Archive - The Flight Shrink

Flight #23 - Aeromedical Safety - The Risk Matrix

Here is a risk matrix that shows percentages across the top. The percentages at the top are the probability of a medical event occurring within the next…

Dec 17, 2023 • Kevin Heacock MD

Flight #22 - Aeromedical Safety - Previous Suicide Attempt

A comparable mental health concern is a history of a suicide attempt. To understand the topic a little more, let’s look at some statistics. In the U.S…

Dec 10, 2023 • Kevin Heacock MD

Flight #21 - Aeromedical Risk - The 1% Rule

Pilots probably understand a lot of the risks involved with flying when it comes to the mechanical function of aircraft as well as training standards…

Dec 3, 2023 • Kevin Heacock MD

November 2023

Upgrade #3 - Mindfulness Practice with Less Instruction

The last mindfulness practice I shared had a lot of instruction. Just like when you’re learning to fly it can be helpful for beginners to have someone…

Nov 26, 2023 • Kevin Heacock MD

Upgrade #2 - Mindfulness Chair Flying Practice for Pilots

Today with it being a holiday week we’ll be taking a break from some of the technical mental health discussions and focusing on some self-care with a…

Nov 20, 2023 • Kevin Heacock MD

Flight #20 - Unapproved Antidepressants by the FAA - What Pilots Need To Know

Continuing with the theme of the last several flights, I will be talking about antidepressant medications and the aeromedical acceptance of those…

Nov 13, 2023 • Kevin Heacock MD

Flight #19 - Wellbutrin: Newest FAA Approved Antidepressant for Pilots

Many note that Wellbutrin has been used for quite some time to treat several mental health conditions. So why did it take so long for the FAA to approve…

Nov 6, 2023 • Kevin Heacock MD

October 2023

Flight #18 - FAA Approved Antidepressants for Pilots: SSRIs.

On this flight though, I’m going to actually talk about the 5 antidepressants approved by the FAA for use in pilots. They are Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro…

Oct 29, 2023 • Kevin Heacock MD

Flight #17 - Antidepressants in Aviation: What’s the Concern?

Now, it's time to explore why such careful consideration goes into deciding to start an antidepressant and what it means to be taking one.First, to…

Oct 22, 2023 • Kevin Heacock MD

Flight #16 - Antidepressants and How to Use Them in Aviation

In this edition, we'll take flight into the world of antidepressants and their aeromedical approval by the FAA. Managing mental health is paramount in…

Oct 15, 2023 • Kevin Heacock MD

Upgrade #1 - Visualization Meditation

Upgrade posts are intended to be a bit of a bonus compared to the straight forward Flight posts about mental health. It’s kind of like, if you’re a…

Oct 8, 2023 • Kevin Heacock MD

Flight #15 - Improving Sleep Quality for Better Mental Health in Pilots

In this edition, we'll explore a topic that's vital for maintaining mental well-being, not only for aviation professionals but for everyone: sleep…

Oct 1, 2023 • Kevin Heacock MD

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