HAI/PAUL SMITH


Disability ProbeSNAGS FAA–VA


Differences between FAA medical records and veterans disability ratings jeopardize aviators’ certificates, livelihoods.


By James T. McKenna U


S HELICOPTER PILOTS ARE TRYING TO MAKE sense of a yearslong government examination of airmen medical certifications and military disability benefits that has ensnared veterans in records-falsification accusations, jeopardizing their flying careers.


Te FAA’s cross-checking of former military pilots’ medical-


certificate applications with US Veterans Affairs (VA) Department disability-benefit records has raised concerns about exacerbating the


36 ROTOR SEPTEMBER 2023


current pilot shortage and invading pilots’ privacy while highlighting confusion over disability-related red tape.


Veteran Helicopter Pilots under Scrutiny Greg Reigel, a partner at Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, a law firm based in Dallas, Texas, has been helping pilots respond to the ongoing investigation and says the FAA’s investigative efforts are wide-ranging and likely to grow.


Military Vet Pilots


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