Mayo Clinic Clear Approach
by Mayo Clinic Aerospace Medicine
The FAA is Still Using Floppy Disks? Bring on new Technology!
About this podcast
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 sometimes stormy clouds and focus in on a clear approach.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 113 episodes
- The FAA is Still Using Floppy Disks? Bring on new Technology! · 20 minSend us Fan Mail On this episode, we review the recent FAA announcements that the agency is upgrading air traffic control facilities in 2027 that were using floppy discs for…
- Brain Injury to Optometry -- What's in the FAA Update Bag This Time? · 19 minSend 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…
- No Waivers Required for Pilots With Diabetes? It's Coming! · 27 minSend 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…
- FAA Updates on POTS plus Meeting With Juice · 19 minSend 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…
- Updates from the FAA on Endocrine Abnormalities: You and Your Glands · 20 minSend 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 · 23 minSend 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…
- FAA Medical Kits, Disqualifying Drugs, and Misplaced Certificates · 22 minSend 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…
- Uh oh! Does a DUI arrest or conviction end it all for a flying career? · 15 minSend 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…
- FAA Updates on Achy Breaky Hearts · 22 minSend 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' · 17 minSend 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…
- Time to Quit Smoking -- And Not Lose Your Medical · 13 minSend 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…
- The HIMS Program and Benefits to Pilots and Families · 24 minSend 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…
- Hormone Replacement and Osteoproosis for Pilots · 21 minSend 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…
- Maybe Not Too Spicy: FAA Medical Updates for Acid Reflux to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome · 20 minSend 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…
- Go With the Flow: Updates on drones and clots · 14 minSend 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…
- Restructuring for the Future and Updating GI Conditions · 22 minSend 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…
- Holiday Happiness in the "Land of Misfit Toys" · 14 minSend 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…
- Discover a "Secret Resource" to Speed Up Your Aeromedical Certification · 17 minSend 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…
- Seeing Through Glaucoma · 15 minSend 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…
- Certification After Sudden Cardiac Death Episodes or with Brugada Pattern on ECG · 20 minSend 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…







