FAA 3rd Class Medical Exemptions

[Dan208B]

I'm curious what people think about this. Some thoughts (for whatever they aren't worth):

-Limits would allow an 80 year-old to fly a Cessna 206 with 5 people and no medical.

-3 or 4 pilots in a widebody jet and are required to have 1st class medicals with EKGs. If one or even 2 have a heart attack others take over and there is no safety risk.

I'm not sure I understand the idea behind this, and perhaps I don't understand it properly but it seems simply irresponsible to allow people to have no check-up of any sort, particularly as they age. I agree the current system is far from perfect but is complete exemption smart? I believe 100% that something like Cape Air or similar operations need pilots that are healthy because single pilot with passengers is the highest risk factor. Is there a better solution to all of the problems associated with medicals? I don't know, just wanting to discuss...

 

[Houston]

Two things for consideration:

(1) Different levels of aviation are given different levels of safety.

(2) The politicians who are supportive of the issue are often pilots and seldom young.

Please understand that I'm not saying what is right or wrong or what is safe or unsafe, only that those are two facts of the way things are.

 

[Dan208B]

Two things for consideration:

(1) Different levels of aviation are given different levels of safety.

(2) The politicians who are supportive of the issue are often pilots and seldom young.

Please understand that I'm not saying what is right or wrong or what is safe or unsafe, only that those are two facts of the way things are.

I completely understand what you're saying, and they are good points. I would venture to say GA shouldn't trend towards "less safe" because of this, but you are absolutely correct in that many of the folks that push for this are senators and such that want to be exempt themselves.

 

[jafra98]

I'm curious what people think about this. Some thoughts (for whatever they aren't worth):

-Limits would allow an 80 year-old to fly a Cessna 206 with 5 people and no medical.

-3 or 4 pilots in a widebody jet and are required to have 1st class medicals with EKGs. If one or even 2 have a heart attack others take over and there is no safety risk.

I'm not sure I understand the idea behind this, and perhaps I don't understand it properly but it seems simply irresponsible to allow people to have no check-up of any sort, particularly as they age. I agree the current system is far from perfect but is complete exemption smart? I believe 100% that something like Cape Air or similar operations need pilots that are healthy because single pilot with passengers is the highest risk factor. Is there a better solution to all of the problems associated with medicals? I don't know, just wanting to discuss...

Having a one shot in time medical does not means that you are going to be healthy until the expiration of it. As the system is right now I bet that too many pilots for fear of loosing the medical do not report conditions or worse do not look for professional medical help....................

 

[swakid8]

There was a article I read earlier on AOPA about the FAA being in the rule making process of eliminating the 3rd class medical. Some of the limitation included aircrafts smaller that 2600 lbs, air speeds of 250kts or less, and cruising altitude of no greater than 14000 ft. So there will
Be limitations in place I am sure.

 

[swakid8]

petitioned the FAA [/URL]to expand the third class medical exemption to cover more pilots and aircraft.

The rulemaking effort, which the FAA is calling the “Private Pilot Privileges without a Medical Certificate” project, will consider whether to allow private pilots to fly without a third class medical certificate in certain circumstances. Instead, pilots will be able to use other criteria, including a valid driver’s license, to demonstrate their fitness to fly. The agency offered no other details of the planned rulemaking.

As part of the announcement, the FAA said it will consider whether it can safely provide any relief to the medical requirement before the rulemaking process is complete. The agency also said it is still considering the AOPA-EAA petition, which received 16,000 overwhelmingly positive comments.

Wednesday’s rulemaking announcement comes as the FAA has been under increasing pressure to allow more pilots to fly a wider range of aircraft without a third class medical, a privilege already enjoyed by sport pilots.

AOPA President Mark Baker made pursuing the medical exemption a top priority when he took the reins at AOPA last September, and the association has pushed the FAA for a response to its petition and sought assistance from Congress.

“This rulemaking announcement is the next important step along a path that we sincerely hope will allow more pilots to fly without the expense and frustration of the medical certification process,” said Baker. “For a decade, sport pilots have flown safely without third class medical certificates, and we’re confident private pilots can do the same. This issue is a top priority for our members and we appreciate the FAA’s decision to move forward with rulemaking. We will continue to work with FAA, Congress, and our members to complete this process as quickly as possible.”

.

Read more here
http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/...emaking-on-third-class-medical.aspx?CMP=ADV:1

 

[PositionAndHold]

I'm curious what people think about this. Some thoughts (for whatever they aren't worth):

-Limits would allow an 80 year-old to fly a Cessna 206 with 5 people and no medical.

-3 or 4 pilots in a widebody jet and are required to have 1st class medicals with EKGs. If one or even 2 have a heart attack others take over and there is no safety risk.

I'm not sure I understand the idea behind this, and perhaps I don't understand it properly but it seems simply irresponsible to allow people to have no check-up of any sort, particularly as they age. I agree the current system is far from perfect but is complete exemption smart? I believe 100% that something like Cape Air or similar operations need pilots that are healthy because single pilot with passengers is the highest risk factor. Is there a better solution to all of the problems associated with medicals? I don't know, just wanting to discuss...

Or that same 80 year old in a 6,000lb Surburban doing 75-80mph with six of his grand kids in the back? I think that's part of the reasoning behind it. If you can get a drivers license you're basically taking the same risks in a light airplane. The Surburban can cause a crash that could trigger a multiple car accident equivalent to the proverbial "smoking hole in a school yard". Risk wise, between the two it's not much different. I don't think we'll see airplanes full of seniors in bad health falling out of the sky at a higher rate than we do now. We will see a whole lot of the pilot population who are perfectly able to participate in GA be happy to do so. There are some pilots I know who had an issue that went undetected during multiple first class exams. However, they are in better health now that the issue is fixed, but since they had an issue at all the FAA says no to getting a medical of any kind. Doesn't make sense. I say let them fly.

 

[Dan208B]

Having a one shot in time medical does not means that you are going to be healthy until the expiration of it. As the system is right now I bet that too many pilots for fear of loosing the medical do not report conditions or worse do not look for professional medical help....................

I agree 100%. As unfortunate as it is, I know for a fact this happens. I've met multiple people handling issues with a separate doctor because their only income source for their family is their airline job and they are scared to death of reporting the problem to the FAA. The entire system is flawed. And of course most folks don't have insurance that's good enough to cover you for a year off of work or anything like that.