Hello all,
Next week I am going in for my 3rd Class FAA Medical, and I was wondering if from other people's experience if I should have any trouble. I am currently on full HRT. Thanks in advance for the help!
Emily
There are post surgical heavy commercial pilots so as long as the doctor doesn't have issues, I see no reason why you should have any problems.
I know the original post was a year old, but as a pilot who has gone through the process, my best advice is to expect A LOT OF TROUBLE.
Once you list gender dysphoria on your medical application, you trigger a cascade of issues. The application is automatically rejected and kicked to Oklahoma. From there it goes all over the place until it lands on the desk of the cheif FAA Psychologist where it will sit indefinitely. It took me getting Barbara Boxer (Senator-CA) involved to finally get them to move. I was grounded for four months for nothing more than treating my disorder.
This was all done with my old name. Eventually my medical certificate was all that was left with my old name. So I requested a name change. I got a request back for a proof of name change (keep in mind my pilot's license issued by the FAA already has the correct name). I sent in the court order and got back a request for a mental status assessment by my therapist (keep in mind, my medical certificate is valid, I just wanted a name change). I submitted that and got a request for a physical evaluation... Sigh it never ends.
I got my private pilot's license decades ago, and I was pilot-in-command for Cessna 152 2-seat single engine and Cessna 172 4-seat single engine. But that was ages ago and way before I formally transitioned to JENNIFER, so I have no idea how transitioning would affect a private pilot license. I did meet a trans airline pilot online a few years ago, and she said it was REALLY tough to get that changed over -- lots of psych verifications required. Jennifer xx
If your medical is current, it might be easier now. Definitely check in with the AOPA before doing your medical for the latest on the law changes in this area.
Also, if you haven't been formally diagnosed with gender dysphoria, you probably don't have to list it on your medical application, which makes things easier...
I changed my name and gender on my Private Pilot - Glider licence a month ago. No problem here, but Glider pilots do not need a medical exam.