Third Class Medical Elimination Petition

[mooneyflyer]

Here's some interesting info on a petition to eliminate THIRD CLASS Medicals.

http://www.generalaviationnews.com/?p=31496&utm_source=The+Pulse+Subscribers&utm_campaign=e14836b459-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email

Fly Fast, Fly Safe,

Phil

[carusoam]

Phil,

Thanks for the link.

I am not sure of the benefit of a third class medical. 

I am required to have one to fly my mooney, but I don't need one to fly light sport or drive my big honkin' SUV in tight formation.  There will come a day to stop flying, but it will probably be announced by something other than a third class medical.

Based on the dropped requirement for light sport, I can follow the same logic for PPL.

Should we sign the petition?

-a-

[mooneyflyer]

I heartily recommend signing the petition and weighing in with the FAA.

Most pilots I know will voluntarily stop flying if they believe their health is an issue.

[FlyDave]

Quote: carusoam

Phil,

Thanks for the link.

I am not sure of the benefit of a third class medical. 

I am required to have one to fly my mooney, but I don't need one to fly light sport or drive my big honkin' SUV in tight formation.  There will come a day to stop flying, but it will probably be announced by something other than a third class medical.

Based on the dropped requirement for light sport, I can follow the same logic for PPL.

Should we sign the petition?

-a-

[Jeff_S]

AvWeb recently did a survey on this, and the overwhelming response was to drop the medical. I have to admit I was one of the few that weighed in on the affirmative side. I don't like that every two-year (for the over 40 crowd) bit of anxiety that comes with it any more than the next guy, but for me the issue is passenger safety. If the driver of a car has a heart-attack, the passengers are more than likely going to be able to get away from the scene with their lives. If a pilot does, not so much (Cirrus drivers notwithstanding).

So I think the main target beneficiaries are the other passengers rather than folks on the ground.

[DaV8or]

Medicals are also political. Think about it, every time a plane crashes, it gets reported in the news. This is not the case for cars, boats, trucks, RVs and motorcycles. All it would take is one crash with fatalities where it was found that the pilot was incapacitated due to a medical emergency to have politicians and lawyers (kind of the same thing) getting all excited about it. The general populace would be out raged if somebody died because the Federal Government lifted a restriction.

Budgeting, creating policy, working within their means, these are things that are hard for politicians and people in government, but creating new levels of beauracracy, restrictions and laws is easy and comes naturally to them. It's something they can actually do. "Senator Soeanso, successfully petitioned the FAA to require all pilots pass a medical exam prior to qualification to fly and airplane. Soeanso; keeping Americans safe, vote for me!"

The demise of the 3rd class medical is fantasy. The relaxing of the conditions to obtain a 3rd class medical is possible and is already happening.

[tony]

Quote: DaV8or

The relaxing of the conditions to obtain a 3rd class medical is possible and is already happening.

[KLRDMD]

Quote: Jeff_S

AvWeb recently did a survey on this, and the overwhelming response was to drop the medical. I have to admit I was one of the few that weighed in on the affirmative side. I don't like that every two-year (for the over 40 crowd) bit of anxiety that comes with it any more than the next guy, but for me the issue is passenger safety. If the driver of a car has a heart-attack, the passengers are more than likely going to be able to get away from the scene with their lives. If a pilot does, not so much (Cirrus drivers notwithstanding). So I think the main target beneficiaries are the other passengers rather than folks on the ground.

[flight2000]

I agree that it is a political football, but at the same time anyone can have a heart attack (as an example) at any given time.  A medical exam that is good for 2 or 5 years is nothing more than a spot check of your health at that particular moment.  If they are really that concerned about it, we would be getting looked at every 6 months (alla 1st class medicals).  Why not just get rid of it all together.

Just my $.005 cent....

Brian

[FlyDave]

I agree on the frequency issue - if it really is to be effective it should be yearly.

Does anyone know if someone driving a bus full of people needs a medical and the frequency if so (schoolbus, long-haul like Greyhound or even public transportation)?

[DaV8or]

Quote: FlyDave

I agree on the frequency issue - if it really is to be effective it should be yearly.

Does anyone know if someone driving a bus full of people needs a medical and the frequency if so (schoolbus, long-haul like Greyhound or even public transportation)?

[DaV8or]

Quote: tony

 what is happening?  I'd love to know more....

[DaV8or]

Quote: KLRDMD

Is there any data that having a third class medical reduces this risk you perceive ? I believe there is none but will be happy to evaluate it if you can provide it.

