Aerospace Medicine

Executive Flight Physicals

More than 350 corporate flight physicals are performed at Mayo each year on pilots of seven major commercial airline carriers, corporate pilots from many companies affiliated with the Executive Health program, agricultural spray pilots, charter operators, and recreational pilots. Mayo flight examiners pride themselves on speaking the language. The flight examiners at Mayo are mostly active or retired pilots, some with extensive military training. As pilots, they understand the importance of maintaining an active medical certificate.

The corporations that send their pilots to Mayo do so because they believe that the pilots represent some of the most valuable human resources within the company. As such, corporate human resources directors have established relationships with Mayo to assure that their corporate pilots undergo state-of-the-art preventive health as well as aviation examinations. Many pilots tend to avoid any medical surveillance, even preventive services, because they fear losing their FAA medical certificates. This avoidance has resulted in these pilots receiving substandard medical care. Unmet and unaddressed medical needs are a far greater risk to a pilot's career than a combination of well-planned preventive and aviation examinations. The best insurance for protection against unexpected medical issues for the pilot is to become involved with a program of early detection, which usually results in the discovery of medical conditions at a stage compatible with continuing aviation duties. From the standpoint of aviation safety alone, the corporations expect the cockpit crews to have acceptable health. This expectation of highly effective medical surveillance underscores that corporate aircraft are transporting the company's most valuable resources — its leaders.

Companies have pursued various arrangements with the Section of Aerospace Medicine at Mayo Clinic. Although many firms elect to send their pilots for examinations at Mayo annually (alternating at six-month intervals with a local Aviation Medical Examiner), several companies send pilots for flight physicals every six months.

As pilots age, certain medical conditions will arise inevitably. The vast majority of those conditions are not disqualifying for flight physicals, especially if recognized early and treated. However, if a disease or condition occurs that could be potentially disqualifying, the pilots participating in the Mayo Clinic program agree that they want to see the best flight examiners available in order to stay in the cockpit safely — the thrust of Mayo Aerospace Medicine's mission. Mayo offers the ability to seamlessly combine the best medical care with the specialized knowledge and experience of top practicing flight surgeons.