If you have a 1st class and are trans but stressing coming out, starting HRT or a student considering how to get your 1st class, don’t despair.

I am reposting this info to keep it current in the search engines and to update anyone who is concerned about their identity and being a commercial or private pilot.

The process to get a 1st class medical is still possible. It is possible for both current 1st class medical holders and new applicants.

There are some official forms, some FAA guidance, lots of nuances and pitfalls to navigate, but there is a path to follow and lot of support to help you. If submitted correctly with all the supporting documents, they have been getting approved even if you have some underlying mental health history along with it.

DM me if you need help.

If you’re not already following the story, please see the following locked thread:

https://www.reddit.com/r/flying/s/uTYOlI79LS

After contacting my AME, who said he’d do some digging on his end, I contacted the NGPA, who replied surprisingly quickly, given that I emailed them on a weekend.

Tl;dr - There doesn’t seem to be a reason to panic yet, as it seems the guidance page got taken down due to the DEI webpage sweeps happening across the government.

I post the NGPA’s response in its entirety, removing only my own personal information:

“Thank you for your email.

We are also aware of the removal of the Gender Dysphoria guidance, and have been probing for answers as to what implications it has for the current medical certification process. To our current knowledge, per reports from inspectors working in the Aeromedical Branch of the Western Pacific FSDO, the removal was in line with the broad language within the Anti-DEI Executive Order, and does not represent a change in the policy. I have an account from an NGPA member who was approved via their AME for special issuance per the guidelines just yesterday, so that seems to back this up.

I don't think we are necessarily immune to any further attacks in medical certification in the future of this administration, but for now, pilots should apply and prepare applications per the former guidelines. We'll be working to get a version of the pathway up on our website soon to support applicants in that process.”

——————

I hope this update helps other trans pilots who are worried about their futures - I am too, y’all, but any info we can scrounge leads us towards whatever the future holds clear-eyed; we deserve that, at least.

I try to lurk in the shadows of this subreddit, and my lack of flair is evidence of that.

But I've noticed something everytime a crash is posted here and I wanted to leave a bit of advice.

Non professional, armchair pilots need to shut the fuck up.

I get that you read and do your checklists and fly the hell outta your skyhawk every weekend. I get that your weekly discussions with other "experts" means you can thumb your way through part 91 like the back of your hand.

But there's a different world out there. A professional one. This Lear crew that just passed in TEB is no different from any of us. They woke up just like I did, got ready for work, kissed their ladies good bye, and strapped into the jet.

It doesn't matter if they made a mistake, it doesn't matter what happened. There's an entire government agency devoted to finding that out.

The main focus right now should be remember these dudes and double checking our shit a little more closely. Clear that final one more time. Make that call on the conservative side.

I'm sure this will ruffle some feathers, but it needs to. Time and time again I see some PPL start speculating before the fire is even out. It's time we all take a step back and realize what's important here.

Idk, I might be a bit of a prophead, but I hate my new job.

Was wondering how you felt when you did transition from a turboprop to a turbojet?

Went from flying the ATR to the A220 and I totally hate it, aircraft is boring to fly and threshold looks the same everywhere.

I wouldn't even call it flying, it's more managing.

I'm really not a fan of the A220, but I guess it's still rather young so hopefully they will sort it over time.

Either way, getting laid off due to chapter 11, so I'm happy, since I don't feel like it is for me. I get to go back to the ATR and a free type rating, feels like I've won the lottery.

I seen one for Canada, but what about here in America?

Kind of a niche question...

I've been on hormone replacement therapy for over 10 years now, and a year ago I went in for my first ever 3rd class medical certificate as I just began my flight training. According to the FAA if I had been on hormones OR had SRS surgery less than 5 years ago, they would "defer" my certificate. Well, I was issued a 3rd class on the spot since I didn't have this problem. But now a year later I am making plans to get SRS surgery within a few months and am wondering what I need to do? Am I required to tell an AME or the FAA that I had SRS surgery right after I had it? Or when I go back in a few years for my next AME exam? Will they pull my certificate immediately after I get surgery if I have to tell them? Hopefully someone here has gone through this and can explain it or can point me to official documentation about it that I can't seem to find.

