Mayo Clinic Clear Approach tackles medical topics important to commercial aviators, recreational pilots, or just folks interested in things that fly. Current topics from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and aviation trends are explored in a serious but sometimes humorous way. Mayo Clinic Clear Approach focuses on a perspective from "the other side of the gurney." Let us navigate the storms of aeromedical certification, medical issues that may affect pilots, and share experiences with and from other pilots to break through life's…
Episodes
Brain Injury to Optometry -- What's in the FAA Update Bag This Time?
16 Oct 2026 · 19 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we review updates from the FAA on several topics including new stand down times for traumatic brain injury, the ability to use an optometrist rather than ophthalmologist for certain conditions such as diabetes, and allowable drugs for managing weight loss and for…
No Waivers Required for Pilots With Diabetes? It's Coming!
2 Oct 2026 · 27 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we review the FAA proposal to drop the requirement for Special Issuance Authorization completely for well-controlled diabetic piloits with management of the condition using oral medication or dietary modification (non-insulin dependent diabetes) -- plus, we cover…
FAA Updates on POTS plus Meeting With Juice
18 Sept 2026 · 19 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we get to visit with Mayo Clinic's newest FAA Aviation Medical Examiner, Dr. Jacob Berry (call sign "Juice"). Plus, the latest updates from the new FAA disposition table for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).
Updates from the FAA on Endocrine Abnormalities: You and Your Glands
4 Sept 2026 · 20 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we provide updates from the FAA on aeromedical certification for various conditions that involve endocrine function within the body.
Updates from the Highest Perch of FAA Medical: Chat with Dr. Susan Northrup, Federal Air Surgeon
21 Aug 2026 · 23 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we discuss topics from mental health initiatives to artificial intelligence being implemented at the FAA with Federal Air Surgeon Dr. Susan Northrup.
FAA Medical Kits, Disqualifying Drugs, and Misplaced Certificates
7 Aug 2026 · 22 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we look at updates on medical kits for Part 121 carriers proposed by the FAA as well as a review of disqualifying medications and what to do if your medical certificate inadvertently goes through the washing machine. Plus, a special guest will help guide the…
Uh oh! Does a DUI arrest or conviction end it all for a flying career?
17 Jul 2026 · 15 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode of the podcast, we review the key materials needed to be collected by the pilot in order for a medical certificate to be issued by the FAA after an airman is arrested or convicted for driving under the influence of alcohol or other illicit substances. Will it end…
FAA Updates on Achy Breaky Hearts
3 Jul 2026 · 22 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we discuss some of the updates from the latest FAA AME Grand Rounds as it pertains to various heart conditions that might affect you as a pilot.
News for Snoozin' and Cruisin'
12 Jun 2026 · 17 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we review FAA updates on streamlining the process of documenting adequate use of CPAP for obstructive sleep apnea as well as clarifications from the FAA on using a counselor, psychotherapist, or psychiatrist for obtaining appropriate mental health care.
Time to Quit Smoking -- And Not Lose Your Medical
29 May 2026 · 13 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we review some of the highlights of the recent Aerospace Medical Association meeting in Denver, and then cover FAA updates on acceptable medications for efforts at smoking cessation.
The HIMS Program and Benefits to Pilots and Families
15 May 2026 · 24 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we review what exactly the HIMS program is, what is required to obtain FAA Special Issuance Authorization when a pilot deals with substance abuse and/or dependence, and provide updates from the latest advanced HIMS training course.
Hormone Replacement and Osteoproosis for Pilots
1 May 2026 · 21 min
Send us Fan Mail On this addition, we provide updates recently announced by the FAA regarding hormone replacement therapy as well as medications for treatment of osteoporosis, common conditions found in female pilots.
Maybe Not Too Spicy: FAA Medical Updates for Acid Reflux to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
17 Apr 2026 · 20 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we review the latest FAA updates on a variety of conditions including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), retinal dystrophies, and the CACI qualification for polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Go With the Flow: Updates on drones and clots
27 Mar 2026 · 14 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we discuss the amazing advancements in the world of drone technology -- the fastest growing sector in the aviation space. In addition, we review thromboembolic disease, the medical term for clots either in the lung or in an extremity that can be life-threatening,…
Restructuring for the Future and Updating GI Conditions
13 Mar 2026 · 22 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we return from a mid-winter hiatus back to the studio with a new practice location as part of a Mayo Clinic rebuild of the entire downtown campus. Plus, restructuring at the FAA, and a review of current updates regarding liver disease, including steatohepatitis,…
Holiday Happiness in the "Land of Misfit Toys"
19 Dec 2025 · 14 min
Send us Fan Mail Many pilots who have visited the Mayo Clinic Section of Transportation Medicine had early Christmas presents this year when they received their medical certificates. On this episode, we review some of those cases and update listeners on the newest FAA aeromedical certification…
Discover a "Secret Resource" to Speed Up Your Aeromedical Certification
21 Nov 2025 · 17 min
Send us Fan Mail As the holiday season approaches, one gift to pilots is the AME Guide available from the FAA on line as an insider resource to aviators preparing for their flight physicals. Think of preparation for a flight physical as a pre-flight inspection of yourself. Medical conditions never…
Seeing Through Glaucoma
14 Nov 2025 · 15 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we review glaucoma, one of the most common causes of visual acuity loss in older adults and gradually affects visual field of pilots if not detected early. That early detection is a key factor in preventing its effects. What about aeromedical certification…
Certification After Sudden Cardiac Death Episodes or with Brugada Pattern on ECG
7 Nov 2025 · 20 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we access a world expert on complex cardiac arrhythmias that can result in sudden cardiac death. Can a pilot resuscitated on the flight deck or in the field actually get back to flight duty? What trends are being seen in the FAA cardiology panel when it comes to…
Wheeze Bad -- A Short Primer on Certification with Respiratory Issues
31 Oct 2025 · 23 min
Send us Fan Mail On this episode, we interview Dr. Wigdan Farah, a pulmonologist in Mayo Clinic's Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine to discuss several respiratory conditions seen commonly in pilots seeking medical certification -- then review aeromedical implications and requirements.