
Studies reveal pilots fear being grounded over mental health stigma
Fox News
Recent studies show that pilots are avoiding seeking mental health assistance, and are concerned about the impact on their ability to fly.
"Certainly a troubling trend, one in which researchers say pilots are often ignoring their health, particularly mental health symptoms, because they're so terrified of losing their ability to fly," he told host Arthel Neville. Agustin Hays is a Digital Production Assistant with Fox News. He can be reached at agustin.hays@fox.com for story tips.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, pilots must meet medical standards, undergo a medical exam and receive certification in order to be licensed as a pilot. This must be completed through an FAA-certified Aviation Medical examiner (AME). As the studies and Watson explained, pilots fear revealing mental health as it can hinder their chances to fly and could be a lengthy process to regain certification.
"Once the pilot loses their wings, they could be sidelined for years and saddled with expenses to get approval again," Watson explained.