(This is the first of a series of articles about aviation medicine. Many would-be pilots forgo flight instruction because they erroneously believe that they could not pass an FAA flight physical. For example, some people still believe that one needs 20/20 vision to become a pilot, which is not true. Other pilots are unable to pass the physical when they first see an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME), but they eventually obtain their medical certificates after additional paperwork is submitted to the FAA. Unfortunately, some pilots are precluded from ever being able to obtain a medical certificate. These series of articles...