Are There Restrictions For Patients With Angina Who Also Fly Their Own Plane?

— -- Question: Are There Restrictions For Patients With Angina Who Also Fly Their Own Plane?

Answer: So pilots, even private pilots, are familiar with the aeromedical exams that FAA certified medical examiners provide for you. For folks with coronary artery disease, there are extra steps and precautions that are indicated.

First of all, if you've had a heart attack or a coronary artery disease procedure, you need to wait six months before attempting to recertify with your FAA medical examiner.

Further, even after six months time, to allow the heart to heal and make sure that things are stable, we're going to require an exercise treadmill test to make sure that your health is stable. Although a heart attack or heart trouble while flying is very rare, the results can obviously be catastrophic so extra caution is indicated.

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