Q. HOW DO I FIND A GOOD AME?
A. Asking the right questions helps.
To start:
A. Google:
faa ame
B. Search for an AME in the area you are
considering.
C. If you are a professional airman check to
ascertain they are a
‘Senior’
AME (able to do 1st Class physicals).
D. Then check if they are a flier themselves.
A
word of caution here; this last point
is certainly not an unbreakable rule; however, in my personal experience I have
never known an AME who was a true advocate that wasn’t also a flier! I’ve known
AME’s who list themselves as “student pilots” on the FAA web site for years
because they know it will help bring airman in!
E. There are no
guarantees when it comes to the problem of finding a good AME, all you can do
is take a defensive posture and try to understand the present situation.
AME’s are
disappearing. The main reasons seem to involve the
requirements/constraints of group practice and $$. Unfortunately there just is not enough money
in being an AME to make a viable practice for a doc, insurance pays much better. He has to do
this on the side, be a part timer like myself or he has to run a ‘mill’,
something you want no part of!
You need to know that the FAA only
requires an AME to perform ten physicals annually in order to retain
their certification. Last year the
FAA considered allowing AME’s who had not fulfilled that requirement to retain
their credentials anyway. In addition an
AME is not required to help an airman with a special issuance. All he need do is defer you to OKC with a
check mark on your form and he has washed his hands of you.
In order to help
you grasp the situation and develop a realistic perspective I will share some
of my stats. Prior to the big ’08 crash
I did 700 physicals annually with zero mistakes. The statistics folks told me that for the
number of physicals I did annually I “ranked in the top 1/10th of 1%
nation wide.”
You should strive
to be established with an AME you trust unequivocally. One who, if you develop a need, will
assist and guide you and go to bat for you with the FAA. One who will do his/her level best to get you
back flying ASAP and without charging you an arm and a leg.
Every AME receives
an annual report from OKC in late October.
It lists the number of exams completed, what class they were and the
number of errors made among other things.
These reports are not presently available publicly, however, you
absolutely are entitled to know the information, so ask! You might also join the fight and file a
request under the “Freedom of Information Act” (form available online) asking
that these reports be made public!
Some things to ask and certainly you are entitled to
know, from any office you are considering:
Ask
the person on the phone -
1.
About
how many exams did they do last year? If
they do 100 or more, you are likely going to find extra experience and
knowledge. On the other hand if they
claim “thousands” you know it is a mill.
2.
Unashamedly ask how many
errors they made. One percent or less is
excellent!
3.
Even though it is not on the annual report, ask about how many “Special
Issuances” they do a year, or do they
defer most of those to OKC? Special
Issuance is the name given when there is a serious medical matter involved and this really separates the men from the
boys. The truth is that most
AME’s do not take the time to help; they simply defer you to the feds, and
you are on your own.
4.
If they do not want to answer your questions and don’t offer to refer you
to someone who can, don’t go there! At least I certainly would not! Frankly, they should be proud of their
efforts – not hiding them.
Every professional
airman knows their job is on the line at every physical. For third class pilots, who wants to have
their beloved hobby jeopardized by an inept AME? Taking a defensive posture and having an
alternative AME that you are comfortable going to is always a good idea. I plan on being available until January 2013
but a “Plan B” never hurts.