Item 18 r, s, t - Military discharge, rejection; Insurance rejection

My Flight Surgeon

Sr. Aviation Medical Examiner
This is one of a series of posts about medical issues potentially affecting a pilot’s ability to obtain a medical certificate. In this series, we will look at common problems seen by the AME, review the requirements the FAA has to consider allowing one to fly and discuss what you need to do to expedite consideration by the FAA to allow you to fly. We plan to go through all of the medical history items in Section 18 on the front of Form 8500-8 over the next several months.

I would suggest that if you are unsure of how to answer these questions in Item 18, you discuss them with your AME before you complete the form. Some things may not be significant while others will require explanation.

Item 18.r. Military medical discharge, Item 18.s. Medical rejection by military service, Item 18.t. Rejection for life or health insurance

These all fall into the same category regarding the medical history. Positive answers may lead to underlying, disqualifying conditions. In fact, positive answers rarely result in a disqualification. It is helpful to know the circumstances surrounding the discharge, including dates, and whether the individual is disabled. Rejection from military service may not be anything that is significant or disqualifying. The military has standards much higher than the FAA. The same is true for rejection for insurance.

* Italicized text is from FAA documents
 
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