The list of drugs a pilot can take and fly is a pretty short list. If you did a web search with words like FAA flight surgeon approved medications you could see what I mean.
Short answer: If your sick, don’t fly. That would be true of a private pilot or a pilot flying for hire.
Psych-tropic drugs? No way. A diagnosis of mental illness and you can kiss your medical certificate good bye for a long time.
I was surprised he was charged so quickly.
Perhaps it is my own naivete, but I would think they would have to be fairly confident it was not a true psyche emergency before pressing charges.
thank you for the link:Prior to the summer of 2010, the FAA did not approve any of the medications in this category--including serotonin uptake inhibitors (Celexa, Effexor, Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft) as well as other psychoactive medications (Lithium, Buspar, Elavil, Sinequan, Amitripityline, etc.). These medications are sometimes used for non-psychiatric conditions, but are still not approved for use in flight in this context.from: http://aviationmedicine.com/medications/index.cfmThe FAA generally requires the pilot to wait 60-90 days after completing treatment with the medication. You must submit records of your treatment to the FAA for the agency's approval. Formal psychological testing is often required. VFS can assist with this process.
Starting in April 2010 FAA policy does allow an option for airman to be certified if on monotherapy for at least 12 months with only Celexa, Zoloft, Prozac, or Lexapro. This policy does not apply to controllers. See Depression in the Medical Articles section for more detailed discussion.
If I read this correctly the answer was NO
but now is YES you can fly using SSRIs