AOPA Petition

AOPA is petitioning the FAA to let Recreational Pilots self-certify or at least use a "health statement" from a doctor every two years. (www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2006/060608sport.html)
What would the effect be on the sport pilot initiative? I'd consider buying a Stinson Station Wagon instead of waiting for an RV12. And think of all those other RV's you could build and fly self-certified as a Rec Pilot! I hope the FAA considers it. Seems strange to me that thousands of semi-literate semi drivers can drive 10 ton vehicles at 80 mph inches from the family Saturn with no medical while the very small number of trained active pilots are on a short choker chain.

Minor correction

It's little consolation, but the truckers do have to take a medical for a commercial license. My brother lamented that he had an FAA Class III but had to pay the doc an extra fee to also have a DOT physical. He argument that FAA is part of DOT fell on deaf ears.

plossl said:

AOPA is petitioning the FAA to let Recreational Pilots self-certify or at least use a "health statement" from a doctor every two years. (www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2006/060608sport.html)
What would the effect be on the sport pilot initiative? I'd consider buying a Stinson Station Wagon instead of waiting for an RV12. And think of all those other RV's you could build and fly self-certified as a Rec Pilot! I hope the FAA considers it. Seems strange to me that thousands of semi-literate semi drivers can drive 10 ton vehicles at 80 mph inches from the family Saturn with no medical while the very small number of trained active pilots are on a short choker chain.

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Truckers ARE required to pass DOT physicals! The physicals do seem to be getting more stringent than in the past. I think it's easier now to get an FAA class 3 than a DOT physical for a commercial vehicle. BTW, I do take offense at your comment that truckers are "semi-literate". I know of some who have been to college. There are some bad apples out there, but they are in found most anywhere.

Truckers are people to

plossl said:

AOPA is petitioning the FAA to let Recreational Pilots self-certify or at least use a "health statement" from a doctor every two years. (www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2006/060608sport.html)
What would the effect be on the sport pilot initiative? I'd consider buying a Stinson Station Wagon instead of waiting for an RV12. And think of all those other RV's you could build and fly self-certified as a Rec Pilot! I hope the FAA considers it. Seems strange to me that thousands of semi-literate semi drivers can drive 10 ton vehicles at 80 mph inches from the family Saturn with no medical while the very small number of trained active pilots are on a short choker chain.

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Hey that is great; Why not let them self certify.


As far as truckers.......lets not get into dispersions on truck drivers, they do a tough and important job. I would not assume they are less than intelligent or literate based on their profession. What was killing people, truckers and the motoring public was fatigue. DOT has now put limits on truckers duty time. Driving exhausted is driving stupid, regardless of education or vehicle (plane, car, ship or 18 wheeler). I know of a few PhD's that rolled their car driving fatigued. Besides I saw smokey and the bandit when I was a little kid and made a lasting impression on me, "breaker breaker, smokey at your back door, 10-4".

flynwx said:

It's little consolation, but the truckers do have to take a medical for a commercial license. My brother lamented that he had an FAA Class III but had to pay the doc an extra fee to also have a DOT physical. He argument that FAA is part of DOT fell on deaf ears.

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I never had to take a DMV/DOT physical-----------the DMV accepted my FAA medical. In fact, my employer paid for my medical, as it was a job requirement to drive the fire engines.

And in Calif no less!!!!

Things may have changed in the last 3 years since I retired, but I dont think so.

Mike

aint no trucker bo,

but my uncles were. and i can tell you i woould rather eat **** that to try to navigate a city like dallas or new york in a 18 wheeler. its bad enough pulling a 32 foot boat and back that barge into the landing. you couldnt pay me enough to drive a truck. the interstate part is cool but then you gotta stop and deliver. and every knows a good trucker has two log books my hats off to the truckers, better you than me next time tell the guys that unload them to watch where they stick those forks
this country would come to a crawl if not for the truckers. may not be phd's but you cant live without them. how do you think all that e-coli spinnach got to s.c. from cali.
oh yea i think you should be able to self certify..how sick can you get between exams at 3 yrs. well i can tell you from my own experience pretty **** bad. yet i still had a medical and couldnt walk. you self certify every time you get in a plane whats the difference.

Mike S said:

I never had to take a DMV/DOT physical-----------the DMV accepted my FAA medical. In fact, my employer paid for my medical, as it was a job requirement to drive the fire engines.

And in Calif no less!!!!

Things may have changed in the last 3 years since I retired, but I dont think so.

Mike

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I don't know how you got lucky with this. My employer won't take my FAA form for the DMV. I pay my examiner extra to fill out the DMV form. Of course it's only fifteen bucks so I save going to the doctor twice though.

I work for a dept. in Calyforneeya too. I am going to have to ask DMV if they would take the form for myself. Thanks for the idea.