that that should matter.

Also notice some of the language in that article.  "if you hold any class of medical certificate"  read your FAR/AIM about who has to have a medical certificate and who doesnt.  And "obtain a special issuance (waiver)".  Get a waiver.  I wonder if there are folks here on this site that have one and what it took.  Certainly ask your doc about it they may already have patients with waivers, not necessarily full time commercial pilots.  Maybe call some doctors offices in towns with a big airport which is more likely to have pilots based there.  or even better just call your local FSDO and ask what it takes to get that waiver, what is involved. and when are they going to fix this policy/rule.

There are likely very many pilots out there that need pacers that dont have them that are active pilots.  Some percentage are probably refusing them or not going to see the doc to avoid going down that path.  Basically there are a lot of things that active pilots could be flying around with that are worse than being a patient whose pacemaker makes them normal and healthy again, but are not being caught by their regular exam.

Also remember the pilot in command isnt necessarily the one with their hands on the controls. But if you want to be the pilot in command then yes you have to read/know/conform to the rules.  Interpret that as you wish.