Pilot Resource

The Pilot's Support Pathway

A practical guide to finding the right kind of support

Download the PDF Guide → Links checked October 2026

You don't have to figure out the right kind of help before you ask for help.

Aviation asks pilots to be self-reliant. But there are times when talking something through with the right person can help you think more clearly, perform more effectively, or get the support you actually need.

The challenge is knowing where to start.

This guide is designed to help you identify the kind of support that may fit what you're dealing with right now.

The five paths at a glance
I'm working through performance, confidence, training, or career challenges.Path 1: Coaching I want to talk with someone who understands aviation and has been through it too.Path 2: Peer support I'm dealing with a mental-health concern that may need clinical care.Path 3: Licensed mental-health care My question involves my medical certificate or aeromedical requirements.Path 4: Aeromedical guidance I'm in immediate distress or concerned about someone's immediate safety.Path 5: Crisis support
1

Coaching

Consider coaching when you want practical support with
  • Training confidence
  • Checkride preparation
  • Performance under pressure
  • Decision-making
  • Communication
  • Career transitions
  • Training plateaus
  • Work and life demands
  • Thinking through a situation or decision

Aviation Conversations provides one-to-one coaching for pilots and CFIs. Coaching is not therapy or medical treatment.

Learn more: Aviation Conversations Coaching
2

Peer Support

Consider peer support when you want to
  • Talk with someone who understands aviation culture
  • Share an experience with someone who has been there
  • Reduce isolation
  • Hear another perspective from someone familiar with aviation

Peer support programs vary in structure, confidentiality, eligibility, and scope.

Start here: Pilot Mental Health Campaign, Get Help
3

Licensed Mental-Health Care

Consider licensed mental-health care when you are experiencing concerns that may benefit from clinical assessment or treatment. That might include persistent symptoms, significant changes in functioning, or concerns that are beyond the scope of coaching.

A licensed mental-health professional can assess your situation and determine what kind of clinical care, if any, is appropriate.

Bring to your first appointment: the FAA’s Information for Psychotherapists Treating Pilots and ATCS. For clinicians who want more aviation context, PMHC’s Get Help page also links its guide for mental-health providers working with pilots.
Find aviation-related resources: Pilot Mental Health Campaign, Get Help
Important: If you're concerned about how treatment, a diagnosis, medication, or a healthcare visit may affect your FAA medical certification, talk with an appropriate aeromedical professional rather than relying on a coach or therapist to interpret FAA requirements.
4

Aeromedical Guidance

Talk with an AME or other qualified aeromedical resource when your question involves
  • FAA medical certification
  • A medical application
  • Medications
  • A diagnosis or medical history
  • Required documentation
  • A deferred medical application
  • What the FAA requires

The FAA notes that an AME can request additional evaluation or defer an application to the FAA when further review is needed.

Start with the FAA: Medical Certification (MedXPress, locating an AME, HIMS AMEs, and other certification resources), Locate an AME, and Pilot Mental Fitness.
5

Crisis Support

If you're in immediate danger, call 911.
For a mental-health crisis, call or text 988.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential crisis support in the United States.

Aviation-specific support resources: Pilot Mental Health Campaign, Get Help

Not sure which path fits?

That's okay. You don't need to have the answer before you start the conversation.

Start by identifying what you want help with, then choose the person or resource whose role matches that need.

Not sure who to talk to yet? Start with the Pilot's Pre-Conversation Checklist →

Explore Aviation Conversations Coaching →

This guide is for informational purposes and is not medical, legal, or aeromedical advice. Aviation Conversations does not determine FAA medical eligibility or advise pilots on what they must disclose to the FAA. Shannon Torres serves on the Pilot Mental Health Campaign Medical Committee. This guide is an Aviation Conversations resource and is not endorsed by PMHC or any other organization linked here. Links checked October 2026.