Aviation medicine is a branch of medicine that concentrates on the health and safety of pilots and aircrews. Also known as flight medicine or aerospace medicine, it is a specialty that combines the disciplines of preventive, occupational and environmental medicine with the physiological and psychological aspects of people in flight. Physicians who practice in this discipline examine how the human body is affected by various factors during flight such as altitude, acceleration, temperature, pressure changes and sensory perception.

William E. Straw, M.D., became an aviation medical examiner in 2000 and a senior medical examiner in 2002. He was fortunate to be able to be mentored by the recently retired Dr. Frederic Costales who, after 40 years of medical practice, was considered the most experienced aviation medical examiner on the West Coast.

Dr. Straw is authorized to certify pilots for class 1, 2 and 3 licenses. He has extensive experience in obtaining medical certification for pilots with a variety of medical problems.

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