P4HR Formally Requests Meeting with FAA Aeromedical Leadership After Two Public Invitations
After more than a year of follow-up, Pilots for HIMS Reform has submitted a formal written request asking the FAA to move beyond general expressions of willingness and place the long-discussed meeting on the calendar.
Pilots for HIMS Reform has formally renewed its request for a direct meeting with FAA Federal Air Surgeon Dr. Susan Northrup and the appropriate members of her aeromedical leadership team.
The written request follows more than one year of efforts by P4HR to arrange a constructive, policy-level discussion concerning the FAA aeromedical certification system and the HIMS Program.
The request is signed by the co-founders of Pilots for HIMS Reform. A semi-redacted copy is being released publicly so members and the broader aviation community can review the substance of the request. The name and signature of one co-founder have been withheld because that individual has not yet made their role public.
A Meeting First Offered at Oshkosh
At EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2025, Dr. Northrup publicly indicated that she was willing to meet with Pilots for HIMS Reform.
P4HR relied on that invitation and attempted in good faith to coordinate the meeting. The organization sent requests, followed up, offered scheduling flexibility, and continued seeking a professional line of communication with FAA aeromedical leadership.
We followed up.
We sent meeting requests.
We offered flexibility.
We remained professional.
Despite those efforts, the meeting was never placed on the calendar.
The Request Was Renewed Publicly in 2026
During the FAA Aeromedical Forum at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2026, P4HR Co-Founder Captain Mike Danford again raised the issue directly.
The exchange returned to a simple and reasonable question: would FAA aeromedical leadership meet with the organization?
P4HR was again invited to pursue the meeting. The organization has now accepted that renewed invitation through a formal written request.
A Policy-Level Discussion, Not an Individual Case
P4HR is not requesting the meeting to litigate, reconsider, or argue the merits of any single pilot’s medical certification case.
The organization is requesting a broader policy discussion about recurring concerns reported by pilots, air traffic controllers, Aviation Medical Examiners, medical professionals, and families affected by the aeromedical certification system.
The formal request identifies several proposed areas of discussion:
- Transparency in aeromedical decision-making;
- The standards used to impose, continue, increase, reduce, or terminate HIMS monitoring;
- Objective and time-limited pathways to unrestricted medical certification;
- Written explanations for adverse decisions or heightened monitoring requirements;
- Consistency in the evaluation and treatment of medical evidence and professional recommendations;
- The roles, responsibilities, and accountability of HIMS Aviation Medical Examiners;
- Meaningful review and due-process protections;
- Communication between FAA aeromedical leadership and affected aviation professionals; and
- Potential areas of policy, regulatory, and legislative reform.
Why the Meeting Matters
P4HR recognizes that the FAA and members of the aviation community may not agree on every policy question. Disagreement, however, is not a reason to avoid communication.
Direct engagement provides an opportunity for FAA leadership to hear documented concerns, explain its perspective, identify areas of misunderstanding, and consider whether improvements can be made without compromising aviation safety.
It also provides P4HR with an opportunity to present its concerns directly rather than communicating only through public articles, administrative proceedings, congressional offices, regulatory filings, or third parties.
Pilots for HIMS Reform has consistently maintained that medical fitness and aviation safety must remain central to any reform effort. The organization also believes those goals are strengthened—not weakened—by transparency, objective standards, written reasoning, procedural fairness, and meaningful communication.
Moving Beyond General Willingness
After more than one year of outreach and two public indications that a meeting could occur, P4HR believes the next step should be straightforward: proposed dates should be identified, and the meeting should be placed on the calendar.
The formal request offers to meet virtually or in person and states that P4HR will make its representatives available at a mutually workable time.
The letter also requests a written response identifying proposed meeting dates within 14 days.
Transparency for Our Members
P4HR is publishing a semi-redacted copy of the formal request because members deserve to know what the organization has asked for, how it has approached FAA leadership, and what subjects it hopes to discuss.
The redaction is limited to protecting the identity and signature of a co-founder who has not yet publicly disclosed their role. The substance of the request remains visible.
The name and signature of one P4HR co-founder have been withheld from public distribution. The remainder of the formal request is available for review.
What Comes Next
P4HR will allow FAA aeromedical leadership an appropriate opportunity to respond and identify potential dates for the discussion.
Members will be updated when a response is received or when meaningful progress occurs.
P4HR remains prepared to participate in a respectful and substantive discussion. The organization’s objective is not confrontation for its own sake. It is direct engagement on policies that affect medical certification, professional careers, family stability, public confidence, and aviation safety.
Pilots for HIMS Reform, Inc.
Email: p4hr@pilotsforhimsreform.org
Website: www.pilotsforhimsreform.org