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Third Class Medical Reform Becomes LAW!

az_gila said:
Perhaps that will count for the countries that want to see an actual document?
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Some might but I doubt most will. ICAO requires a Class III medical to exercise the privileges of Private Pilot. Unless a country makes an internal rule accepting another form of medical clearance to fly within their sovereign airspace (as was done here in the US) a Class III medical will still be required.


Mike S said:
What I cant get my head around, is why not immediate implementation of the items that are cast in stone----i. e. specifically called out in the law, and all the rest be covered in the 180--360 day time frame, as that is the only items that they can address anyway.
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Because the new gave the FAA 180 days to publish the rules (the NPRM) and one year to push it all through the process to finalization. Congress gave them the leeway and I really can't blame them for using it. My medical expires in February so I am really watching how this plays out.
:cool:
 
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GalinHdz said:
Some might but I doubt most will. ICAO requires a Class III medical to exercise the privileges of Private Pilot. Unless a country makes an internal rule accepting another form of medical clearance to fly within their sovereign airspace (as was done here in the US) a Class III medical will still be required.

.......
:cool:
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Perhaps Canada may be OK... this is the present Canadian Recreational Pilot medical requirements, straight from a govt. web site -

Category 4 Certification
Several years ago when ultralights and other recreational aircraft were starting to become quite popular, Canada decided to create a non-ICAO compliant medical certificate, Category 4. The only requirement needed to obtain this level of medical certification is a form of self-declaration similar to that of a driver?s licence. To that end, a screening medical questionnaire was created and the need to see a Civil Aviation Medical Examiner (CAME) eliminated. However, you need to have your family physician countersign the questionnaire if you want to carry a passenger on your aircraft. That?s right: no physical examination, unless of course you have or have had one of the conditions that we are concerned about, in which case you may need to see a CAME.

PS - Canada is the only other country I want to fly in.
 
Carribean is on my to do list

I have a trip to the Caribbean on my to do list. But just redid my class III. So I have 2 years for the systems to figure out what to do with this.
 
Dr.'s Check sheet Gap

I have not read this in any of the Q&A listed for eaa or aopa or here. During the four year period between 15 July and 15 July 2020 after out current Class lll expires, what do we have? My class lll runs out in one year. If I don't get the Dr.'s check sheet until three years later what do I fly on as proof of medical fitness during the gap?
Thanks,
Bill Phillips
RV-8a, 188 hrs
 
Sky Man said:
I have not read this in any of the Q&A listed for eaa or aopa or here. During the four year period between 15 July and 15 July 2020 after out current Class lll expires, what do we have? My class lll runs out in one year. If I don't get the Dr.'s check sheet until three years later what do I fly on as proof of medical fitness during the gap?
Thanks,
Bill Phillips
RV-8a, 188 hrs
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The FAA has until 15 July 2017 to come up and finalize the new rules. IMHO something will be in place well before July 2020. :cool:
 
Sky Man said:
I have not read this in any of the Q&A listed for eaa or aopa or here. During the four year period between 15 July and 15 July 2020 after out current Class lll expires, what do we have? My class lll runs out in one year. If I don't get the Dr.'s check sheet until three years later what do I fly on as proof of medical fitness during the gap?
Thanks,
Bill Phillips
RV-8a, 188 hrs
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Your current Class III medical will expire according to the current FARs.
If it expires, you will need to visit a Doctor and get a sign-off to continue flying.
As it stands now the new "law" does not extend the expiration of your current Class III medical.
 
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Mel said:
Your current Class III medical will expire according to the current FARs.
If it expires, you will need to visit a Doctor and get a sign-off to continue flying.
As it stands now the new rule does not extend the expiration of your current Class III medical.
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Mel, there is no new "rule"------there is a new law.

Go back and read post 48 -------- the new law is supreme if there is conflict with either new or old rules.

I really wish someone from EAA or AOPA legal dept was a VAF member, and following this thread---------and could contribute to it.

There is just too much speculation about how this new law is/will effect things.
 
I'm sure this will be discussed at some point during Airventure - hopefully by some EAA or FAA members that have actually reviewed the situation carefully.
 
Has anyone heard or read any comments from the FAA and their response to the new law? I haven't seen or heard a peep from them.
 
170 driver said:
Has anyone heard or read any comments from the FAA and their response to the new law? I haven't seen or heard a peep from them.
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They are most likely still passed out on the floor from the shock of how fast and how easily this Bill became an Act. My speculation is that they never dreamed this would happen and become Law so easily as written....
 
Mike S said:
Mel, there is no new "rule"------there is a new law.
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Call it what you want. The "law" states, "(a) In General.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall issue or revise regulations to ensure that an individual may operate as pilot in command of a covered aircraft if—"

Whatever you call it, it's binding.
 
It just seems like a major law change like this would have at least prompted a response of some kind from the FAA administrator,,,,maybe he is waiting on Oshkosh.
 
Mel said:
Call it what you want. The "law" states, "(a) In General.?Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall issue or revise regulations to ensure that an individual may operate as pilot in command of a covered aircraft if?"

Whatever you call it, it's binding.
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The Government still has to comply with the Administrative Procedures Act for all rule making and this law did not give the FAA authority to circumvent it. The new law states the FAA has 180 days to "issue or revise regulations", this is known as the "Notice of Proposed Rule Making" (NPRM), and one year to push it all through the process to finalization. If they can't get it finalized within 1yr then they can not take enforcement action against a pilot complying in good faith with the law.

Government actions are not as simplistic as most people believe. So I call it what it is, not what I would like it to be. :cool:
 
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Palamedes said:
So, correct me if I'm wrong, but the TL;DR is.. we still have a year to wait?
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Yes. The new law did not eliminate the old rules it just told the "government" to make new legal rules/regulations and to do it within one year. Multiple government agencies, in this case not just the FAA, are involved in legal rule/regulation making so the "government" may take more than 1 year to do it. However, the new law also states that if in 1yr new rules/regulations have not become legal, then the FAA can not take enforcement action against any pilot complying in good faith with the law. In the mean time the old rules continue to legally apply. In this aspect nothing has changed.

Government bureaucracy at it's best/worst. So, "patience grasshopper, patience".

Mel said:
One year would be the max if the FAA doesn't do something before that date.
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EXACTLY!!! :cool:
 
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Just one more?

My third class expired the end of April this year. I went light sport cause I read some time ago that if you had not been denied a medical in the last ten years you would be good to go. Was that idea scrapped? Did I miss something?
 
Tharpo said:
My third class expired the end of April this year. I went light sport cause I read some time ago that if you had not been denied a medical in the last ten years you would be good to go. Was that idea scrapped? Did I miss something?
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You must have missed it. For now you are stuck with light sport. But within a year you can go to your physician and if he signs off the still-to-be-finalized form, then you'll be good up to 18,000', 6 passengers, gross weight less than 6000 lbs, etc. Assuming you have a private license.
 
Tharpo said:
My third class expired the end of April this year. I went light sport cause I read some time ago that if you had not been denied a medical in the last ten years you would be good to go. Was that idea scrapped? Did I miss something?
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Nothing changed for the Sport Pilot. The new law/rules apply to pilots requiring a Class III medical.

And BTW for Sport Pilot, your "last" medical cannot have been denied or revoked period, regardless of time in history.
 
BobTurner said:
You must have missed it. For now you are stuck with light sport. But within a year you can go to your physician and if he signs off the still-to-be-finalized form, then you'll be good up to 18,000', 6 passengers, gross weight less than 6000 lbs, etc. Assuming you have a private license.
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By my physician you mean a non AME? And I must do this within one year of my old medical expiration? I am sorry to be so dense it is just that I have heard so many explanations of this thing,including another one this morning that .......well you know.
Thanks
 
Tharpo said:
By my physician you mean a non AME? And I must do this within one year of my old medical expiration? I am sorry to be so dense it is just that I have heard so many explanations of this thing,including another one this morning that .......well you know.
Thanks
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Yes, any physician (licensed to practice in your state) who is willing to sign the form. You keep the signed form.
You need to wait until the FAA produces this form, and publishes the new rules. The new law gives the FAA up to one year (!) to do this. You may not wait more than 10 years from your class 3 medical's expiration date, or else you need to see an AME and renew it.. You will also need to take a free, on-line course. Again, you have to wait until the FAA sets that up. Again, the new law gives the FAA a year to do this.

edit. The ten years mentioned above goes back from July 15, 2016, so this is not an issue for you.
 
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Bob is exactly right.

Here it is in a nutshell. All you need to benefit from the new law is:

1) Private Pilot license with appropriate ratings/certifications & current biannual flight review.
2) A valid Class III Medical Certificate issued after July 15, 2006*
3) A 'checkup' with the physician of your choice (covering items on a list to be drafted by the FAA as part of its new regulations). Since the FAA technically has up to one year to draft this; you will not be able to take advantage of the new law until either: the date the FAA finalizes the new regulations, or July 15, 2017, whichever comes first.

[*Note: You must not have had your most recent Medical Certificate Denied or revoked.]

If you meet the above requirements, you may fly an aircraft weighing less than 6,000 pounds, carrying 5 or fewer passengers, at an altitude not exceeding 18,000 feet, at a speed not exceeding 250 knots, and may not operate the flight for hire.

After this, to continue flying, you will only need to:

A) Maintain your biannual flight review status.
B) Take an on-line training course in aviation medical factors every 2 years (this is one of the things the FAA has to draft as part of its new regulations.)
C) Get a 'checkup' with the physician of your choice (see #3 above) every 4 years.

Any Private Pilots currently operating under the Light Sport category may continue to do so, but may take advantage of the new law as soon as the FAA finalizes its new regulations or July 15, 2017; whichever comes first.
 
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Pool Shark said:
Bob is exactly right.

Here it is in a nutshell. All you need to benefit from the new law is:

1) Private Pilot license with appropriate ratings/certifications & current biannual flight review.
2) A valid Class III Medical Certificate issued after July 15, 2006*
3) A 'checkup' with the physician of your choice (covering items on a list to be drafted by the FAA as part of its new regulations). Since the FAA technically has up to one year to draft this; you will not be able to take advantage of the new law until either: the date the FAA finalizes the new regulations, or July 15, 2017, whichever comes first.

[*Note: You must not have had your most recent Medical Certificate Denied or revoked.]

rst.
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I believe the new law says you have 'held' a valid medical since July 16, 2006. It could have been issued 2 years (if over 40) earlier.
"biennial" not "biannual". Actually there was so much confusion over these two words that the official term is now just "Flight Review".
 
Just a little more clarification;
Since medical certificates expire at the end of the month, you must have held a valid medical certificate during or after July, 2006.
You last medical can not have been denied, revoked, suspended or withdrawn.
And the Doctor you see must be a "state licensed" physician.
 
Mel said:
Just a little more clarification;
Since medical certificates expire at the end of the month, you must have held a valid medical certificate during or after July, 2006.
You last medical can not have been denied, revoked, suspended or withdrawn.
And the Doctor you see must be a "state licensed" physician.
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You are correct Mel.

But I was aiming for the "Nutshell" version.

I'm afraid the nutshell is growing... :D
 
International flight privileges under new rules

One piece of info that you guys should be aware of, which I haven't seen discussed here, is how going with the new medical option will affect your ability to fly outside the US. The issue is that since ICAO has not changed it's medical standards, the new US standard will not be recognized outside of your borders by any ICAO signatory country, i.e Canada, Mexico, the Bahamas, etc etc etc unless they adopt similar rules internally. More specifically, there are currently no plans to change from the ICAO standard in Canada in the foreseeable future despite our habit of following major changes initiated in the US. There seems to be no appetite for this fight on the part of COPA or any other Canadian advocacy group at this time, and Transport Canada has made it clear they will not initiate this change on their own. They have also issued a statement making it clear that American pilots who do not have medical certification that conforms to an ICAO standard will not be legal to fly in Canada. Period. Your rights and privileges as a Private Pilot will terminate at the border in all directions. It will be exactly the same situation as faced by Sport Pilot permit holders in the US, or Recreational Pilot Permit holders in Canada; no rights outside the borders of your own country.

Apparently a motion to adopt changes to the ICAO standards was introduced at their recent meeting, but support was very lukewarm, and any changes, if they come at all, could take years.

Personally, I think this sucks, and I was quite choked when I read that COPA went so far as to abstain from voting on the ICAO rule changes. I am very puzzled as to why they do not feel any need to pursue these changes in Canada, or internationally, but their stance is a pretty good indication that it may be an uphill battle to see changes at the ICAO level any time in the near future, if ever. So...if you have plans to fly outside the USA for the foreseeable future, keep reporting to your AME for your medicals just like you do now.

*Edit: I see this was briefly addressed a few pages back, my apologies for not reading the whole thread before commenting. Hopefully this post adds some useful information to the discussion.
 
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BobTurner said:
I believe the new law says you have 'held' a valid medical since July 16, 2006. It could have been issued 2 years (if over 40) earlier.
"biennial" not "biannual". Actually there was so much confusion over these two words that the official term is now just "Flight Review".
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Ok, so - my medical expires the end of this month (3rd class, issued two years ago). If I don't renew it, am I good to go after the end of this month as long as I proceed with the every-4-years-at-my-local-doctor provision of the new law, or am I grounded until the new law takes effect and THEN good to go as above?
Seems the EAA says the latter, but some here imply the former.
 
Bill Boyd said:
Ok, so - my medical expires the end of this month (3rd class, issued two years ago). If I don't renew it, am I good to go after the end of this month as long as I proceed with the every-4-years-at-my-local-doctor provision of the new law, or am I grounded until the new law takes effect and THEN good to go as above?
Seems the EAA says the latter, but some here imply the former.
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grounded until the new law takes effect and THEN good to go as above

More importantly, check with your insurance agent as to their requirements for insurance coverage. My hopes are that the riders will be modified to reflect the new regulations, but I doubt that will be done prior to the new regulations take effect.
 
We can't have that!

Grounding is for electrical systems, not pilots. :rolleyes: Looks like I need to get that last-ever third-class exam out of the way this month. Thanks for the opinion; that's the way I was reading it, too.
 
I hope the" new form" don't take on the "look of the old third class medical after the FAA gets done with it. Mine expires end of Nov. Guessing no chance of new form by then!!!
 
Questions, points, etc.

When this all began, the issue I recall was safety. Whose safety? John Q. Public on the ground? The pilot? His passengers? Namely, the statistics bore out how safe general aviation(private pilots) was as compared to ..... truck drivers(DOT physical) To that point, the ABCs were intent on a "driver's license" Class III physical, similar to Sport Pilot. I know how we are where we are in this morass today, but is anyone more safe with this DC two step? If a LSA falls on someone from 1500', is he/she any less dead than a C172 falling on them from the same height?

Most pilots I know are the best, most conscientious people I've ever met. Safety to them is paramount. To most flying when their health could jeopardize the safety of anyone, including themselves, is unthinkable. That said, then why are we, as private pilots, guilty until proven innocent, while sport pilots and truck drivers get the DOT/FAA look the other way?
 
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