[JCBird1012]

As a pilot, yes, your conclusion is correct - it’s widely known “tribal” knowledge among most American pilots that any reporting on the FAA medical certificate application is ammunition that the FAA can then use to probe for additional information, request further medical tests/notes (which, by the way, likely have to be paid out of pocket), or outright deny the medical certificate, effectively grounding them indefinitely. Appealing that process is long, arduous, and filled with many headaches.

With that said, the application for a medical certificate is a federal form, and willingly lying/omitting information on it is a felony - the FAA has also been known to pull medical records where they can - typically for veterans receiving VA benefits (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/08/27/faa-pilot...) - pilots don’t want to get caught in a lie, so many just outright don’t seek treatment for some conditions - particularly mental health ones.

I see this panel ruling as a positive thing because it’s one less thing pilots have to worry about when applying for a medical certificate - knowing they can see a therapist without fearing potential ramifications (because it won’t have to be reported to the FAA in the first place) is a huge step in de-stigmatizing mental health conditions in aviation.