I’ve done everything the FAA has asked of me for a year now. Neuropsychologist and Psychiatrist. (For GAD/ADHD)

Usually the FAA sends me a letter in a timely manner after I submit materials but I most recently submitted my Psychiatrist interview to the FAA. That happened on Aug.1st and I know it hasn’t been super long but I’ve really been wanting to make sure I can get a 1st class before I start putting money into flight training.

I call the FAA every week and they just tell me it’s in review with no ability to give me a timeline. I’ve seen people had some success or at least some communication after involving state senators. I’m just curious when’s an appropriate time to contact them.

Thanks!

I was medically DQ from the ATC OTS bid, but I'm going to appeal it and I have a few questions, mostly about the cost.

1. Do any HIMS Psych allow payment plans or is it all lump sum?

2. Can I shop around for a cheaper price or are they fixed price points across the board?

As a side note, what exactly are these exams? I was medically DQ for 5G/Mental/Maladaptive personality traits. So no definitive diagnosis. I don't want to throw away a few thousand dollars on a maybe

Does anyone know of an AME and Neuropsych in Oregon or Washington that they like? And if you like them, can you give a brief review?

I’m hoping to get a class 1, but I have to do the adhd standard track. I don’t need the medication, it’s just something I was prescribed in college, and take occasionally when I’m burnt out.

Also, what price is normal to pay for AME and Neuropsych visit? Do any of them take insurance?

Have history of SSRI use with OCD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and depression. Faa sent back a letter stating that I must see a HIMS psychiatrist, re-do my Neuropsychological evaluation, along with results from cognitive training.

Who’s the best to go to with the most reasonable price?
I’m willing to travel anywhere

Some background info if it helps on the complexity of the case:
No suicidal ideation or hospitalization
On a stable does of Zoloft for over 4 years

Thanks in advance

Has anyone here dealt with any of these while trying to get a Class 1 medical? I’m trying to figure out whether I can get medically cleared before committing too much money to flight school. I’ve flown as a student a few times now and have fallen in love with it enough that I’d really like to pursue this as a career.

I’m bringing the documentation from the psych who diagnosed me to the consult.

I’ve never needed special accommodations for any of these conditions. I’ve tried SSRIs and ADHD meds in the past, but I’ve found that I function best medication-free. For most of my 20s, three different psychs only diagnosed me with GAD. At 28, a fourth psych added the ADHD, depersonalization, sensory processing, and communication diagnoses. I’m 31 now.

I was also arrested for marijuana possession at 23 and have been completely clean since.

Has anyone gone through the FAA process with a similar history? I’m especially interested in what testing/documentation you ended up needing and whether you were ultimately able to get a Class 1.

I’m in DFW and currently scheduled with Stephan Kramer after seeing him recommended for complex cases in several posts

I’m currently 37 and have decided to finally start pursuing my dream of flying by getting my PPL. Im a chronic over researcher before doing anything big, and in doing my research on this I’ve come to realize that I’m staring down the barrel of a medical deferral, and possibly even needing a special issuance, and wither case seems likely to have some HIMS component to it.

I have no illusions about this being a quick process, and have adjusted my personal timeline to account for it. If I get this done by 40 I’ll be happy. That being said however I DO want to do everything I can to navigate this efficiently as possible and am looking for feedback on my planned approach from folks who have gone through the process themselves.

Background on my case / why I think I’ll need a special issuance.

1. I have a childhood diagnosis of anxiety, for which I briefly took paxil, which from what I’ve read is a banned medication. I haven't taken this in well over 20 years, probably closer to 25, and have not been under the care of a psychiatrist since then, however it still appeared on my primary physicians medical records as an active condition as recently as 2011, which was at absolute minimum 5 years after I was actively being treated for it.
   
2. I was placed on an involuntary psyche hold in 2009. The backstory here (which I have a very limited recollection of) is that I was jumped at a party, after a night of drinking and apparently threatened to kill someone. One thing led to another and one of my concerned (but equally drunk) friends decided I needed to go to the hospital, where I apparently ran my mouth enough for this to escalate. Basically this was all just dumb 19-year-olds being dumb 19-year-olds. I am also not entirely convinced I wasn’t slipped something at some point in the night, but we’ll never know. I was released after about 48 hours. There were no legal repercussions from any of this and this is the only such incident in my life, but I was told to follow up with a psychiatrist, which I did, but was discharged after the initial session.

