Tag Archives: William A. Blank

BasicMed Again!

by Bill Blank, M.D. Published in Midwest Flyer – December 2019/January 2020 issue “BasicMed” took effect on May 1, 2017, as an alternate way for pilots to fly without holding an FAA medical certificate, as long as they meet certain … Continue reading

Posted in Columns, Columns, Dec 2019/Jan 2020, High On Health | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

High On Health

Introduction by Dr. Bill Blank As many of you know, marijuana for recreational use and some of its derivatives, have been legalized in several states. While they are legal in some states, they are illegal from the federal point of … Continue reading

Posted in Columns, Columns, High On Health, Oct/Nov 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Visual Standards

by Dr. Bill Blank, M.D. Published in Midwest Flyer – April/May 2019 issue Recently, several questions have come up regarding vision and certification. New Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) are required to attend a one-week course in Oklahoma City prior to … Continue reading

Posted in April/May 2019, Columns, Columns, High On Health | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Great Lakes Region Gets A New Regional Flight Surgeon While Basic Med Increases In Popularity

by Dr. Bill Blank, M.D. Published in Midwest Flyer – October/November 2018 issue When I last checked, over 35,000 airmen had availed themselves of “Basic Med.” In addition, Mayo Clinic physicians now perform Basic Med exams. In fact, the Mayo … Continue reading

Posted in Columns, Columns, High On Health, October/November 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pilots & Cataracts

by Dr. Bill Blank, M.D. Published in Midwest Flyer – December 2017/January 2018 Cataracts are a common result of aging. Over 24 million Americans over 40, one-sixth of that population, have cataracts. More than half the people over 80 have … Continue reading

Posted in Columns, Columns, Dec 2017/Jan 2018, High On Health | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Certification Speed-Up

by Dr. Bill Blank, M.D. Published in Midwest Flyer – October/November 2017 issue In early December, I spoke at an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) refresher course in Tucson. There, I picked up some information, which has probably escaped notice and … Continue reading

Posted in Columns, Columns, High On Health, October/November 2017 | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

How Basic Med Works!

by Dr. Bill Blank Published in Midwest Flyer – August/September 2017 issue I have been following “Basic Med” since the idea first arose, and waited to write this article until it was finally issued. I was afraid of last-minute changes … Continue reading

Posted in Aug/Sept 2017, Columns, Columns, High On Health | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Special Issuances… Why organization, completeness and timeliness is so important.

by Dr. Bill Blank Aviation Medical Examiner Published in Midwest Flyer – April/May 2017 In the past several issues of Midwest Flyer Magazine, I have been talking about the FAA certification process. I have discussed Regular Issuances (RI) and CACIs … Continue reading

Posted in April/May 2017, Columns, Columns, High On Health | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Medical Certification Process

by Dr. Bill Blank, M.D. Published in Midwest Flyer – Dec 2016/Jan 2017 In the last issue, I talked about how some pilots who will soon be permitted to fly without an FAA-issued medical certificate, while the majority of pilots … Continue reading

Posted in Columns, Columns, Dec 2016/Jan 2017, High On Health | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

How The Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 Can Affect You!

by Dr. Bill Blank, M.D. Published in Midwest Flyer – Oct/Nov 2016 As many of you know, on July 15, 2016, President Obama signed into law the “Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2.” That was the culmination of a long process. … Continue reading

Posted in Columns, Columns, High On Health, Oct/Nov 2016 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment