Please send a comment
 

This just in from AOPA.

There is a petition to replace the 3rd class medical with the drivers license like what has been done successfully with the Light Sport designation.

We all need to add our support comments to the petition.

The proposal would allow folks to fly aircraft under 6000#s by this action, otherwise heaver aircraft will still need the 3rd class.

As all of our RVs are under this weight, every one of us could benefit from this change.

How many posts in the classified have you seen that start with "lost medical, must sell my RVx"

The entire article is here at

http://www.generalaviationnews.com/?p=31496&cpage=1

And a link to the petition is at http://www.potomac-airfield.com/

As always, thanks

That would be great! I wonder if Vans would have created the -12 if this had passsed 6 years ago?

Pilot numbers may be enough to study now
 

The avowed purpose of a third class medical is to exclude pilots who may be subject to "sudden incapacitation" in order to protect people and property on the ground.

I would be interested in learning:

1. The number of incidents involving "sudden pilot incapacitation" that have harmed people or property on the ground.

2. A sort by private pilot v. sport pilot

3. The demographics of the sport pilot v. private pilot. For example, if a lot of us old boys are opting out of PP to Sport Pilot, one would think that the likelihood of "sudden incapacitation" would go up for Sport Pilot.

4. How accurately MDs and DOs think an AME can predict susceptibility to "sudden incapacitation" via a 3rd Class medical exam.

I am not a doctor. Other than cases of "walking time bombs," e.g., an individual who weighs 300+ lbs, is diabetic, and smokes, can sudden incapacitation really be predicted? BTW, my own personal physician says "no," Isn't one's personal physician more likely to find a medical concern in an annual physical? My annual physical is considerably more thorough than a 3rd Class Medical exam.

LarryT

If they did away with 3rd class medicals, that would clear the way for me to build. The way it is now, I'm worried about passing the medical several years in the future. I don't want to build and sell because of liability and can't get excited about any of the Sport Pilot planes.

THANKS MIKE! Lets just sign the thing! Here is a quicker link: http://www.potomac-airfield.com/dot_petition.htm Glenn

What would be an interesting number is how many pilots with Class 1 medical become incapacitated win the cockpit or simply die on the sofa while taking a nap. Same thing, in my book because the idea of the medical is to make sure you don't suddenly become incapacitated.

Unfortunately, unless it happens in the cockpit, we will never know about it.

I just googled "airline pilot heart attack" and got 70,500 hits.

As for the 3rd class medical, I think a person is more likely to kill / injure someone while driving down the highway at 70 mph in their SUV when they have that heart attack.

(Let?s just hope none of us have heart attacks!)

The system also penalizes pilots for going to the doctor and getting issues fixed.

One can get a couple stents in their heart, 2 years later a fresh heart cath reveals no new disease and full flow and the FAA still may give em flak...

People who know the condition of their heart blood supply are penalized while those that have no idea or mask their symptoms are free as a bird. Does not make sense to me...

My uncle showed me an article in a AARP magazine that focused on a pilot that had had all sorts of heart trouble, passed out a time or two, basically died. This was in 2005. He has now learned to fly and is flying as a light sport pilot and gets featured in a magazine. How much do you want to bet that he has never reported his condition to the FAA? This guy has a history of falling over with heart conditions. There is no way he is legal unless he has a SI medical and what are the odds that he has went down that road? The article even says the pilot is "used to managing ongoing symptoms". I can tell you if you have ongoing symptoms, you do not meet the light sport medical minimums and I am pretty sure you would never get a SI medical.

Plain and simple...The system is broken!

I like less RED TAPE.

Guys, with all due respect...
 

While I may share your political opinion, and even though this isn't rocket science, the ONLY thing that will change the mind of the FAA is overwhelming epidemiological data that there is no risk. It would be best if the data was presented by an EAA-AOPA coalition that had the strength of 300,000 & 400,000+ members (and sorry to say PACs) respectively behind it.

I thought my list was reasonable. I thought the questions were questions the FAA needs answers to. All the political commentary in the world, however correct, won't change anything. Perhaps we finally have chance. Let's give the FAA the data they can use to make the correct decision and lean on them (gently) to make the correct decision. My future to be able to fly the plane I want and maybe yours depend on the FAA doing the right thing.

LarryT

Mixed Feelings and flying with oxy
 

About a year ago I flew in to a popular gastronomic airport destination. as I was walking from my plane to the restaurant entrance, an Ercoupe taxied by me and parked as close to the restaurant as he could get. I watched as the 80+ gentleman worked hard to get out of his plane. His next challenge was to get his oxy bottle and cart out. He slowly made his way to the restaurant with his cannula hooked up and oxygen in tow. I'm sure this light sport pilot was a legally licenesed and legally flying because he held a drivers license. This could open up a can of worms. On the other hand I wish I never had to take another physical again. I'm looking at both sides of the argument.

Steve Barnes "The Builders Coach"