[DaV8or]

Quote: flight2000

If they are really that concerned about it, we would be getting looked at every 6 months (alla 1st class medicals).  Why not just get rid of it all together.

Just my $.005 cent....

Brian

[KLRDMD]

Quote: DaV8or

[DaV8or]

Quote: KLRDMD

The NTSB does autopsies on every pilot that dies in an airplane crash. How often was a medical issue the cause of the crash ? The number approaches zero.

[KLRDMD]

Quote: DaV8or

It approaches zero, but it's not zero. in the 2009 Nall report, 3 people were incapacitated while flying, all were fatal. One of those is thought too be from falling asleep at the wheel so it doesn't really count here.

[Stefanovm]

I have had high blood pressure since 1961 getting my PPL in 1971. BP started affecting my ability to get my medical about 1997. Before that I just reported taking a medicine for it as the AMEs wanted me on medicine to sign about 1981. The high cost prescriptions (I have taken about 24 different ones over the past 30 years.) did not lower it. I now have found an over the counter $40 medication that DOES lower my blood pressure. It is not sold for that effect and has not helped my neighbor's BP as he nears 60. BP is becoming a problem for him, but no longer worries me. Both my non AMEs are happy, but can give no reason why it should work. I go to the AME again next year. I also fly on a conditional medical for sleep apnea and need a doctor's visit and letter for the FAA EVERY year. I went for the sleep test with the advice that it might help my blood pressure. It has only cost me more FAA paperwork. Phooey  on the class 3 medical!

[Jeff_S]

Quote: KLRDMD

It approaches zero, but it's not zero. in the 2009 Nall report, 3 people were incapacitated while flying, all were fatal. One of those is thought too be from falling asleep at the wheel so it doesn't really count here.

[KLRDMD]

Quote: Jeff_S

[DaV8or]

Regulations and policy are rarely instituted on statistics or data alone. Gut feelings, "common sense" and tradition weigh much heavier for a lot of law makers and regulatory bodies. Data and statistics are only a peice of the pie to help sway those gut feelings and common sense positions, or to break tradition.

In the case of the FAA and medicals, they are in the uneviable position of having to balance the desires of the general non-flying public and those of pilots. The non-flying public generally support the idea of a medical because they have visions of old guys having heart attacks over their homes and an airplane crashing through the roof. Pilots don't want the medical because of the expense, hassle and for some it keeps them from flying.

In an effort to keep pilot populations up and airports viable, the FAA has added Light Sport to gliders and ultra lights as an option to keep older pilots in the air. If it weren't for the fact that the pilot population is shrinking, airports are closing and well, the people that work for the FAA are fearing for their jobs as less and less of them are needed, Light Sport never would have happened. In time, with threat of the FAA having to lay off more and more of their work force, they might do away with the 3rd class medical to try to preserve some of the pilot population.

In the mean time, I really think they should revise the LSA aircraft requirements by raising the gross weight limit by enough to include all of the legacy trainers, like the C-152 and Piper Tomahawk. This would open up a whole bunch of very affordable aircraft for Light Sport pilots to transistion to instead of having to come up with $120,000 for the buy in. In additon I think they should relax the night restriction.

Right now, there are old guys with the most popular plane in history, the C-172, that are facing the possibility of not making the next medical. In light of the prospect, they are faced with the fact that they will have to sell the Skyhawk, for $35,000 to $55,000 and then the options are: quit flying altogether, buy an ultralight, buy a glider, or come up with another $85,000 to $65,000 to get an LSA. In addition to giving the guy a real option to keep flying, it would also free up LSA manufacturers to start making planes with better payload for baggage and wider, more comfortable cockpits.

I think the LSA ruling was a great idea on how to deal with the public's need for a medical and how to preserve the pilot population as they move into their later years as aviators, just they screwed up big time with the gross weight requirements.

[Jeff_S]

Quote: KLRDMD

P < 0.05 is generally used as the limit for statistical significance. Based on that generally accepted value, three is an insignificant number in this discussion.

[Parker_Woodruff]

I'd really like to get the 2nd class medical extended for people under 40 years old.  I get my 2nd class once a year in order to fly a few weekend trips for hire, and to keep it in my back pocket for if a weekend flying job ever pops up.

$400 every 5 years instead of the 3rd class holder only paying $80 every 5 years.

[tony]

You would think the manufacturers would get on board with this as well and remind the FAA that one of their charters is to “promote, encourage, and help develop civil aviation” I know, I know and promote safety.  Hopefully, it’s those market pressures that will cause the FAA to revisit this issue.  In the mean time, I think I’m going to write Mr. Isakson and see what he thinks…..