How to become a pilot with athma?

Question

I have astma and have been on medication that if taken regular suppose to eliminate my asthma. I want to know since i have asthma and want to become a pilot how would I go about it. also I just dont want to fly planes with propellers though , I also talkin about jets. I would like to hear from people who in those fields or pilots with asthma.Thanks.

Answer 1

Asthma is not an obstacle to becoming a commercial pilot unless it interferes with the ability to pilot an aircraft.  Severe or frequent asthma may require an FAA decision before you can get the medical certificate you need to fly.  If the asthma is infrequent and mild you may be able to get your medical certificate right away.

The concern of the FAA is that you must not have anything that might incapacitate you in flight.  If your asthma is bad enough that you might have an attack in flight that would prevent you from flying safely, your medical will be denied, but if it's clear that you aren't likely to be incapacitated by an attack in flight, you can get the medical.

In every case, you'll need to provide a detailed history of your asthma, including details on any and all medications you take for it.

Answer 2

My son had asthma when he was young.  Had not been bothered by it for 10 years, but the Air Force Reserves would not take him and they reported it to the FAA so that he could not fly commercial either.  He had a year of commercial pilot school done and it was all wasted.  If you have asthma, even if it is under control, they will not let you fly military or commercial.

Answer 3

If you're talking about military grade Jets - you would not be able to. You'd also need natural 20/20 Vision. (or better)

Answer 4

I have had asthma since I was 5 years old. I have been a professional pilot for over 20 years now.

You may qualify to recieve a Class 1 medical that is necessary to fly for the airlines, a Class 2 medical for commercial pilots, or a Class 3 for Private Pilots.

You need to first go to see an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) and start the process to obtain a student pilot medical. That will start the paper work. Expect the whole process to take 6-12 weeks.

My asthma was never again an issue once I received my student pilot medical.

You can locate your nearest AME at:

http://www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator/

Good luck.