For decades the FAA has ignored a major crisis, aeromedical standards. My name is Emma Laczko and I am a second generation pilot. Four years ago I lost my father and uncle due to archaic medical standards in place by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The current Aero-Medical standards are outdated and aviators everywhere are ready for reform. Pilots need a platform where they can be honest with their doctors and AMES. This would create a safe space and mitigate the fear of losing their wings.

My father underwent heart issues which ultimately led to his license being suspended. My dad, the sole provider for a wife and 3 children, gave his life sacrificing his time, money, and well-being, to be put back on the flight line. If my father knew he had the ability to seek help without the threat of job loss, and the cost looming over his head, he would have sought help sooner.

In the wake of my fathers passing, 11 months went by and tragedy struck my family again. My uncle, in the grips of grief, an aviator himself, knew exactly where the road to help would lead him. So, he took his own life.

These men, my uncle and father, they were senior captains for American Airlines. They deserved a pathway to help without fear, as do the many others with clipped wings.

Study Investigator: William R. Hoffman, MD, Capt