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Hey there! This month's theme is uncertainty. A lot is shifting around pilots right now, from Congress to the test center, and change you can't control is its own kind of workload. Everything below is about what you can do while things are still in motion. |
✈️ THE FLIGHT BRIEF Two Pilot Mental Health Bills Just Passed the SenateWhat actually changes, and what doesn't. 2-minute read. What happened: The Senate passed the John A. Hauser Mental Health in Aviation Act and the Aviation Medication Transparency Act by unanimous consent. What they would do: The Hauser Act targets the wait. It would push the FAA to update its mental health rules and special issuance process, fund up to $15 million a year to recruit and train more AMEs, and run a campaign to reduce stigma. The Medication Act targets the guesswork: a public list of approved medications, updated every year. What hasn't changed: Neither bill is law. The House and Senate still have to agree on the same text, and then the FAA has to write the rules. Your MedXPress reporting is exactly what it was last month, so please don't change what you disclose based on where these bills are headed. If you're unsure, ask an AME or your union's aeromedical resource. Also on the radar: Taking the instrument written on or after October 27? Chart images move inside the questions and the printed supplement goes away. Four quick moves to get ready. |
🧠 SHANNON'S TAKE One thing I keep coming back to as I watch this unfold: pilots shouldn't have to choose between taking care of themselves and protecting their careers. These bills are a step toward closing that gap, but the waiting is the part pilots are living in right now, and waiting is its own kind of stress. You don't have to put your support on hold until Congress finishes. |
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🧰 THE PILOT'S POCKET TOOL The One-Sentence ResetUse it when: the plan changes and your brain keeps flying the old one. 1. Say what changed in one sentence, out loud. 2. Name the one number that limits every option: fuel, daylight, time, or minimums. 3. Pick the best option you have right now, and decide what would make you change it again. Works in a 172 on a cross-country, on a line trip, and in a checkride oral. Screenshot this one. |
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✈️ FROM THE FLIGHT DECK Three Go-Arounds and a Refused DiversionDuring Storm Amy, a 737 crew flew two wind shear escapes at Prestwick, asked to divert to Manchester, and was told no. A third wind shear event at Edinburgh followed. They declared a fuel emergency with a Mayday call, turned back for Manchester, and landed with 363 kg of fuel against a 1,100 kg final reserve. The UK's investigators later found the refusal was an error on the ground. What it teaches: a backup plan does emotional work before you ever use it, so losing one can hit harder than the weather. Read the full story → |
🧭 THIS MONTH'S SELF-CHECK Are You Running on Fumes?The CFI Burnout Barometer. 6 questions. About 2 minutes. No email required. Clear Skies: you're recovering well Mild Turbulence: your margin may be shrinking High Crosswinds or Burnout Risk: time to pay attention Not a CFI? Share this with one who might need it. |
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💭 ONE QUESTION BEFORE YOU GO Where are you still flying a plan that has already changed? 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? 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. |
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Until next time, | Shannon Torres, M.Ed. Founder, Aviation Conversations Practical · Confidential · Built for Pilots |
P.S. If you're in Boise on October 27, I'll be speaking at the UAFA Annual Conference. Come find me and say hi. |
If you're in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time. |
