Richard L. Masters, M.D.

Dr. Masters became the Aeromedical Advisor to IPA after being called by then president of ALPA, Henry Duffy. Duffy had been contacted by Bob Miller and spoke highly of IPA and their respected leadership. Duffy indicated his approval and hoped that an agreement could be reached when Miller contacted Masters who previously represented only ALPA.

Dr. Masters has earned degrees from Wayne University, the University of Michigan, and Harvard. He is certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine in Aerospace Medicine and is a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine,and the Aerospace Medical Association.

After serving ten years as a regular officer and Senior Flight Surgeon in the Air Force, Dr. Masters resigned his commission to become the Chairman of the Department of Aerospace, Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the Lovelace Foundation for Medical Education and Research in Albuquerque, NM. His work there included detailed diagnostic evaluations for professional, civilian, and government pilots. Dr. Masters was a consultant to NASA, the Atomic Energy Commission, and the FAA to develop standards for test pilots, astronauts, and radiation exposures for SST pilots.

In 1969, Dr. Masters was appointed as the first Aeromedical Advisor to the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). One of his first challenges was heading a committee of pilots, physicians, and a biomedical statistician in a NASA-funded epidemiologic study of the human factors aspects of all civilian commercial jet aircraft accidents. This study concluded lack of cockpit crew coordination was a major cause of accidents and was the stimulus for the development of the NASA ASRS program.

Through his work at ALPA, providing guidance and advice to pilots with medical and FAA certification problems, Dr. Masters became increasingly involved in developing preventive approaches to professional pilot health concerns. Preventive cardiology issues were of major importance. Another significant issue was the ?€?secret?€? problem of alcoholism. This disease was made deadly by the conspiracy of silence by the FAA, well-intentioned pilot and management ?€?hear no evil?€? misconceptions, and lack of understanding of the disease elements and treatment of alcoholism. After presenting the problem to the ALPA Board of Directors in 1972 and receiving unanimous approval to move toward a resolution of the issues, Dr. Masters and Captain Rod Gilstrap (UAL), and Captain Gil Chase (CAL) developed a government grant proposal, and a demonstration project Human Intervention and Motivation Study (HIMS) was funded.

Dr. Masters resigned from Lovelace in 1974 and opened the consultation service, Aviation and Preventive Medicine Associates (APMA). Since then APMA has handled more than 22,000 pilot medical cases, including more than 1,500 alcohol and substance abuse cases.The overall outcome of these cases has been well over 90% return to or continued flight status. Although ALPA has accounted for the majority of APMA work, Dr. Masters has also consulted to NASA as flight surgeon for the test pilots at Moffett and Edwards bases, provided aeromedical advisor services to IPA, FederalExpress, andSWAPA, and served as an expert witness in the Exxon Valdez oil spill litigation. Dr. Masters' lifetime service and achievement to the aviation community earned him an honorary membership in ALPA. He is the first physician to receive this honor which he shares with Orville Wright, Charles Lindbergh, Eddie Rickenbacker, andJimmy Doolittle.