EAA Meets With New Federal Air Surgeon

March 11, 2021 – On Wednesday, the EAA Advocacy and Safety team and the leadership of the EAA Aeromedical Advisory Council met with the new Federal Air Surgeon, Dr. Susan Northrup, and her senior medical staff.

Dr. Northrup and her husband are active general aviation pilots and own both a North American Harvard and a Stearman. Prior to assuming her role as Federal Air Surgeon, Dr. Northrup was the Southeast Regional Flight Surgeon, based in Atlanta.

Dr. Northrup, along with Deputy Federal Air Surgeon Dr. Brett Wyrick, has been pursuing a policy of openness with the aviation community, conducting listening sessions and regular check-ins. At Wednesday's meeting, the FAA staff detailed several initiatives designed to make medical certification easier, faster, and less stressful for applicants.

There are many reforms and policy changes needed in medical certification, and EAA will continue to proactively champion the concerns of our members. Our volunteer Aeromedical Advisory Council led the way on the creation of the Conditions an AME Can Issue (CACI) program and rollback of the original sleep apnea screening policy, and we are excited to work together to achieve more aeromedical policy improvements in the future.

If you have a question regarding medical certification, call EAA at 800-564-6322 or contact govt@eaa.org.