All Activity

I live 15 miles from Canada and it is just darned convenient to cut across to places in the USA west and also to go to Canada - so that is the only thing preventing me from going basic med. When will that come?

I have a complete avionics stack with the following: Fast Stack Hub and Cables Audio panel PS7000/8000/ PMA450 etc. GNS530 WAAS and indicators (how about a pair of G5's?) SL30 or KX 165 and indicators GTX345 or ?? This is ideal for an owner assist install, I've done a few and got a local guy to review the work and sign off. This is a good way of updating an older airplane without spending $50-100k. The Hub allows a path for future upgrades. I can assist with CNC panels, and owner orientated advice. Aerodon

Yep

That rationale is why a CFI does not require a second class medical or, for that matter, any medical if not acting as PIC or crew.

There are quite a few people who let their medicals expire after the much-publicized effort to connect VA and SSA disability with pilot medical certification. Not because of any direct impact, but fear of the unknown. BasicMed was a path back to the cockpit for those pilots, many of whom are safe and competent - but afraid of G-men.

I’ve had a Class 3 for my entire adult life and I’ve never really considered doing anything other than renewing my FAA medical, but this thread has been super interesting and definitely created some food for thought. Ever since BasicMed was introduced, I’ve been very aligned philosophically with the concept of trusting your doctor for medical fitness evaluation instead of trusting a stranger with an AME certification. But I always kind of figure it’s nice to be able to cross borders or fly in Class A without needing to get a physical. But I fly a NA airplane and don’t cross borders with any regularity, so it may be that the benefits of BasicMed far outweigh the consequences.

I have SS machine screws into plain steel nut plates in six places on my cowl. I NEVER use a power screwdriver either to remove or replace them; I go slow and have not had any problems (knock on wood). My guess is that sometimes these get cross threaded just a little and then the nut plate is prone to gall due to the increased friction from the damaged threads. That's why I'm very careful when installing; any sign of resistance I back the screw out and check threads, put on a spot of oil and try again.

They have also recently expanded BasicMed authorization to DPEs performing an examiner function. Previously a DPE could instruct under BasicMed but could not conduct a practical test.

I've been looking for a shop that will install in my F. Can you share the shop so I can reach out?

The FAA rationale is that you are being paid to INSTRUCT, not to fly for hire.

https://www.cessnaflyer.org/magazine/article-archives/maintenance-technical/owner-produced-parts-regulations-interpretations-and-applications.html https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2024/january/09/aircraft-maintenance-owner-produced-parts

Yes, this is true and I do.

https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/318371 serious injuries for, lets be frank, elderly occupants. A “serious injury” is defined as “any injury which: Requires hospitalization for more than 48 hours, commencing within 7 days from the date of the injury was received; Results in a fracture of any bone (except simple fractures of fingers, toes, or nose); Causes severe hemorrhages, nerve, muscle, or tendon damage; Involves any internal organ; or Involves second- or third-degree burns, or any burns affecting more than 5 percent of the body surface.” I do hope the pilot and CFII recovered. -dan

I have one , but I cant sell it as I was not involved in making it , Sabremech did... and they are very nice.

CHT seems high for your model. I’m curious where your oil cooler is? The flow pattern with cylinders vs oil are different depending on configuration. As other sugggested, you might not be broken in. What is your oil burn rate? Any pictures of the engine installation you can share?

Perhaps. What was the point/need to mention their ages?

Update: We sourced a cylinder, Fritz1 to the rescue! Gibson cylinders was able to provide a rebuilt cylinder. Thanks all for your help/feedback. I think going forward we may also bench a spare. What a wonderful community, I appreciate the guidance!

I think you are right in the assumption that there are folks who chose not to jump through some bureaucratic hoops and fly anyway. I also think that most of thses folks would be smart enough not to post anything about that on the internet so reliable data may be hard to find. Enforcement actions probably represent only small fraction of these instances.

