AD to Reserves with Disability/Sleep Apnea

[Tommy]

Currently AD and diagnosed with Sleep Apnea and considering going guard/reserve. Going through an MEB which I was told wouldn’t be an issue for me to “pass”. Would a Sleep Apnea diagnosis or a disability rating associated with it (if there is one) prevent me from going guard/reserve? Considering not taking continuation to 20 but don’t want to find myself not in AD and not be able to go guard/reserve. 

Edited October 23, 2018 by Lifer

[ThreeHoler]

How did you get diagnosed? Did you self-identify? Do a sleep study?

Do you have a second opinion? You can petition to get things out of your medical record...but as it stands, an MEB discharge will probably keep you from serving in the AFR/ANG.


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[Tommy]

Well I don’t think I’ll be discharged from AD (fingers crossed) But was diagnosed with sleep apnea and they are doing an MEB Which i heard was standard practice for flyers. This is just what I’ve been told. With that said I’m thinking about going guard/reserves and deny continuation to 20 in AD but don’t want to find out afterwards that the guard/reserve won’t take me. Any help is appreciated. 

[JimNtexas]

I can tell you the FAA will be very reluctant to give you even a third class medical unless you can show a solid year of CPAP machine logs showing you use it all night pretty much every night.

[Tommy]

That won’t be a problem. 

[IMUA]

I’ve been asking units the same thing for about a year. And the short answer i keep getting is “no.” This is a terrible time to go ANG/AFRC with ANY medical issues. It’s all about deployability and the “deploy or get out” is alive and well even for the TFI bredren.

But i’m also not rated. If you’re rated, i’d be willing to bet most units will work with you with an ALC. A hard medical separation is in my experiences/research impossible to go ANG/AFRC.

[matmacwc]

The medical rules are the same in the AFRC/ANG as AD, so no.

[Tommy]

An update for those who read this and in a similar situation. My MEB paperwork came back already and I will be medical coded to require reliable electricity due to sleep apnea and they flight docs are working a waiver to return me to fly. I spoke to a guard unit recruiter and they sent me paperwork for me to sign that will release my medical records to their flight docs who will review my medical records, waivers etc and will make a determination if they will take me or not. I’ll keep everyone posted on what they say. I do know a friend who coded to not be able to deploy at all and tried to get into a UPT reserve unit who was denied due to not being able to deploy. 

[MooseClub]

Some inaccurate advice on this thread. 

Sleep apnea diagnosis will result in a MEB. Before that happens, they’ll put you on a CPAP and IF your therapy is effective and they can get your AHI number low enough you will get a waiver and return to fly.  If ineffective it could result in separation.  Assuming you get the waiver you’ll also be C-coded which you refered to above regarding deployments (can deploy but needs to be to a fixed facility).

Other take-always: 

1) You’ll need to demonstrate a minimum of 90 days of effective therapy via download from your CPAP to apply for the waiver. 

2) Once you have a waiver you’ll end up doing a RILO annually (or longer) to renew your waiver where they’ll also re-verify your therapy is still effective.  As long as you’re complying (using the CPAP) and it’s effective you won’t have much to worry about.  They want to see you’re stable and successfully treated. 

3) Expect the VA will have you come in once a year to do a 90 day download so they can verify your compliance. If you aren’t regularly using your CPAP like you should that could become an issue. 

4) There is something like 5000 commercial pilots in the U.S. with sleep apnea who have a FCI medical certificate. Again, as long as you are complying and therapy is effective that’s what they care about. I personally carry a FCI w/ this diagnosis. 

5) I’m still AD myself but assuming everything I previously stated I would be highly surprised if the Reserves/ANG would not allow you to fly for them if you are stable with effective therapy. If AD and the airlines are gtg with it then I don’t see any reason why Res/Guard wouldn’t also be as you can still fly and deploy. 

 

Effectice CPAP therapy and you complying/using the thing like you’re supposed to is the bottom line. 

[matmacwc]

Just realize you fellas are barking up a tree filled with applicants who don’t need waivers, food for thought

[MooseClub]

On the mil side it’s a waiver.  Civilian side it’s called a special issuance FCI. You’re medically qualified or you’re not. It’s really that simple.

Even before it was a seller’s market, the proof was already out there in the literally thousands of airline pilots in this boat. 

If you can carry a FCI it won’t be your medical that prevents you from getting a job. More food for thought. 

[MooseClub]

To further expand, I called an airline rep this morning with one of the majors and asked if a special issuance FCI would be viewed adversely in any way by a hiring board. He confirmed no it would not. His words were as long as you have the FCI and you aren’t operationally restricted in some strange way (said he’d never heard of such a instance) then that’s all they care about medically. He also said it would be illegal for them to hold the fact you have a special issuance/medical condition against you as that is a legally protected status when it comes to hiring. He again reiterated that you simply need to hold the FCI. 

 

[pilot]

Point of order...FCI is an Air Force term. In FAA land it’s a medical certificate: 1st/2nd/3rd class. And if it needs a special issuance it’s a special issuance medical. 

 

To the OP: I have a bro who was an AD guy. Got out with 10% disability for tinnitus. Got hired by an ANG unit, ended up with a break in service, and had a medical fiasco having to do (out of pocket) a bunch of tests (despite flying on an unrestricted FAA medical for the airlines) to get cleared to come back in. Didn’t hurt his chances of getting hired, but made the admin side an extra pain in the ass requiring a waiver. May be an even bigger pain in the ass for sleep apnea, assuming they’d waive it. I imagine if you have a waiver on AD it’d transfer and wouldn’t be an issue. If you get MEBd and separated for it I don’t think going guard would be doable, but I am no expert. 

[BashiChuni]

is it better to go to the reserves/get hired by an airline, and THEN take the sleep study?

i almost dont want to risk anything at this point (< 6 months till leaving AD)

[Duck]

Any updates on sleep apnea and FCI physicals? Almost positive I have it, but not sure if it’s worth getting it documented now or closer to retirement. Is this still an automatic MEB? Thanks dudes.


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