About Dr. Russell Tontz
Russell Tontz, MD, MPH, is a skilled physician who is board-certified in Occupational Medicine, Aerospace Medicine and Family Medicine.
Before joining CHA, Dr. Tontz worked at the Mayo Clinic, serving as director/chair for Occupational Medicine and Employee Health in Minnesota for five years.
An Air Force Veteran, Dr. Tontz has specialized training in Bioterrorism Prevention and Response, FEMA response and extensive field and tactical knowledge.
This includes 15 years experience caring for Pilots, Fire, and Law Enforcement in the military and civilian world and managing complex return to work and WC injuries. He is currently on the faculty at Harvard Medical School.
About Your Exam
First Step
Please fill out the MedExpress questionnaire online before your visit: https://medxpress.faa.gov/medxpress/
What to Bring to Your Exam
- Photo ID (driver's license, passport, employer/student ID)
- The confirmation number from the MedExpress questionnaire.
- Any vision correction you wear (glasses, contacts).
- Airline pilots - tell the front desk if you need an EKG (baseline at age 35, annually at age 40 and above if Class I).
- List of all medicines (prescription and non-prescription) including doses and how often you use them.
- A list of all visits in the past three years to a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, psychologist, clinical social worker or substance abuse specialist. Include the date, name of provider, clinic and address, type of provider seen, and reason for consultation. (Routine dental, eye and FAA exams may be excluded.)
- Any letters from the FAA indicating specific tests or procedures to perform, including Special Issuance Authorizations (SI), or Statement of Demonstrated Ability (SODA) certifications.
How Long Does it Take?
For most people, the flight physical takes two hours. Registration and completion of vision and hearing tests can typically be done in an hour. The exam by your Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) will require a second hour.
If you have a medical condition that require a Special Issuance or deferral to the FAA, your doctor may need more time.
How Much Does it Cost?
1st Class Exam
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$200
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2nd Class Exam
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$200
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3rd Class Exam
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$175
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EKG (if required)
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$50
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