Basic Med is a FAR greater success than I predicted. I wonder if any physicians have caught blowback from signing off medicals they shouldn't have. I suppose not since accidents due to pilot incapacitation remain very rare events even in the GA world - which was predicable based on the (albeit limited) Sport Pilot experience. Honestly, physician liability and resistance to signing it off was my greatest concern when it appeared on the scene. Once the Canadians accept Basic Med, I'll probably go that route too, given my lack of aspirations to be in the flight levels, carry lots of passengers, or make money flying. Unfortunately US relations with Canada are at a new low at the moment, so that may take some time as yet...

I was not expecting such a consistent even split between BASIC Med and conventional medicals. The total population of the poll grows, and remains at 50/50. Perhaps more commerically active pilots on here than I expected. I believe you can act as CFI/CFII under Basic Med.

SOLD

I think the problem with trying to characterize the proclivities of the FAA Medical Branch is that trends don't matter so much as the n=1 of your own experience. They might be reasonable and you could still be the exception; it's cold comfort if you can't fly or have to wait an unreasonable amount of time. And probably some people have suffered less from that Eye of Sauron than others and got away with things they could have been dinged on. I've been on both sides in the military version of this. Actually, 3 sides if you count the programmatic side and being accountable to multiple higher-up interests, sometimes with contradictory goals. We all want to be an exception to the rules, esp. dumb rules. I'm guilty. But practical safety of your flight and your passengers should be an important goal... You might be surprised how debilitated some people are by sleep apnea. Don't even know it for years. So I wouldn't not get it dealt with, regardless of what else you do. Dealing with absurd insurance company and bureaucratic regulations is another matter. I understand the idea of the sleep apnea guidelines, and at least there is a defined pathway to SI. But it is tedious. Basic Med really does seem to shine in this area. It is definitely worth being proative and managing your communication and disclosure. I'm not saying lie, I'm saying be proactive. I'd second finding the best AME partner you can, if you go class I-III. There are some services that will help you (I heard an interview with a former mil pilot become doc become AME who made an analogy with a checkride... I think he had a consulting company. Disclaimer, I've never used this). The advice about attorneys is interesting, and smells right. I'll definitely do that if I end up needing it...

Thread creep - This discussion makes me wonder how many folks are out there flying without a valid medical, or even a valid certificate. I know of one who was (he's no longer flying) so I have to assume there are more. There was a fatal accident case a couple of years ago where a guy never finished his training for a private certificate, never got a medical, but bought an airplane in which he ultimately killed himself and his girl friend. But that's not the kind of person I'm thinking of. My question is more about people who are competent pilots that get caught up in the bureaucratic process and decide it's worth the risk to "do their own thing" regardless of what the system says. You know, anarchy. I'm not advocating for it, but I wonder how many folks have made that conscious decision. I'm guessing there are more than we might think. I can see where a person would make that call. Anybody know where that kind of data might be available? It's probably hard to find outside of people who have lost their bet with the universe and got caught in an enforcement action.

You (generic you, not DXB who clearly understands this scene) will find benign mistakes in clinical notes as well (misunderstood what you were saying) which weren't particularly germane at the time but could imply problems downstream. Esp. with auto-scribe software and hurried, often ex post facto, documentation of visits, etc. So requesting corrections is reasonable and most conscientious practitioners haven't given me much pushback.

It's great to find an occasional AME who wants to help pilots, but never forget they are accountable to the FAA Medical Branch, not to you. Carefully worded factual information from medical specialists can greatly help address nonissues capriciously flagged by the FAA in the medical record - I myself have played this role a couple of times to help pilots. However nothing stops a frivolous medical certification challenge by the FAA better than a lawyer showing them why they are about to create a bunch of work for themselves, only to arrive at an embarrassing outcome before an NTSB judge (or in extreme cases even a civil suit in federal court). I will never communicate with the FAA medical branch again except through one of a handful of attorneys they know well. No issue is too small to get a lawyer when dealing with these folks. Doing so from day one would have saved me a ton of hassle and worry - money extremely well spent. One can inadvertently dig the hole much deeper by going it alone.