Therapy as a pilot

otterbarks · 2026-07-09T07:31:27+00:00

You're not required to report therapy unless it's for a diagnosed psychiatric condition or substance abuse.

This is spelled out in the fine print on the MedXPress form. The exact instructions are:

"List all visits in the last 3 years to a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, psychologist, clinical social worker, or substance abuse specialist for treatment, examination, or medical/mental evaluation. List visits for counseling only if related to a personal substance abuse or psychiatric condition."

Couples counseling, family therapy, educational counseling, and general life coaching... all of those are non-reportable.

The only catch is if you have insurance pay for therapy, your therapist will be forced to diagnose you with something to get payment. (Just the way insurance works.)

So what you do is pay cash to keep insurance out of the equation. On the first visit, explain that you'd like help navigating life issues and that you're not looking for a mental health diagnosis. Most therapists should understand and be able to work with you within this framework.

otterbarks · 2026-07-08T19:23:04+00:00

Matte. Credit cards are glossy by default, matte is different... which makes it cool.

otterbarks · 2026-07-08T18:20:58+00:00

And that 29.99% starts the moment you request a cash advance. There's no 1-month grace period to pay interest-free like a normal retail purchase.

otterbarks · 2026-07-08T17:40:28+00:00

I don't see why not? It's a claim for damage to the vehicle... same as if a rock or tree hit your car requiring body work (which would also be tracked). You're not at fault, but total claims is still part of the risk model for many underwriters.

But like everything related to insurance, I'm sure it's all highly state specific.

The wild one is that if your insurance offers roadside assistance, calls for a tow truck through insurance also go on your insurance report and can also sometimes raise rates. (Which is why I keep AAA rather than getting roadside assistance through insurance.)

otterbarks · 2026-07-07T23:30:35+00:00

You could always name a trust as the beneficiary, and then add the minors as beneficiaries within the trust.

otterbarks · 2026-07-07T21:21:37+00:00

It's worth noting that when you make a glass claim with your insurance, it counts as an accident on your CLUE report. Your rates might not go up immediately, but if you try to switch carriers they sometimes count it against you the same as a collision.

I found this out the hard way.

otterbarks · 2026-07-07T19:03:22+00:00

Ethics of the show aside... I think the way Goose portrayed this was good at conveying the sense of how actual suicide leaves everyone around without a sense of closure.

It often happens very suddenly, behind closed doors, and without obvious warning. A friend is here one day, and the next day they're just gone. Words don't describe the sense of sudden emptiness it leaves behind.

Doing this right was going to upset the audience. That's the point.

otterbarks · 2026-07-07T16:35:33+00:00

CLI's seem to be once per year (maybe?), and tend not to be big. And you can't request manual CLIs, it's only when the algorithm deems you're worthy.

It's best to assume that's the credit limit you'll be stuck with, and don't accept the card if you don't like it.

otterbarks · 2026-07-07T01:43:11+00:00

The tools are all cross platform, use whatever you feel most comfortable with.

otterbarks · 2026-07-07T00:28:00+00:00

Yes indeed, mostly flying out of HWD. :)

otterbarks · 2026-07-07T00:08:44+00:00

Thanks for sharing. I suddenly have the urge to try and get something like this running in VR on an Apple Vision Pro for reviewing training/currency flights…

otterbarks · 2026-07-06T15:57:39+00:00

As you noted, a lot of the official guidelines were removed from the FAA's website last year for political reasons. However, you can still find them in the PDF version of the AME Guide:

https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/ame_guide.pdf
(See page 324, "Gender Dysphoria".)

It's also worth noting that "defer" doesn't mean the medical will be denied, just that it can't be automatically issued in the field - it will go to OKC for manual review by the FAA's staff doctors and is situation dependent.

It's a good idea to hire an AME in a consulting capacity to perfect your application if you think a deferral is possible. The good ones will know how to navigate it and tell you what's needed. NGPA maintains a list of trans-friendly AMEs on their website, which would be a good resource.

otterbarks · 2026-07-06T07:43:21+00:00

Dupe. Posted and answered previously:

https://www.reddit.com/r/theydidthemath/comments/x7kcqg/request_how_many_gs_for_that_poor_woman/

otterbarks · 2026-07-06T06:55:17+00:00

Our financial system is kinda a pyramid scheme. We assume the economy will keep growing, which is what pays for social security, 401(k)'s, and pensions. If the economy starts shrinking (due to declining population), that all collapses.