Im at the ALPA Air Safety Forum this week and wanted to pass along a few relevant tidbits. Sorry this is long, but is sourced directly from the Aeromedical panel discussion.

I sidelined with an FAA Medical person (who would like not to be named but the source is extremely reliable). I specifically asked about Transgender issues and was told to follow the previous versions of the AME guide and GD form.

The FAA medical office IS following the previous procedures and will approve applications that provide the info that is outlined in the previous versions of AME guide.

It was expressed directly to me that the FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine “will continue to support Transgender Pilots.”

straight from FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine - the info circulating last couple weeks about the auto denial initiative when FAA asks for more info is FALSE.

Dr Northrup affirmed that automatic denial is not in effect. The Office pushed back hard against it. The process did not change. You can use your medical while they ask for more information from you and your doctors.

The guidance for 1st class certificate holders is still to get a clean medical, then quickly disclose your new medical issues like Gender Dysphoria or starting HRT so that you have the full 6 months (or more) for the FAA to process it.

Currently if you provide all the correct documentation, and don’t have any contra indications… your application could be approved prior to your next renewal and while you are exercising your current good medical

Wait times from deferral to decision is around 30 days if all the relevant info is provided immediately. If the FAA has to ask the pilot for more information that average time goes up to 120 days.

A majority of denials are due to incomplete or inaccurate documents:

Provide signed, dated documents that have your name and AP ID. Have someone proofread the documents and letters, an AME if possible.

If you haven’t joined NGPA, there is a discord group specifically for transgender pilots of ALL levels

This is really a strange question but everytime I get into the cockpit I just start yawning. It's not like I am feeling super tired or unable to focus, but I just yawn. For the context, I am a student pilot. I usually bike 6 miles to my airport when I am going to fly. but the 6 miles cycling definitely shouldn't be the cause of all the yawning. Everytime I step into the pit I start yawning, and it stops after I shut down and step out. I fly a 172 right now. does this happen to you?

Sorry again for this weird question, I hope it doesn't raise FAA concern.

So this question I've been wondering for a while and my instructor wasn't able to answer properly. He just said, you won't be able to fly forever, but didn't elaborate much.

Basically, if I have 100 KTS headwind and my stall speed is 50 KTS and I have an engine failure, I should be able to fly forever assuming the headwind stays? I should even be able to climb!

Please explain with engineering terms if possible OR with free body diagram. I will understand better :)

For proper context: I am currently 23 years old and have wanted to become an airline pilot for a long time. I am now at a crossroad where I must decide whether to pursue aviation as a career or change paths entirely.

Shortly after turning 19, I was arrested and later convicted of a DUI with a BAC of 0.08. I pled guilty and accepted full responsibility for my actions and the resulting legal and professional consequences. I recognize that driving after consuming alcohol is dangerous and unacceptable, regardless of circumstance.

Since that incident, I have maintained a clean record and made permanent and indefinite changes to my behavior. I no longer consume alcohol and hold myself to a higher standard of judgment, responsibility, and safety. Truthfully, this experience was a serious and formative lesson, and it has significantly shaped how I approach decision-making and accountability.

That being said, I am concerned about how this conviction may affect my ability to obtain a medical certificate and be considered for employment by an airline in the future. I do not want this mistake to permanently define me or prevent me from pursuing a career that requires a strong commitment to safety and professionalism.

I fully understand the seriousness of impaired driving and the harm it has caused to countless individuals and families. My actions were a lapse in judgment, and I am committed to ensuring they are never repeated. I am seeking guidance on whether pursuing a career as an airline pilot is still realistic given my past, or whether this conviction represents a permanent barrier that I cannot overcome.

