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tinman

Well Known Member
A question about medical flights?
I am wrestling the FAA in order to keep my medical. I am experiencing double vision when I turn my eyes upward. (Graves Disease?) My eyes will ?stack? images one on top of the other rather than ?cross-eyed?. I can resolve the image by tilting my head and aiming my big nose at whatever I need to see up there. My most recent conversation with the FAA indicates that we are probably going to go the direction of a medical flight so that I can demonstrate my adaptation.
Here are the questions:
1) Since I lapse in another week, I can?t be PIC for this flight. Would Das Fed be willing to ride in the back seat of my -8 and serve as PIC even though there are no rudder pedals back there?
2) What sort of flight should I expect? What will they likely ask me to do during the flight? Do they come to me, or do I go to them?
 
You can certainly ask, but....

I doubt very seriously that they would accept PIC responsibilities without complete controls.
Actually, I doubt that they would accept even WITH complete controls.
 
Mel's pointed out the biggest problem

A friend of mind just acquired a SODA from one of the FSDOs in Michigan. He's in his late 80's, was a former B17 pilot going back all the way to the start of WWII. IIRC, his initial inquiry was to OK City, who in turn referred him to the FSDO for a flight check. On initial phone contact, the FAA guy slated to test him turned out to be a home builder as well. He flew his Falco to the FSDO office (his medical was void, but his "passenger" was a capable PIC). Flight check was given in his plane, so I guess technically, the FSDO rep had to be PIC. Fortunately, his Falco has full dual controls. He was signed off, and sent on his way.
You need to check with your local FSDO. They may not agree to ride in an experimental (depends on the representative, I guess). Even if you bring a store-bought plane, make sure you bring all maint records AND make sure they're up to date. In many cases, a FSDO maintenance rep will want to review paperwork before any federal employee puts their fanny in the seat.
Hope it isn't this tough for you, but it can be. Good news is you've still got a shot to keep flying.
Good Luck,
Terry, CFI
RV-9A N323TP
 
Don,

Kinda OT, but... Does it resolve if you close one eye?

tinman said:
A question about medical flights?
I am wrestling the FAA in order to keep my medical. I am experiencing double vision when I turn my eyes upward. (Graves Disease?) My eyes will ?stack? images one on top of the other rather than ?cross-eyed?. I can resolve the image by tilting my head and aiming my big nose at whatever I need to see up there. My most recent conversation with the FAA indicates that we are probably going to go the direction of a medical flight so that I can demonstrate my adaptation.
Here are the questions:
1) Since I lapse in another week, I can?t be PIC for this flight. Would Das Fed be willing to ride in the back seat of my -8 and serve as PIC even though there are no rudder pedals back there?
2) What sort of flight should I expect? What will they likely ask me to do during the flight? Do they come to me, or do I go to them?
Click to expand...
 
Yes, if I close either eye, it resolves. It is not a factor in normal flight, but when I am nearing the apex of a loop, I get a strange looking horizon since I am gazing upwards which is really downwards...I see two horizons, one on top of the other, but slightly tilted. Not a factor unless I am doing aerobatics. I would not want to fly formation, though...
 
ask FSDO is best bet

A question about medical flights?
I am wrestling the FAA in order to keep my medical. I am experiencing double vision when I turn my eyes upward. (Graves Disease?) My eyes will ?stack? images one on top of the other rather than ?cross-eyed?. I can resolve the image by tilting my head and aiming my big nose at whatever I need to see up there. My most recent conversation with the FAA indicates that we are probably going to go the direction of a medical flight so that I can demonstrate my adaptation.
Here are the questions:
1) Since I lapse in another week, I can?t be PIC for this flight. Would Das Fed be willing to ride in the back seat of my -8 and serve as PIC even though there are no rudder pedals back there?
2) What sort of flight should I expect? What will they likely ask me to do during the flight? Do they come to me, or do I go to them?
Click to expand...

Don,
I expect that as with many other issues, you may get different answers from different FSDOs so I'd call and talk to whoever you'd most likely fly with but can offer up what my experience was.
I only have one eye so have gone through the medical flight test process and fly with a SODA waiver. Prior to my medical flight test the FAA issued me a third class medical with restrictions that held me to student pilot privileges only until the medical flight test could be scheduled (had to get CFI solo endorsement, endorsement for specific airports, Class B, etc....).
I did the medical flight test in my Cessna 140, which did have full controls on right side so different situation than your -8.
In my case, the examiner came to me and we flew from where my Ce-140 was hangared. The flight was probably only 20 or 30 minutes and he just had me point out other airplanes from the air, read a chart in the cockpit, read things off the instrument panel, manipulate radio and other controls on the panel, point out potential emergency landing sites from altitude (including pointing out obstacles that might make chosen sites a bad choice). First touch and go went well so second landing was full stop and we were done. He seemed to have a list of tasks he had to have me do for my specific condition so you might ask if there's something like that for your condition.
 
Mission accomplished.
I ended up having to rent the mighty Cessna 172 for the check ride. The FAA called me yesterday while I was at work and asked if I could put together a check ride in a couple of hours. They came to me which had them driving over 100 miles...very impressive. I was blessed with high winds, but the -8 has helped to prepare me for them, so the ride was uneventful. I have a strange eye issue that makes me "stack" images vertically, so much of the ride was conducting unusual attitude recovery in order to see if the stacked images hindered recovery. (The aerobatics in the -8 have proven that this is not a factor...) After 20 minutes, he says to take her home...managed a nice landing which sealed the deal.
After having been grounded for almost 6 weeks, I will have to ease back into the -8...landing the Cessna has spoiled me and I need to get back into the taildragger way of thinking...
 
One more thing that struck me as being odd...
The inspector indicated that I would be PIC for the test flight. I asked how this could be so since I no longer had a valid medical, and he said that my letter of authorization for the test flight served as my medical. Go figure...
 
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