In July 2020, the FAA under the authority of FAS Dr. Michael Berry allowed virtual visits during the height of the pandemic. As soon as April 2021, psychiatrists were advised that in-office, in-person evaluations remained the gold standard for assessment of first-time clients.

Dr. Northrup’s January 22, 2025 memorandum places into writing the verbal guidance first given in 2021. You can download and read the memo if you want more information.

Dr. Gregory Kirk is a HIMS psychiatrist in Denver, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City and is Board-Certified by the American Board of Neurology and Psychiatry in Adult Psychiatry and Addiction Psychiatry.

Dr. Kirk’s specialty in Aviation Psychiatry is in the assessment of complex medical certification cases. He is licensed in Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah and sees clients in Denver, Las Vegas, and Salt Lake City.

Dr. Kirk also runs the aviation safety blog, AviSafe.org.

Away from aviation, Dr. Kirk evaluates and treats players in the National Basketball Association and the National Football League and is an expert in unanticipated deaths and injuries associated with drugs, alcohol, behavioral disorders, and mental illness.