To preface, fuck drunk drivers. Alcohol is a destructive substance that’s caused so many people to be killed and has taken the life of too many individuals due to reckless driving. What I did was a lapse in judgment and a terrible mistake, but I want to recover and become a better person and vow to never have even a drop of alcohol in my system if I’m going to operate a veichle. What I’m trying to ask is: is my desire to become a pilot an exercise in futility? Will I be able to actually have an advantageous carrer in the airlines and is this something I can come back from? Or is this a taint on my record and it’s something I can never recover from? I’m contemplating on whether I should shelve this dream, or jump in with my head first. I would regard any advice and appreciate any guidance on this issue. Thank you all.

TLDR I made a bad decision. I broke the law. I understand why it was dangerous. I changed my behavior permanently. I want to peruse a career in aviation, how should I proceed moving forward.

Alright a little bit of a rant/rage post. So I work for a legacy and have flown with a surprising number of pilots who have their children also working for our airline. I’ve also seen a number of those viral newsworthy posts of pilots that get their dream of flying with their dad/mom on a trip of final flight when their parent retires with them as FO and their parent as CA.

On the surface it seems obvious that you’d end up at the same airline as your parent but why in the world would an airline give preferential treatment to a candidate just because they have a parent that works for them? And before you say they don’t, I have heard more than one story directly from the parent that said they marched in to upper management and talked with someone they knew to get their kid’s apps looked at. Not just a letter of rec, I mean physically talked face to face with someone who could pull some strings. These same kid’s app goes like this: graduated high school>college degree in “being a pilot”> CFI>regional FO maybe CA> end procedure. Barely any leadership positions, community work, extra curriculars etc. meanwhile we have a lot of candidates waiting in line that have done a lot more. I just flew with another whose child was hired this year (non covid boom hire). There is one guy here who has 3, yes 3 kids at our airline, two of whom got here within the last year.

Not necessarily pilots, but the number of people I know whose kids ended up being a real piece of work is definitely more than a few, and it seems to be more consistently in cases when mom and dad can provide whatever their child needs growing up. Why would you take any parent’s word about their kid? “My kid works hard and doesn’t get in to trouble”. Get in line sir. It seems not only unprofessional by the hiring staff but also non sensical.

Im a female student interested in becoming a pilot and Im not sure if it’s just me, but is there a growing amount of female pilots? Does anyone have a like a percentage of that or something? Im simply curious

Seriously he’s like clockwork. If I see a fatal mishap on the news, I know he will post a video with some ADSB data pontificating about the mishap pilots (assumed) errors. Like dude relax, somebody died, people make mistakes, and half the time he’s jumping to conclusions before the NTSB has released anything. That doesn’t mean you should get all worked up and go off on a pilot with his holier than thou attitude. It’s important to learn from accidents but this isn’t the way. I can’t imagine what’s he like as an instructor.

The Skydive Plane loss of control video is egregious. Like ok buddy let’s give you an engine failure on takeoff with a bunch of skydivers probably moving around in the back. But he chooses to just blast the pilot for trying to land it. Dude sucks

Flew out to a little strip way out in the middle of nowhere and the part i planned to land on was flooded from the rain. but when i circled to look it over there was still a solid stretch of dry surface left, plenty of room to put down on, so i set up for that part and landed

worked out totally fine, just not something i run into often. standing water on a strip changes how the whole approach feels even when theres clearly enough dry to work with, anyone run into this before? curious what you usually do when the strip you planned on turns out underwater

My wife is working towards her ATP rating with the goal of joining a legacy. I want her to get to the airlines as fast as possible.

I own a Piper Meridian. Instead of instructing, what if she flies around all day?

Would 1300 hours of single engine turbine time be enough to go straight to legacy, especially as a girl (let’s not lie, that is an advantage).

American here, having a passive aggressive conversation with some European friends of mine when they asked me how my Pilot journey is going.

