How to Abolish the 3rd Class Medical, with Brent Blue

By John Zimmerman
Nov 5, 2024
0 Comments

Pilot's Discretion Podcast, episode 90

The success of BasicMed proves the third-class medical is obsolete—that’s according to senior AME Brent Blue. He covers a wide range of medical topics in this episode, including how to fill out the FAA medical application, what the latest rules are on mental health treatment, and whether new drugs like Ozempic are safe for pilots. Dr. Blue is also a leading advocate for pulse oximeters and carbon monoxide detectors, and he shares his rules of thumb for using both in the cockpit. In the Ready to Copy segment, you’ll hear why patients need to occasionally say no, a simple habit for healthy living, and what it’s like to fly a Canadian bushplane.

Listen online:

Listen on your favorite app:

Quotes:

Do we need the third-class medical? “I don’t think so. The FAA probably does."
The success of BasicMed: “That’s a lot of data—eight years, 80,000 pilots. It really makes you ask the question, ‘Well what are we doing?’”
The problem with special issuance medicals: “The FAA does not trust local providers, and they don’t trust AMEs.”
Mental health forms for AMEs: “There’s a yes/no column on this template, and if anything is checked yes then it has to be deferred… The problem is it doesn’t allow me discretion to say ‘yes but.’”
Parents: “I have parents call me to talk about their son or daughter’s medical and the application process. And I’ve gotten to the point now where I say, ‘Listen, I do not talk to parents. I only talk to the pilot-applicant.’”
GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic: “Quite honestly, they’re miracle drugs.”
The outdated FARs on oxygen: “That rule is based on a lobbying effort from pilots when the rules were established because if you can go over 12,500 and up to 14,000 for 30 minutes, you can travel anywhere in the Continental United States.”
Different types of oxygen: “There’s absolutely zero difference from aviator’s oxygen and medical oxygen, and even welding oxygen.”
What kind of CO detectors work for aviation: “You can’t just go buy a carbon monoxide detector at Home Depot and call it a day.”
Why patients need to say no sometimes: “The medical system, once you’re in it, will swallow people up and hurt people.”
What counts for exercise: “The definition of exercise from a medical perspective is to get your heart rate in the target zone for 30 minutes every day. That’s the goal.”