article_snippet: But Mitchell said aviation regulations only required a physical  and not a psychiatric medical examination, looking at a potential pilot's fitness to fly in terms of factors such as heart attack risk.
article_snippet: Those being examined were legally required to declare any mental disorder, but there was no standard psych testing from a regulatory point of view, Mitchell said, with airlines and industry bodies failing to reach consensus on types of tests to be used.
article_snippet: The doctor is supposed to note any evident issues that The doctor notices -- but what is The doctor going to notice in half an hour's medical?
article_snippet: The rest of it relies on your medical history and you being honest," Mitchell said.
article_snippet: The FAA medical application form includes questions pertaining to the mental health of the pilot.
article_snippet: The AME can defer a pilot to the FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine if a pilot or The AME believes that additional psychological testing is indicated.
article_snippet: All existing physical and psychological conditions and medications must be disclosed.
article_snippet: On The AME website, the the FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine guidance for AMEs states: the FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine the FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine does not expect an FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner to perform a formal psychiatric examination.
article_snippet: However, an FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner should form a general impression of the emotional stability and mental state of the applicant.
article_snippet: In terms of a pilot's fitness to fly on a particular day, Mitchell said attempts by many companies and airlines to introduce random drug and alcohol testing had hit problems with unions.