Sport Pilot Schools that Require a Medical - Help Stop This

Here's the place to ask all of your medical questions. But don't believe everything you read!

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TravelerMSY
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Re: Sport Pilot Schools that Require a Medical - Help Stop T

Post by TravelerMSY »

Whining? With all due respect, this isn't my thread.
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drseti
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Re: Sport Pilot Schools that Require a Medical

Post by drseti »

BrianL99 wrote:If you're concerned about being denied a Medical, perhaps you should reconsider if you should be flying under any circumstances.
That's rather unfair, given that many Special Issuance medicals are sometimes denied for political, rather than medical, reasons. Would you want your flying fate resting in the hands of a panel of physicians in Oklahoma City, whom you've never met, and who have not actually examined you?
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
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Nomore767
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Re: Sport Pilot Schools that Require a Medical - Help Stop T

Post by Nomore767 »

If the changes to the Class 3 medical go through all the flight schools will be competing for all the local customers and the supply/demand rule will probably dictate a change in their policies. If the rules are deemed egregious they will just go somewhere else.

For all intent and purposes, there won't be a difference for a customer looking to fly on a DL except price difference, IF an LSA costs less per hour than an older Cessna or Piper.
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snaproll
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Re: Sport Pilot Schools that Require a Medical - Help Stop T

Post by snaproll »

Special Issuance is not a difficult process. I spent 4 years flying on a special issuance 3rd class (yearly) due to cancer. The restriction was then lifted and I returned to a two year medical again. If you have a disqualifying condition, you should not be flying even with a driver’s license as your medical. Self certifying with a drivers license as your medical does not mean ignoring the regulations.
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drseti
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Re: Sport Pilot Schools that Require a Medical - Help Stop T

Post by drseti »

snaproll wrote:Special Issuance is not a difficult process.
No, but it can be expensive. One local pilot applied for and received an SI after having a cardiac pacemaker implanted. He went through all the required tests (stress echocardiogram, x-rays, blood pressure and pulse monitoring, etc.) and was found good to go. A year later, when he tried to renew his SI, the AME required him to do all those tests again. Insurance would not cover them, because his cardiologist did not deem them medically necessary -- and they cost many thousands of dollars. This gent had been examined recently and cleared by his cardiologist for all normal activities, including flying -- but he wisely chose not to continue with the SI, instead letting his medical expire and flying on his DL. Is he medically unsafe? Not necessarily; he's much safer with the pacemaker than he was without it!
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
PhD CFII DPE LSRM-A/GL/WS/PPC iRMT
AvSport LLC, KLHV
[email protected]
AvSport.org
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CTLSi
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Re: Sport Pilot Schools that Require a Medical - Help Stop T

Post by CTLSi »

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Last edited by CTLSi on Mon Dec 01, 2014 9:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
TravelerMSY
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Re: Sport Pilot Schools that Require a Medical - Help Stop T

Post by TravelerMSY »

One thing not mentioned here is the role of the flight instructor in all of this. If a sport pilot candidate show up for training using a DL as medical certification, but is not physically capable of flying safely- they're not going to pass them.
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Re: Sport Pilot Schools that Require a Medical - Help Stop T

Post by MovingOn »

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TravelerMSY
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Re: Sport Pilot Schools that Require a Medical - Help Stop T

Post by TravelerMSY »

I agree it's not the CFIs job to assess medical fitness, but it does act as part of a system of checks and balances for pilot fitness to fly. At least in extreme cases.
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Re: Sport Pilot Schools that Require a Medical - Help Stop T

Post by drseti »

MovingOn wrote:This whole issue of flying without a medical and using a driver's license is premised on the presumed honesty and integrity of the pilot.
Actually, the whole issue is predicated on the assumption that pilots are not, by nature, suicidal. For the most case, history backs this up.
The opinions posted are those of one CFI, and do not necessarily represent the FAA or its lawyers.
Prof H Paul Shuch
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MovingOn
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Re: Sport Pilot Schools that Require a Medical - Help Stop T

Post by MovingOn »

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CTLSi
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Re: Sport Pilot Schools that Require a Medical - Help Stop T

Post by CTLSi »

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MovingOn
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Re: Sport Pilot Schools that Require a Medical - Help Stop T

Post by MovingOn »

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Nomore767
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Re: Sport Pilot Schools that Require a Medical - Help Stop T

Post by Nomore767 »

Flying without passing an AME exam is the premise of flying on DL, not anyone's honesty or integrity. If you can't pass the aviation medical, you can't pass it...for now, if you still wanna fly, no matter how extensive your experience, ratings, endorsements, certifications, or flying hours you have to slip into an LSA and fly on a DL.

Since BFRs are virtually a sure thing if you can find a CFI to sign you off, the skys are certainly more dangerous with guys flying that are likely not medically fit.[/quote][/quote]

Flying 'without passing an AME exam ' is NOT the premise of flying on a DL. The premise is, if you haven't had an FAA medical denied or revoked, and you have a current DL, and follow any medical restrictions on your DL (like wearing glasses), and don't have any medical condition that could prevent you from safely flying, and you self-certify that you're medically fit before EACH flight.

In fact, if you have a First, Second or Third Class FAA Medical you still HAVE to self-certify that you're medically fit to fly, for EACH flight.

BFR's aren't pass/fail…read the rules…the idea is that very two years you get some instruction both in the air and on the ground. The CFI can sign your logbook or not. The comment 'virtually a sure thing' regarding a BFR is odd. No logbook endorsement is required for an unsatisfactory performance of a flight review. The flight time may be logged as training time received from an instructor.

The last comment about the 'skys (sic) are certainly more dangerous with guys flying that aren't medically fit' is true about ANY pilot flying that are likely not medically fit. Thanks Captain Obvious.

A pilot can pass a medical one day and have a heart problem the next. Which is WHY pilots, ALL pilots, have to self-certify before EACH flight.

Your post suggests that you think that sport pilots who fly on a DL are all medically sick and incapable of flying safely and are somehow dodging the rules trying to beat the system. Seriously?
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Re: Sport Pilot Schools that Require a Medical - Help Stop T

Post by CTLSi »

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