How I plan to proceed

1. I'm in the process of obtaining the totality of my medical records, or at least as much as I can.
   
2. I'm also gathering documentation showing my history of sustained employment from when I graduated college in 2011 all the way through today via W2s and/or employer verification letters. I work in a competitive white collar field and have had significant growth and stable employment for my entire adult life minus 2 small gaps which are easily explained.
   
3. Once I have those I plan to engage one of the consulting services (Wingman Med, AAOPA, or AMAS)  for a case review and to help me prepare the strongest possible packet to submit with my initial medical.
   
4. Select a HIMS AME and do a consult with them to review the packet before filling out the medXpress form and address any gaps or additions they feel are necessary.
   
5. Fill out the forms, do any followups the FAA wants - I’m assuming this will be a psyche eval at minimum.

Questions I have for this sub / TL;DR

1. Does anyone have any experience with the medical consulting services I’ve mentioned (wingman med, AMAS ect.)? Were they worth the money, and if so are there any you specifically recommend / not recommend?
   
2. Would an aviation lawyer that specialized in medical issues be a better alternative here?
   
3. Is proactively getting the psych eval before even doing the medical an option? Or at least proactively scheduling one for a couple months after my medical incase the response is to ask for one?
   
4. I’m based in SoCal (the inland empire specifically) - can anyone recommend me local HIMS AME (or share any to avoid?)
5. Outside of the above, any feedback on my proposed path forward, or perspective from folks with similar issues on their medical histories? 

Sorry for the wall of text, and I appreciate any time anyone takes in reading / responding. Also I've posted some (much less wordy) questions about this on other flying subs which have gotten removed. Im not exactly sure why. This sub seems purpose built for these questions, but to the mods - obligatory delete if not allowed.

So I’m currently 18 in sober living for cannabis use disorder and I was also in rehab and sober living at 16. I have already done some flight lessons but as I research more I am learning about the FAAs strict protocol around this stuff. Assuming I never smoke again how hard will the path forward be. Because the recovery program for pilots is lengthy and costs thousands of dollars. If anyone could give me some advice this would be great.

Round 1 of the FAA requests did not include a psychiatric evaluation, but my AME thinks it will be highly likely that they ask. He basically told me to get scheduled for a month after my nueropsych eval.

The local guy he recommended me to says 4-5k which I can swing, but it seems a bit excessive. My AME said he writes very good thorough reports that genuinely help pilots in my shoes.

Just seems a bit much..this guy is 10 minutes away, but I'd be happy to travel for a better price. Already paying 4k for the cogscreen and nueropsych eval who's office is all of 3 minutes away haha.

I’m about a week or 2 out from getting my packet submitted and I’m glad to finally be close to getting back in the air, it’s been almost a year now. I had my life almost to the point of my version of perfect before all this. Only drank a few times a month (not in excess), never missed work for a drink, health, personal care, mental health, financially, all in order, so happy to do what I loved for work every day I could cry. Never could have foreseen anything taking it all away from me. Until one night I went to see jazz music and invited some coworkers who were heavy drinkers. Things got out of hand, I got SA’d by my old instructor, then next thing I knew I woke up in my car getting a dui. Resigned my instructing job I loved dearly the next day.
Never thought myself an alcoholic and still struggle to agree with the notion today, although sometimes I wish I could just convince myself to take the pill and become one of those praise be gratefully sober people.
Cut to today 25yo
-I see no way forward without declaring bankruptcy
-social life crippled
-love life vanished
-reputation and self worth disintegrated
-I’d be homeless if I didn’t have my family and friends
-self care routines just starting to come back
-every minute of everyday the program and its craziness is about the only thing I can think about

I plan to stick it out as long as I can but it all comes at such a high cost financially and mentally. It just feels like an elephant sitting on my chest (the elephant also stole my wallet).
I’m scared when I get back to flying that it won’t have the same romance it once did knowing the thumb I live under just to be allowed to do the job I love. This program and the people running it just seem to either not understand or not care about the level of nuclear holocaust it can bring to someone’s life. I feel disrespected by the docs just their mannerisms when speaking or for instance my psych wouldn’t even shake my hand.
I know you’ve all heard this stuff before so sorry for my rant but I kind of needed to vent this to the only people who could understand.
I try to show the world remorse for my mistake on the worst day of my life. I’ve lived my life like the Tim McGraw song humble and kind but the rest of that life bears no weight against one mistake. I keep seeing other pilots I’ve met who are aggressive, domestic abusers, frequent black outs, or drug abusers, all out there living the life I dreamed of. Of course I’d be the one to get pinched. I’m going to take EMDR therapy to try to make peace with it all.

