 AVIATION CONVERSATIONS ✈ THE FLIGHT PLAN STRATEGIES. INSIGHTS. CONFIDENCE. For every pilot's journey. | | ONE USEFUL THING FOR YOUR FLYING. EVERY MONTH. | Hey there! This month's theme is the check you make before the next push. What you're taking, what you're being asked to fly, and what you set aside to get through the last stretch all deserve a look before the next one starts. | ✈️ THE FLIGHT BRIEF The FAA's New MedGuideWhat it tells you, and what it doesn't. 2-minute read. What happened: The FAA's Office of Aerospace Medicine launched MedGuide, a searchable reference that shows which medications the FAA classes as allowed and how long to wait before flying. What it does: Each entry lists three waits: after the first dose, after a later dose, and after you stop. For most new medications, the FAA says the usual wait is 48 hours. Version 1.0 lists allowed medications only, and more are planned. What hasn't changed: Being on the list doesn't make you fit to fly; the condition behind the prescription still has to be stable. A medication missing from the list isn't prohibited or approved, because the tool is silent on it. Your reporting on the medical application is the same as before, so if you're unsure, ask your AME. Also on the radar: The Aviation Medication Transparency Act, which would require the FAA to publish a medication list updated at least once a year, passed the Senate in September and has been held at the House desk since October 1. It isn't law yet. | 🧠 SHANNON'S TAKE I spent part of last week in Boise with aerial firefighting operators, and what stayed with me was how much this work asks people to set aside. Alongside long seasonal stretches and changing conditions, they can face acute trauma on the job, often with no second pilot beside them and little room to stop and process it. Setting something aside for one shift is part of the job. When the season keeps going and "later" never gets scheduled, a response to something acute can become prolonged, lasting weeks or months. That isn't unique to firefighting. I wrote more about it here. |
| 🧰 THE PILOT'S POCKET TOOL The 15-Minute Look-BackUse it when: a checkride, a long trip, or a busy stretch has just ended. 1. Within a week, put 15 minutes on your calendar to look back. 2. Write down three things you set aside to keep going. 3. For each one, decide whether it needs a conversation, a change in routine, or more time to think. You don't have to solve it today. Make the follow-up as intentional as the work itself. Screenshot this one. |
| ✈️ FROM THE FLIGHT DECK A $351,000 Proposed Fine, and the Phone Call Before ItOn October 19, the FAA proposed a $351,000 civil penalty against an Arkansas charter operator. It alleges 37 passenger flights the operator wasn't authorized to fly: 31 on aircraft not listed on its Operations Specifications, and 6 outside the area it was approved for. These are allegations, not findings, and no individual pilot is named. What it teaches: the hard part is rarely knowing the rule. It's speaking up while the trip is already half booked, so decide on your pause line before the phone rings. Get the three moves → | 🧭 THIS MONTH'S SELF-CHECK How Are You Really Doing Right Now?The Career Pilot Mental Fitness Check. 6 statements. A few minutes. Nothing is saved or shared. Clear Skies: you're recovering well Mild Turbulence: your margin may be shrinking High Crosswinds or Burnout Risk: time to pay attention Built for airline, corporate, charter, and cargo pilots. Know one coming off a long stretch? Share this with them. |
| 💭 ONE QUESTION BEFORE YOU GO What helps you switch off after a demanding stretch of flying? Email me at Shannon@aviationconversations.com and tell me. I read every response. | ➡️ WHERE TO GO NEXT Want help applying this to your own flying, or rehearsing a hard conversation before you need it? Book a free 15-minute discovery call. Coaching isn't health care and isn't reportable on MedXPress, so it doesn't touch your medical. |
| Until next time, | Shannon Torres, M.Ed. Founder, Aviation Conversations Practical · Confidential · Built for Pilots |
P.S. Train pilots or run a program? The Flight School Edition comes out quarterly, and the next one lands in January. Join it here. | If you're in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time. |
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