They also raved about Americans poor geography knowledge and asked me if i knew the capital of Germany to which I said I have no idea maybe Frankfurt??

They were shocked and said “you’re a PILOT HOW could you NOT know the capital of Germany??”

I didn’t find this information really necessary to fly… of course I’ve never flown internationally and everytime I do fly I know where I’m going and the alternates to the destination along the route but I found this odd. Maybe I’m crazy?

Do you think Geography is important for pilots to know on a global scale?

Obviously no names and no identifying info.

Just a quick little PSA that I know will not get too much attention, but is always a good reminder. Guys and gals, try your best to stop using Guard for random purposes. I’ll admit, for the first minute after I hear something like “Jeffrey Epstein didn’t kill himself” in a muffled voice on Guard, I’ll laugh a bit at it. Afterwards, it hits me that there is always the possibility of that transmission blocking other transmissions, some of which may actually be necessary. Heck, sometimes even, I can feel a little tendency to want to join in with the comedy, but I catch myself realizing there is a reason Guard is set aside for emergencies; and pretty much that only.

I’ve heard Guard sometimes described as the “Discord server of GA,” which obviously seems kinda strange given its intended use. I know this is an uphill battle, but please do remember a few things: You can be fined like $10k+ by the FCC and possibly lose your radio license that is a part of your pilot license (as the “Guard police” kindly informed us today). I mean, even that fact alone puts the fear of God in me; one misstep and you lose your license?

So again, just something to consider when treading on 121.5. None of us want to lose a career to a misstep on Guard. Just a thought from a random teenager pilot.

Contrary to what every boomer captain wants me to believe - that the industry is doomed and we are one day away from a major crash because of so many under qualified DEIs hired by United, all the UA class photos are just a sausage fest and look as white as milk.

Now I agree most of these captains have solid sources like Fox News or even the hotel bus driver lol. But is there any smoke to the fire? Per what I have read UA only actively uses DEI at the Aviate flight school in Phoenix, not with mainline hiring. (Which I think is great because that creates a bigger impact)

It was my understanding that they just do not have the luxury to be that selective. Also, not to mention the fact that with most pilot apps, there is no mention of race or gender other than the voluntary self identification (which I believe can’t be used for hiring decisions).

Enlighten me.

Note - I’m not trying to debate the relevance of DEI in this thread.

Tomorrow will be my first flight as a passenger on an airline since getting my private certificate. If I flash them my certificate and say "just so you know guys, if you need any help I'm here for you" are they going to think its funny or annoying?

Sorry to disturb the peace but im bored on reserve. My non pilot family and friends have asked me about this apparent issue that usually starts with wHaT dO yOu tHiNk. My response generally leaves me at ends with them as I think it’s just another plane in the sky. Should I be festering with anger every time she flies twenty minutes? I think shes just another ultra rich person doing whatever she wants. Nothing new. Maybe the earths life span will be a week shorter than it otherwise woulda been?

So i am just about to finish my commercial certification at 220hrs TT. I am now having to redo my entire End of Course Check (Mock Checkride.) After I had passed it back in December and I have surpassed the 60-day deadline. Due to winter break with the flight school being closed and bad weather, and DPE aviabilty i was able to get a checkride in on the First Week in February. But unfortunately, I failed the checkirde after the DPE found that i had mixed up the TO/LND distances for short field and normal. Now I am having to not only finish half the checkride for commercial, I am re-taking my EOC again as a full mock-checkride in order to be within the 60-day limit of graduating the course which i have already done. All FAA bullshit and paperwork aside. This is all i have left in me. The flight school (141) management has been a shit show, with instructors handing students off at will and flights getting canceled last minute.

I don't want this failure or delay to stop me from making it to the airlines. But I'm sick of feeling like I'm just spinning my wheels in the dirt and not getting anywhere. I go to a different flight school like a part 61 mom and pop just to get my certifications a bit faster. Is it really worth it the Restricted ATP?