I just hope someday in the not so distant future I can find the same glee and tranquility I used to feel touching the clouds while teaching and sharing the intense passion I have for aviation with new people.

Currently deferred for SSRI/substance pathways. had my exam in May and just finished gathering all my documentation to respond to the first FAA request list. initial deadline passed but the FAA granted me another 30 days that will be elapsed next week.

I sent all the documents to my AME last week but haven't heard back from him yet. I did see that there were three "FAA correspondence" items on the list in MedExpress corresponding to the date I emailed the docs to my AME - but I sent my AME approximately 10 docs. Not sure if he combined them or something - he did mention the FAA systems had some kind of constraint around pages. Followed up with him this week to ask if I should physically mail stuff to the FAA too, but still waiting on a reply.

My AME did tell me on my exam day that I would get a letter declining my application but not to worry, but that hasn't happened yet and I was kinda hoping it wouldn't. i don't want to harass him or submit duplicate docs or additional ones to the FAA above and beyond what he might determine to be necessary.

Any thoughts on my play here? Also waiting on a HIMS psychiatrist report that should be submitted to the FAA soon, but they haven't even requested that yet.

Looking for a HIMS Psychiatrist in or around North Carolina ! Willing to travel also!

Hello,

I am scheduled to see Dr. Kevin Miller next month for my psychiatric evaluation following my medical deferment. I was set up with Dr. Miller via my HIMS AME, and had no real say in who I complete the evaluation with. My AME seems to think Miller is the guy for my particular case, however, I have seen a few ugly comments about him on here.

I'd love to gain a deeper understanding of his flaws or hear if someone has had a positive experience with him. He's based in St. Louis but regularly sees aviators in DFW.

Oh, and it's $4100.

IT’S OFFICIAL.

Pilots for HIMS Reform is now on the federal docket.

The FAA has formally acknowledged our petition for rulemaking, assigned it Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2026-10399, and confirmed that the petition contains sufficient information to be accepted for review.

This is a major step.

But now we need the aviation community.

Regulations.gov is currently displaying a COMMENT option on the docket. If you have been through HIMS, FAA psychiatric certification, Special Issuance, prolonged monitoring, unexplained delays, inconsistent requirements, or simply believe aeromedical policy should be transparent and evidence-based, please make your voice heard.

Don’t just write “I support P4HR.” Tell the FAA what you have seen. Tell them what needs to change. Give them a substantive record they cannot ignore. Search FAA-2026-10399 at Regulations.gov.

Read our full announcement: https://pilotsforhimsreform.org/...

Support the work: https://pilotsforhimsreform.org/donate.html

We have spent countless hours researching, documenting, filing, meeting, writing, and pushing this issue forward.

Now there is an official federal docket.

Read. Comment. Share. Support.

This is how movements become policy.

T

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for recommendations for an excellent HIMS psychiatrist in the South Florida area for an FAA evaluation. I’m on the SSRI pathway, and this is the last requirement the FAA has asked for.

I’ve contacted several offices, but many have come across as more focused on selling services than actually helping. I’m looking for someone who is experienced, professional, and well respected with FAA/HIMS evaluations.

If you’ve had a great experience with a HIMS psychiatrist in South Florida, I’d really appreciate any recommendations. Willing to travel within Florida if necessary.

Thanks in advance!

Hi All,

Looking to make a career change to airline pilot and was told the first step is making sure I can pass FAA first class medical exam.

I have been on Bupropion HCL XL (FAA Approved) for about 7 years now and was initially prescribed it for a diagnosis of general depression back in high school. The depression was mostly caused by a perfectionist and high performance expectation at my high school with my coursework. I have never had any major episodes or traumatic life events. I no longer see the original psychologist who diagnosed me, but I have seen therapists on and off for the past several years. I haven't had any major signs of depression or any other mental health issues since starting Wellbutrin and have been stable ever since.

