FTM PILOT

My journey through the FAA's paperwork as a transgender (female to male) professional pilot.

[ftmpilot]

Transgender Legal Name Change - Colorado

First, I have to acknowledge ColoradoNameChangeProject because they were SO helpful. I did this in the midst of COVID-19 so it may be a little weird depending on how old this post is.

I went to CO Name Change Project and used their auto-form generator to complete my petition. It was VERY helpful and I HIGHLY recommend using it. I completed all that paperwork, printed it, and had to get it notarized (DON’T SIGN ON YOUR OWN).

The courthouse was closed because of the pandemic, so I went to a UPS and they notarized it for me. Then I sent the following to the local county court:

-Petition & forms from CO Name Change Project

-photocopy of driver’s license (OR other gov’t issued photo ID)

-FBI and CBI (CO Bureau of Inv.) fingerprinting background check results; *make sure these are no older than 90 days* [for a description of how I got these check bottom of post]

-money order with amount corresponding to # of certified copies requested (I got 5 because they’re only $20 each, if you are a pilot I highly recommend at least 3 because you’ll have to send them everywhere)

-self-addressed stamped envelope postage paid so they can send the certified copies to me

-a cover letter stating my current legal name, # of requested certified copies, and ways to contact me; this is another COVID procedure

A few days later I got an email stating my court hearing would be scheduled for June 2, 2020. That was about 6 weeks from my initial application.

About a week before the hearing, I received a call telling me the hearing would be virtual. I was given a time and link to the meeting, and they asked me to send a picture of my photo ID so they could verify it was me when we were in the meeting.

On the day, I joined the meeting 10 minutes before our time and the judge verified my name and birthday, then swore me in. She asked why I was changing my name and I said I wanted a name that better aligned with my gender identity. She then asked me if I had any felonies or I was changing my name to escape any pending criminal charges. I replied no and she waived the publication requirement, decreed my new name, and said the bailiff would either email or snail mail my court orders to me, depending on whether she *could* send certified copies via email (again, COVID-19).

It’s been about four hours so I am still awaiting the orders via email, but I will call them this afternoon/update this post when I receive them, one way or another. Keep reading for the fingerprinting process.

I went to the Colorado Fingerprinting office nearest me by setting up an appointment online. I paid for the CBI/FBI reports, which was explained on their website as required for a Legal Name Change. I think it was like $48 total. They verified my identity with my driver’s license and took my prints, then sent them to the appropriate offices. About a week later I got my CBI results, took a month for FBI.

[ftmpilot]

1st Class FAA Medical Certificate - Transgender

I am a CFI and hope to someday fly for an airline, so holding a 1st class FAA medical has always been a big priority for me throughout my FTM gender transition. You can see a similar post on my reddit (u/iknewitseason11).

I had an AME (we’ll call him Bad AME) who I got my 1st class from about 8 months back, but I recently started hormone therapy. I had been emailing Bad AME for about 2 months prior to starting T to get all my ducks in a row, but he ghosted me as soon as I told him I was actually starting the process. I don’t know if he just didn’t want to/know how to deal with the extra paperwork or he’s transphobic, but I needed a new AME so I could work again.

Enter Good AME who I reached out to specifically because he also works with transgender women as a vocal surgeon. I disclosed my gender dysphoria diagnosis and new testosterone prescription to MedXpress and met with him. He was confused as to why I was even there because testosterone is not an FAA restricted medication *if taken for any reason other than gender dysphoria*. He was ready to issue my 1st class on the spot because I have no other medical/psychological issues. I expressed confusion because Bad AME had been so hesitant and said I would need about 6 months to get all the paperwork done, so Good AME did some fact-checking and unfortunately he confirmed we needed to do a little red tape dancing.

Good AME told me to get a psychiatric evaluation to fill out this form AND get a letter stating the psychiatrist saw no reason I should not fly, as long as I had the evaluation *within 14 days of our initial examination*. If I could not get it done within that time frame, Good AME would be forced to defer my medical certificate in the system and it would become a lot harder to get one after that.

I met with the psychiatrist I could get the earliest appointment with (we’ll call her Psychiatrist) and spent 1 hour doing the evaluation. She concluded that I had no mental issues and I was fit to fly. Her letter was literally going down the list of that form linked above and confirming “Airman is fit to fly, Airman has no mental health issues” etc. with the FAA’s exact wording.

At this point, I sent the completed form and letter to Good AME, who faxed it to his regional flight surgeon. In four days I had a 1st Class special issuance in the mail.

My renewal process is that I have to conduct another psych eval after one year and my certificate doesn’t downgrade to a third class, it just expires. The letter they sent recommended I get the evaluation 1 month before my expiration so I don’t have a lapse in certification. Good AME also suggested that if I get an eval every six months for the next two years or so we can drown the FAA in letters and they will issue me a permanent exemption (AKA I don’t ever have to do this again). Of course, if/when I get any new prescriptions or have surgery, I will have to reapply.

Any questions ask on my page.

[ftmpilot]

Intro & My Background

I am a transgender male (female at birth) who is also a Certified Flight Instructor (for those who care: CFI, CFII, MEI). Other pilots/mechanics/controllers/etc. will know that the FAA does a LOT of paperwork, and usually in the slowest, least sensical way.

In all fairness, I am definitely what they might call a “special case”. I understand that the FAA’s procedures and policies are in place to protect the flying public, and for the most part, I think they accomplish that goal. But then you get someone with a random medical condition or strange citizenship or name issue, and the paperwork system they have so painstakingly created falls apart. This blog will be my attempt to explain all the processes that I have gone through/am going through to complete my medical/legal gender transition as a pilot. If you have any questions, always ask.