Jocelyn Frank

Absolutely, yeah. It can take years just to gather all of your medical records, get all the paperwork organized and the testing. And once a pilot and their AME do submit the request, The documents can take months and months for the FAA to actually review. And that's a lot of time for a pilot to be waiting around on disability at best, more often unemployed.

Absolutely, yeah. It can take years just to gather all of your medical records, get all the paperwork organized and the testing. And once a pilot and their AME do submit the request, The documents can take months and months for the FAA to actually review. And that's a lot of time for a pilot to be waiting around on disability at best, more often unemployed.

Absolutely, yeah. It can take years just to gather all of your medical records, get all the paperwork organized and the testing. And once a pilot and their AME do submit the request, The documents can take months and months for the FAA to actually review. And that's a lot of time for a pilot to be waiting around on disability at best, more often unemployed.

And I have to say, with recent cuts to federal staffing at the FAA, it's unlikely that this process is going to get any more efficient.

And I have to say, with recent cuts to federal staffing at the FAA, it's unlikely that this process is going to get any more efficient.

And I have to say, with recent cuts to federal staffing at the FAA, it's unlikely that this process is going to get any more efficient.

It's pretty clear from those terrible suicide-type flights that we do not want a pilot in the pilot seat who is suffering from that kind of intense, untreated mental health problem. It definitely adds risk to passenger safety.

It's pretty clear from those terrible suicide-type flights that we do not want a pilot in the pilot seat who is suffering from that kind of intense, untreated mental health problem. It definitely adds risk to passenger safety.

It's pretty clear from those terrible suicide-type flights that we do not want a pilot in the pilot seat who is suffering from that kind of intense, untreated mental health problem. It definitely adds risk to passenger safety.

I asked William Hoffman, that researcher, what we know about having mental health problems that you're treating, that you're addressing, or something that was on your record from the past. What do we know about how that impacts risk? And here's what he told me.

I asked William Hoffman, that researcher, what we know about having mental health problems that you're treating, that you're addressing, or something that was on your record from the past. What do we know about how that impacts risk? And here's what he told me.

I asked William Hoffman, that researcher, what we know about having mental health problems that you're treating, that you're addressing, or something that was on your record from the past. What do we know about how that impacts risk? And here's what he told me.

Right now, there is this simple model that using services, mental health services, or having a diagnosis is a marker for risk. But remarkably, that has never been systematically studied in research. That's a complete assumption.

Right now, there is this simple model that using services, mental health services, or having a diagnosis is a marker for risk. But remarkably, that has never been systematically studied in research. That's a complete assumption.

Right now, there is this simple model that using services, mental health services, or having a diagnosis is a marker for risk. But remarkably, that has never been systematically studied in research. That's a complete assumption.

Yeah. And it's an assumption that's costing Chris Finlayson and thousands of other pilots multiple years away from their careers. But it's nearly impossible to get pilots to raise their hands and say, hey, I'll participate in your research. I should probably be seeing a therapist.

Yeah. And it's an assumption that's costing Chris Finlayson and thousands of other pilots multiple years away from their careers. But it's nearly impossible to get pilots to raise their hands and say, hey, I'll participate in your research. I should probably be seeing a therapist.

Yeah. And it's an assumption that's costing Chris Finlayson and thousands of other pilots multiple years away from their careers. But it's nearly impossible to get pilots to raise their hands and say, hey, I'll participate in your research. I should probably be seeing a therapist.

Or, hey, I'm secretly taking mental health medication, so study me, check my flight records, and see how well I'm doing, or calculate all the small mistakes I'm making compared to this other pilot so we can figure out if my mental health issues are actually a problem when it comes to flight safety.

Or, hey, I'm secretly taking mental health medication, so study me, check my flight records, and see how well I'm doing, or calculate all the small mistakes I'm making compared to this other pilot so we can figure out if my mental health issues are actually a problem when it comes to flight safety.