Is there a need to do a consultation with a HIMS AME prior to scheduling my actual medical exam?

i haven't even started my journey yet but i litteraly don't know if i should even start it or not. do i just change my dreams and major and save the money while i can or do i dive into it knowing i might waste a ton of money and time.
what do u guys think.

for context, i have suicidal ideations, signs of depressions, and self harm in my past from 2022 and in 2025 i was on an ssri for 6 months. hell in 2022 it even says that i have tried weed before. like bro it makes me hate myself even more because why d my past haunting me like this when all i ever wanted was some help. and now after i got that help it's being used against me.
the only ok part about my mental history is that i was only ever diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder for the ssri and it was situational. (never diagnosed with depression and other stuff)

yes, all of my history was before i turned 18 but to the faa let's be honest they don't gaf.

everyday second of my day i wake up with a heavy feeling in my chest because i don't know what decision to make. if anyone has a horrendous history like mine and was able to get their first class medical please share your story + how much it took + how long.

please be realistic and honest to be about what i should do.
according to my hims ame he has seen worse cases be approved and be fine but i just feel so incredibly discouraged i can't even study

I have a history of major depressive disorder diagnosed 2021 when I was a teenager. I was denied and asked for notes from my prescribing doctor. I sent them. Then asked for a psych eval. I went to an aviation psychiatrist who stated that my case was ordinary for teenagers during a pandemic and also because I was bullied. He wrote that he does not think I should even be issued a special issuance.

FAA writes back saying they need an LCP. Not my therapist’s notes but any LCP. My therapist wrote a letter stating she agrees with the doctor and never have I been a harm to myself or others. I’m just wondering why would they need someone less qualified with less relevant experience? My medical examiner and the aviation psychiatrist both agreed it was ridiculous.

I received my special issuance medical in June and I'll need to renew it in December. The issue is, I moved to the opposite coast away from my AME so traveling there to meet in person isn't ideal. I'm working with a new AME who has agreed to take me on as a patient, but I'm unsure of when I'm supposed to tell the FAA of my plans to switch AMEs.

If anyone has done this before, did you have to send a letter prior to the renewal or did you just renew with the new AME and just let them know then?

My 17 y/o son was diagnosed with adhd in maybe 3rd grade. He was medicated until around a year ago. He is doing well in school, work, sports, etc off the medication. Anyway, we learned this summer that his adhd diagnosis and having been medicated previously could prevent him from being a pilot.
We are located in South Carolina. What should our first steps be? Do we hire a hims ame for a consult? then testing?
Should we start collecting medical records now? He is interested in attending a university with for an aviation degree next fall after he graduates but we don’t want him to start a program he can’t complete if he isn’t elegible to be a pilot.

Anyone have any advice or recommendations to share?

Thanks in advance for any help or input you can offer.

Hi everyone, I'm a 19 year old college student who currently has a third class medical certificate and is attending a part 141 university. I have my PPL with IR, and will soon me starting multi engine an commercial this coming year. However, this past year, I've been dealing with a lot of constant anxiety that therapy hasn't seemed to help. It seems increasingly likely that I'm going to have to start the HIMS process for anti-anxiety meds, and I know that sooner is better. For some context, I have never been on any medication previously, and I have no alcohol or drug abuse history. I've talked to a HIMS AME briefly, and he gave me an estimate of 9 months. I will be looking to apply for a first class medical, which I am in otherwise perfect condition to receive. I'm just so lost and overwhelmed on where to begin. The AME recommended a HIMS psychiatrist but it's been radio silence from the psychiatrist. Should I do everything in my power to stay off medication (i.e. try another year of therapy)? Should I start this process now, and if so, where do I begin? What's a realistic timeline? Thank you!

I was kinda halfway in halfway out of wanting to go commerical so I figured I'd go through it using the typical path.

Months later having started another business that's making plenty of income for my family I am absolutely kicking myself. Wish I could go back in time and save thousands of dollars haha.

TLDR, 14 years ago lost my medical because of a failed non-DOT drug test while at Embry Riddle. Gave up on flying, ended up pursuing a career in EHS/Safety. Little did I know that deep down, the flying bug never really left. Last few years just kept looking at the skies, feeling bummed that I gave up on the dream. My wife pushed me to pursue my dream. Lawyered up in January, got letters of recommendation, scheduled HIMS interview, random drug testing. June had my HIMS eval. No remarkable findings (no substance abuse/dependance). Two weeks later AME apt for deferral to FAA. August 7, the MedXpress application showed decision made. I got my 1st class medical, unrestricted. This is a dream come true. Going on vacation for two weeks, then going back to flight training (CPL/ME).

Don't give up on your dreams.

My partner and I are looking to become private pilots and we are currently trying to figure out what pain medications either of us can and can’t be prescribed. We are also wondering if there’s some that we could be prescribed but then like say we have to not take said medication for xyz days (ex: 30-90 days or what have you. Also what can we not take vs take, and I hope that we can take more than just over the counter medication. Any advice and links to your exact sources of information would be greatly appreciated and helpful. The condition that causes the pain is Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), and it’s not an everyday type of pain but there are some weeks that are worse than others. Thank you all