Your AME is retiring. Or moving. Or you’ve decided it’s time to work with someone who knows aviation medicine better. Whatever the reason, the question is the same: how do you go about switching AMEs without creating a problem in your file?
For most pilots, switching is simple. For pilots on a special issuance, and especially pilots in HIMS, it takes more planning. Here’s how each situation works.
Can You Switch AMEs Whenever You Want?
If you hold a regular Class 1, 2, or 3 medical with no special issuance, yes. The FAA doesn’t assign you to an AME. You can see any AME on the FAA’s AME Locator for your next exam, and you don’t need anyone’s permission.
What you lose when you switch is history. Your old AME knew your file. Your new one is starting from scratch. That’s where a lot of avoidable delays come from. Something that was explained years ago gets explained poorly at the new office, or not at all, and the exam ends in a deferral.
So the real work of switching is getting your new AME the full picture before you sit down for the exam.
Step One: Get a Copy of Your FAA Medical File
The FAA keeps your complete airman medical file at the Aerospace Medical Certification Division (AMCD) in Oklahoma City. You can request it with FAA Form 8065-2, Request for Airman Medical Records, by fax or mail.
A few things to know before you send it:
- You can have the records sent to yourself, your new AME, or both. Each recipient needs its own form.
- You can request the complete file or a partial file. If you have any medical history beyond routine exams, request the complete file.
- It takes time to arrive. Send the request as soon as you know you’re switching, not the week your medical expires.
While you wait, pull together your own records too: copies of past MedXPress applications, any letters from the FAA, and the specialist reports you’ve submitted over the years.
Step Two: Time the Switch Around Your Next Exam
The easiest time to switch is between exams. If your medical is due in the next month or two, book with your new AME early enough that your records arrive and get reviewed before the appointment.
If anything in your history is complicated, schedule a consult with the new AME first. A consult gives the AME a chance to review your file and tell you what’s missing before a formal exam starts. That matters, because once the exam begins, the FAA instructs AMEs not to hold it open more than 14 days while waiting on documents. Missing records are one of the most common reasons an exam gets deferred.
If You’re on a Special Issuance
Most special issuances aren’t tied to a specific AME, but your new AME needs to see the same paperwork your old one did. Bring your current Authorization letter, the most recent reports it requires, and any FAA correspondence you’ve received since it was issued.
If your authorization allows an AME to reissue your certificate in the office, your new AME can generally do that too, as long as you bring everything the letter calls for. If you show up without the letter or the required reports, expect a deferral.
If You’re in HIMS, You Need FAA Approval First
HIMS is the exception, and it’s the one that catches pilots off guard. Your HIMS special issuance authorization names your HIMS AME, and it requires that you not change HIMS AMEs without prior FAA approval.
The FAA treats this as a change it handles case by case. The examples it gives include a HIMS AME retiring, no longer serving as a HIMS AME, or the pilot or AME relocating to another state.
The HIMS AME change request has several parts:
- You send a written request to the FAA explaining why you need to work with a new HIMS AME.
- You authorize the FAA to release a complete copy of your medical file to the new HIMS AME.
- Your current HIMS AME writes a closeout status report and agrees to release your monitoring to the new HIMS AME by name.
- The new HIMS AME reviews your records and agrees to take over.
- If the FAA approves, you receive an updated Authorization letter listing your new HIMS AME.
Approval isn’t automatic, and the process takes time. If you fly for an airline with a HIMS program, keep your HIMS chair in the loop so the company side and the FAA side stay in sync.
If Your HIMS AME Is Retiring
Start the change request while your current HIMS AME is still practicing. The closeout report has to come from that AME, and it’s much easier to get while they’re still seeing patients. If your HIMS AME has already retired or can’t be reached, contact the FAA directly and ask how they want it handled.
Then take your time choosing the next one. There are only about 200 HIMS AMEs in the country, and far fewer handle significant volume. Before you commit, ask how many HIMS pilots they currently monitor, how they handle the six-month reports, and how quickly they respond when the FAA asks for more information.
Switching to Kansas Aviation Medicine
Dr. Bradley Harrison is a Senior AME, a HIMS AME, and a private pilot. Pilots travel from several states to work with him, including HIMS pilots who come in from out of state to keep him as their AME.
If you’re planning to switch AMEs, start with a confidential consult by phone, video, or in person. Dr. Harrison will review where your file stands and walk you through what the transition will take.
