Medical Reform Passes!

[wlarson861]

This is great news but I am a little disappointed. The original proposal was to make the 3rd class medical just like the sport pilot rule. but for heavier airplanes. After not having a medical for over 20 years, but flying for the last 6 as a sport pilot, this seems a little unfair. I shouldn't have to get a medical since I've been flying the past 5 years as a sport pilot with no issue.

[SonexN369UR]

Me too! I totally agree but do not expect ANY CONSIDERATION from the FAA on this issue. Just like the poor guys who had a medical FAILURE con NOT fly as Sport Pilots UNLESS..... Special Medical cleared!
Jack

[WaiexN143NM]

Hi all,
I dont expect this to happen fast . In fact , i have a feeling the faa is really not in favor of this. So they will wait till one year , and it will become law. Then when a spectacular crash happens, they can deflect the public outrage onto congress. Just my hunch. Typical federal agency. Underfunded and understaffed. Sad state of affairs. Been there and done it 33 years. Finally had enough. Good to be retired. The atc system is operating at the lowest level of controllers since the strike of 1981.
WaiexN143NM
Michael

[Fastcapy]

Actually the FAA worked with EAA and AOPA to get medical reform moved forward back in 2014-15. However, it had to then be sent to the Dept of Transportation for administrative review, which was legally supposed to be done in 90 days, then sent to the budget office, then back to the FAA for final rule making, but it died at the DOT... It never made it back from the various gov agencies to the FAA, so the FAA isn't the one to blame here, it is more the way our government operates without regard to following procedural rules/aws...

[vwglenn]

The drop in jab powered Sonex prices in the past few years was caused by the controversy on the reliability raised by the Australian authorities. And jabirus response to them. I hope it recovers but there's a bad vibe in jabs right now.

I agree that may be a part but it's not just the Jab powered planes I've seen drop. They've all gone down.

[ihab]

... do not expect ANY CONSIDERATION from the FAA on this issue

For what it's worth, from the politics-make-strange-bedfellows department, the FAA is actually very much in favor of this reform. It's the DoT that's been pushing back. In previous AirVenture occasions, Mike Huerta was quoted basically saying, "Please ask your congresscritters to force us to implement this." Quotes follow --

https://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/eaa-a ... uerta-says

The third-class medical [rules revision] represents for many people who are not aviators a fundamental change in that basic policy framework.”

“I have conversations with very smart people,” the administrator said. “We talk about data, mitigations, everything we’re putting in place, and at the end people are saying, ‘Aviation is just different.’ I’m not saying it’s right or rational, but that’s the reality; we need to acknowledge that that perspective deserves to be answered.”

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all ... at-oshkosh

At the Meet the Administrator session, Huerta urged members of the audience to contact their members of Congress to advance third class medical reform because there's a great deal of resistance inside and outside government to altering the current requirements.

"I'm not saying it’s right," Huerta said of that resistance. "I'm not saying it's rational. But it's reality."

Ihab

[WaiexN143NM]

Hi all,
Ha ha! ,
Alot of opinions on this topic, all i can offer is my opinion from being on the inside. The FAA will have to go along with what they are told to do. Look at the drone issues and how long it dragged out and passed deadlines. Budget , staffing etc, alot of dedicated hardworking employees for sure. The class 3 medical reform is great, GA needs a shot in the arm big time. Maybe can get people with minor medical malfunctions back into the joy of flight. Im not so sure the folks at CAMI in OKC or the regional flight surgeons are really in favor of this, even your local civilian ame certified doctor. Money, politics ,
insurance companies, lawyers , are the reality. I hate to see the day a beech baron crashes thru the roof of a local mall on christmas eve( yes it happened in concord ca. ) and the fallout from an incident like that when its determned the pilot had no medical certification or hidden medical issues. Im all for this draft of no medical , but we will all see there will be hidden potholes along the way. I saw firsthand in the atc structure we had to hold a faa class 2 medical, the faa held a deathgrip on that, becase if ever an incident or accident, goes to court ,slick lawyers involved , lawsuts involved, its gets complicated. Who out there is flying wothout insurance? Liability ? Hull? Watchout . Fly at your own risk.
Not trying at all to be negative, just reality. Look at sun and sun when a tornado ripped thru. Planes flipped upside down. You could not salvage your own plane. They hired a private company, fuel spill soil abatement, hauled off, thousands of dollars bills. Fly safely. Fly smart. Fly at a level of risk you are willing to take.
Regards,
WaiexN143NM
Michael

[Riggerdave]

Doesn't do me a bit of good. Sports pilot or nothing for me. Who wants to fly a 150 anyway.

[mcjon77]

Medical reform made me temporarily reconsider building my Sonex in favor of switching to an RV-6/7. While I was pretty confident that I could get a medical, the idea of my ability to fly being in danger every two years made me initially think "why bother, I'll just go sport pilot and build a Sonex".

The funny thing is that even after medical reform, when I really thought about it, building a Sonex was STILL the best choice for me. That was a bit surprising. What has changed is that I will likely go the Private Pilot route instead of the sport pilot route. Sport pilot brought up a bunch of logistical concerns (getting tailwheel certified, finding a plane to rent while I was building, aerobatics training, etc) that go away when I chose to go the private pilot route.

[kmacht]

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I think you can still fly and log time in non LSA aircraft as long as it is with an instructor. You can get your tailwheel endorsement in something non LSA, you just can't solo it. Same goes for aerobatic instruction.

I do agree with you that for many people building a Sonex the new rules won't necessarily drive them towards an RV. I can build a full up sonex with an aerovee and a basic panel for less than what just the engine alone costs for an RV. Those who were sport pilot and wanted an RV are already building an RV-12.

Keith
#554