Betrayed Twice: How the FAA and VA Are Failing Our Veterans
For many veterans, serving their country is only the beginning. After years of sacrifice, many pursue careers in aviation—only to find themselves blindsided by the very agencies meant to support them.
Across the country, pilots are being flagged and grounded due to speculative, outdated, or inaccurate notes in their VA medical records. These remarks—often never disclosed to the veteran—are now being used by the FAA to question medical fitness and trigger invasive oversight programs.
The Hidden Sabotage
Veterans have discovered entries in their VA files that were never discussed or agreed upon: suggestions of PTSD, alcohol misuse, or psychiatric symptoms based solely on impressions or brief encounters. These entries are often speculative and were never meant for regulatory scrutiny.
Yet now, the FAA uses those same entries to justify:
- Medical certification deferrals and denials
- Forced enrollment in the HIMS Program
- Lengthy delays and unanswered inquiries
- Extensive psychological evaluations and retesting
Proven Innocent—Still Punished
Even after submitting clean evaluations from independent professionals, many veterans are still kept in regulatory limbo. The FAA refuses to move forward, citing entries that don’t reflect current health or ability. The result? Careers stalled. Livelihoods lost. Trust broken.
No Transparency. No Fairness.
Veterans deserve:
- Clear notice of what’s in their file
- A chance to respond before being penalized
- Recognition that recovery and stability matter
- A system that rewards transparency—not punishes it
Instead, they are met with silence, suspicion, and stonewalling.
We Stand With You
At Pilots for HIMS Reform, we are fighting for:
- ✅ Independent review of all VA-related FAA actions
- ✅ Protection against unverified medical entries
- ✅ Real due process before career-impacting decisions
- ✅ Clear rights for veterans in the certification process
If you’ve been affected, we want to hear your story. Email us confidentially at P4HR@pilotsforhimsreform.org.
Your voice matters. Your story is valid. And we will not stop until fairness is restored.