Sport Pilot Talk

Again, I refrain from vulgarities and in saying anything that could be misinterpreted as violation of post 911 national security laws...

I hope the audience booed loudly... and did their best to refrain from throwing rotten tomatoes...

designrs wrote:I hope the audience booed loudly... and did their best to refrain from throwing rotten tomatoes...

On behalf of AOPA and EAA, Baker needs to make a sizable donation to the Clinton Foundation.
Problem solved.

PBOR2 might be on the upswing. Jim Inhofe:

PBOR2 is to be offered as an amendment to the transportation bill on Tuesday or Wednesday this next week,” he said. “If successful, that would be signed into law before the end of the month.

He needs 6 more votes in the Senate.

As for the status of the FAA's third class medical rewrite - and for that matter, yet another slippery performance by Administrator Huerta - here's how Paul Bertorelli summed up Huerta's presentation:

"Maybe FAA Administrator Michael Huerta should stop bothering to come to AirVenture. Traditionally, administrators have done a Meet the Boss session, plus press availability. But Huerta’s dissembling non-answers and sidesteps of the most benign questions have become somewhat of a joke, and not a har-har joke, but a pathetic one. Give the man credit though; he is a skilled survivor at the highest levels of government bureaucracy. I have yet to hear Huerta offer a substantive answer on the burning issue of the day, the reform of the Third Class medical. But this week, he reached a new low, suggesting that pilots should contact their congressional representatives to urge action on medical reform. Isn’t this tantamount to saying I can’t do my job, please have congress force me to? GA’s relationship with the FAA has, under Huerta, eroded to a point I never thought it could reach. And given that the FAA feels it no longer has to respond to legitimate press inquiries, ours is even worse than that."

Exactly my reaction as well, after reading Huerta's remarks. His main excuse was that there are bureaucrats above him in the food chain who don't understand aviation and fear flying, and convincing them to accept self-certification is difficult. Imagine: The guy is explaining DOT's inaction is because it is based on fear and ignorance and we need to understand that. I'd say confronting the ignorance & fear is Huerta's job if he really believes in the FAA draft...but that's ignoring a bureaucrat's Prime Directive, which is to survive in the food chain. My vote is for the EAA to just quietly not invite him next year and see how that goes down.

As for PBOR2 (which includes medical reform), it's likelihood of success in being added as an amendment to the now-pending Transportation Bill seemed a long shot even to Sen. Imhofe earlier in the week. And now ALPA has stepped in with an 11th hour defamation that offers fresh reasons for legislators to shy away from sponsoring the bill or voting for its inclusion. I just don't see how it's going to happen any time soon, despite all the good effort expended to date.

I swear it seems that every thing I read says it's either almost a slam dunk or a no way pipe dream. I don't know what to believe at this point in regards to it's chances.

Delete...

cimmaronjim wrote:I swear it seems that every thing I read says it's either almost a slam dunk or a no way pipe dream. I don't know what to believe at this point in regards to it's chances.

3rd Class Medical reform has always been a pipe dream.

The initiative is completely devoid merit and always has been. It's nothing more than a "constituency exercise" by EAA and joined by AOPA.

I'm amazed at the naivety of the populace, when they get lead down a garden path to no where. Advocates such as EEA/AOPA/AARP and a zillion others, create self-serving initiatives out of whole cloth, with the sole goal being to perpetuate their existence, increase revenue and expand membership.

Please tell me one instance in the last 25 years, where government reduced regulatory red tape, eliminated or reduced fees or willing ceded authority over anything. I'm sure it happened once or twice by mistake, but surely not intentionally.

Please tell me one instance in the last 25 years, where government reduced regulatory red tape, eliminated or reduced fees or willing ceded authority over anything. I'm sure it happened once or twice by mistake, but surely not intentionally.

LSA and Sport Pilot come to mind

Delete...

BrianL99 wrote:

cimmaronjim wrote:I swear it seems that every thing I read says it's either almost a slam dunk or a no way pipe dream. I don't know what to believe at this point in regards to it's chances.

3rd Class Medical reform has always been a pipe dream.

The initiative is completely devoid merit and always has been.

Why do you say that? Do you really agree with the way 3rd class medical is currently implemented?

cimmaronjim wrote:

BrianL99 wrote:

cimmaronjim wrote:I swear it seems that every thing I read says it's either almost a slam dunk or a no way pipe dream. I don't know what to believe at this point in regards to it's chances.

3rd Class Medical reform has always been a pipe dream.

The initiative is completely devoid merit and always has been.

Why do you say that? Do you really agree with the way 3rd class medical is currently implemented?

I don't think the implementation is great, but I don't think it's unreasonable that someone who wants to fly and airplane, has to show up at a Dr.'s office every couple of years.

Delete...

BrianL99 wrote: . . . "I don't think it's unreasonable that someone who wants to fly and airplane, has to show up at a Dr.'s office every couple of years.

That's not any more unreasonable than requiring someone to show up at a doctor's office, every couple of years, to drive an automobile.

Solve problem to both sides' satisfaction: require all pilots to have a physical from their primary care physician at least every two years. The physical would not be used to deny flight privileges, but just to ensure the pilot is aware or any existing or developing conditions that might affect their ability to self certify before flying.

In the end EVERY flight is based on a pilot's self certification of fitness anyway.