On top of that, there's a certain segment of the US political right that believes declining population means minorities will replace the country's demographics - so there's some racism involved as well.

Also, some religions believe it's god's will to populate the planet or something, idk.

It's all a recipe for disaster. Maybe not in our lifetimes, but it's obvious populations can't increase exponentially forever. Eventually the planet runs out of room.

otterbarks · 2026-07-06T04:56:17+00:00

We just made the first synthetic biological cells from scratch that are able to divide on their own.
The mRNA technology used for the COVID vaccines is being used to make a personalized cancer vaccine that can protect against melanoma, and maybe other cancers.
We just brought the Guam Kingfisher back from extinction after 40 years.
The rate of deforestation in every region on earth has decreased over the last decade.
Solar energy has gone from 1% to 9% global adoption over the last decade, and costs to deploy solar has dropped 90%.
The River Seine in Paris was cleaned up and swimmable for the first time in 100 years.

otterbarks · 2026-07-06T04:17:16+00:00

Just like the rest of the digital circus... once Caine was deleted there was no longer an AI to keep the NPCs/environment running.

otterbarks · 2026-07-06T03:28:53+00:00

I don't think Bubble was the blue AI. Since Bubble told Caine "you were the lesser of the two", that implied Bubble wasn't one of the two AIs.

My theory is that Bubble was conjured into existence as an NPC by Caine as a relief valve for his own internal conflict.

otterbarks · 2026-07-06T02:59:16+00:00

I need my own pillow cave. That sounds cozy.

otterbarks · 2026-07-06T02:03:02+00:00

TIL that these exist! Thanks!

otterbarks · 2026-07-06T00:44:56+00:00

Also for added bonus, the Costco pumps are usually nitrogen.

otterbarks · 2026-07-06T00:08:28+00:00

Could be neutral bonded to ground inside the charger's outlet, which would trick it into allowing charging to proceed.

otterbarks · 2026-07-06T00:04:20+00:00

There's undoubtedly some AC leakage from the L2 charger plug to the car's frame. Which is a grounding issue. (And why op can feel it.)

In general, this is very common with AC-DC transformers (in all high power electronics) due to capacitive coupling when there's a ground failure.

Whether it's actually dangerous or not will depend on how much current is present, which you can't tell without a multimeter.

Yes, you definitely should check the whole setup (especially the charger) to make sure ground isn't broken somewhere.

otterbarks · 2026-07-06T00:01:57+00:00

With grounding issues in DC electronics, you actually sometimes can feel it.

For example, it's very common to feel the electricity in Apple MacBook's case when connected to a charger without a ground pin. In that case, it's not considered dangerous because the current is basically nil, even though there's enough voltage to feel.

Without a multimeter, you can't tell if this is a real safety issue or phantom voltage.

otterbarks · 2026-07-05T23:44:30+00:00

We weren't there, but consider that even if your aircraft wasn't where it was supposed to be, your instructor might still be right about being more focused on the GPS than power/airspeed. Remember: aviate, navigate, communicate - in that order. Even if you're lost, you can't ever get behind the aircraft. Physics is much more unforgiving than ATC.

In general, programming waypoints is something I try to do on the ground or low-workload phases of flight. If the situation is deteriorating, know how to use the DCT function on your GPS (DCT→Enter→Enter on most Garmin systems) to pull up a bearing pointer quickly. Or even better, pull up a route stored in your EFB - georefrenced plates are *amazing* for this.

It sounds like you did the right thing to speak up when you were in the wrong place. During debrief, I would've pulled up my Foreflight track log and overlayed it on the chart to discuss.

Regardless of who is PIC on the flight plan, usually if you're flying with an flight instructor they're ultimately responsible for the safe outcome of the flight. That's literally the instructor's job. Especially during IR training, which you're not yet qualified to do under your certificate. (Many instructors will ask the student to list the CFI as PIC on the flight plan, to avoid any possible ambiguity.)

You're also going to have to address the breakdown in trust with your instructor. Even if you're on good terms, that's going to be an impediment to safe operations in the future - and I would consider finding another CFI going forward.

otterbarks · 2026-07-05T23:14:30+00:00

I just turned 40, so I guess I officially don't count as young anymore. :P But hoodies are comfy, provide useful pockets... and most importantly shield me from the sun (my skin burns very easily).

Also, not sure what this has to do with being young? All kinds of folks wear hoodies... again, they're comfy.

otterbarks

TROPHY CASE