AME Assisted Special Issuance (AASI) is a process that provides Examiners the ability to re-issue an airman medical certificate under the provisions of an Authorization for Special Issuance of a Medical Certificate (Authorization) to an applicant who has a medical condition that is disqualifying under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 67.
An FAA staff physician (your AME's medical supervisor) provides the initial certification decision and grants the Authorization in accordance with 14 CFR § 67.401. The Authorization letter is accompanied by attachments that specify the information that treating physician(s) must provide for the re-issuance determination. If this is a first-time application for an AASI for the above disease/condition and the applicant has all the required medical information necessary for a determination, the Examiner must defer and submit all of the documentation to the AMCD or RFS for the initial determination.
- 1. Gathering Documentation: Before their exam, you as the pilot gather updated reports from your treating physicians (e.g., cardiologist, endocrinologist) and gathers all required tests (labs, EKGs, etc.) as specified in the FAA's Authorization letter.
- 2. AME Exam: As the pilot or ATC controller, you should bring these required documents to your AME for your scheduled flight physical.
- 3. During the Medical Exam the AME checks your application (often via MedXPress), and reviews your submitted medical documentation, and verifies that you meet the criteria in the FAA Authorization letter and that there's been no significant worsening of the condition or new issues.
- 4. Issuance: If all conditions are met, your AME re-issues the medical certificate on the spot.
- 5. FAA Submission: After the appointment your AME sends all the documentation to the FAA for their records and final review, though the pilot can continue flying with the re-issued certificate. Only rarely does the FAA revoke a certificate after the visit and the "conditional" medical certificate that you received at your AME's office.