Definition
An FAA medical certificate granted to a pilot who does not meet the standard medical qualification requirements but who has demonstrated, through additional testing and documentation, that the disqualifying condition is sufficiently controlled or stable to allow safe flight. A Special Issuance is time-limited and typically requires periodic medical reports to the FAA to remain valid.
Plain English
A medical certificate the FAA gives to a pilot who would normally fail the medical exam, after the pilot proves their condition is well-managed. It comes with extra rules and must be renewed more often than a regular medical.
Context Anchor
Seen during FAA medical certification, especially when a pilot has a medical history or condition that cannot be approved through the normal medical exam alone.
Derivation
From 'special' (a specific, non-standard case) and 'issuance' (the act of issuing). The name reflects that this is a non-standard medical certificate issued under specific conditions, rather than the routine certificate granted after a normal exam.
Why Pilots Care
It enables pilots with certain stable medical conditions to fly legally and safely when standard issuance is not possible.
Intuition Check
Special Issuance does not mean the FAA is ignoring the medical standards. It means the FAA reviewed the specific case and decided a medical certificate can be issued under controlled conditions.
Example Sentence 1
After his cardiac event, the pilot returned to flying under a Special Issuance that required annual stress tests submitted to the FAA.
Example Sentence 2
She applied for a Special Issuance so she could keep flying her charter flights despite a past heart procedure.