GA Medical Reform

The current agenda for medical reform is to waive the third class medical requirement.  This September an amended form of the Pilots Bill of Rights 2 S. 571. introduced on the Senate floor by Senator Jim Inhofe, a Republican from Oklahoma. Inhofe, who introduced the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 earlier this year in efforts to push the FAA for the medical exemption, said the bill as it stands now would require pilots to do three things: take an online aeromedical course every two years, make logbook entries certifying they’ve seen their personal doctors at least once every four years (and received any needed treatment for medical conditions), and what Inhofe described as “a comprehensive medical review by the FAA” for new pilots. Pilots without medicals for more than 10 years also would need the one-time certification. Pilots with current medicals or those lapsed within 10 years would be exempt. (AVWEB, 2015) Senator Inhofe’s original bill proposed had included exemptions for private pilots from the third-class medical for VFR and IFR flights under 14,000 feet, provided their aircraft carried a maximum of five passengers and weighed under 6,000 pounds.  While this bill had much bipartisan support, the support of the AOPA and EAA, it was strongly opposed by ALPA. The next question I’d ask is why ALPA even has a dog in the fight with third class medicals?  This is where common sense falls to politics and lobbyists once again.

As of October 1^st, the bill has 67 Senate sponsors, if it passes there, it will go onto the House of Representatives. So far only 150 sponsors in the House, so we’ll just have to wait and see if it can gain any more traction in congress. (AOPA, 2015)

I am all for the general idea of this reform, but obviously not for all the meaningless concessions they’ve had to make to appease the critics.  My feelings are this; it just makes common sense that if someone passes an initial third class medical, they’re not blind, they’re not dying, that should be good enough for a private pilot certificate.  After that, it should be up to that pilot to determine fitness to fly, just as it is for granny or grandpa to know or be told its time to stop driving.  It’s so much more dangerous on our highways with drunks, people on drugs, or yes that old blue-hair, than up in our skies where pilots take the task a tad more seriously.  So private pilots flying aircraft under 6000 lbs., maximum of 5 pax, under 14,000 ft., VFR or IFR if they are current, why not?

What I do not like about the current proposal is…not a whole lot actually.  Sure you may get a small percentage of pilots, who will be in denial about their health and fitness to fly, not be honest with their self-reporting, but its about time we have some say-so in our lives again.

This reform is absolutely necessary, I feel this third class medical is simply embedded in the bureaucracy, and they don’t want to let go. (plus it’s a joke)  It’s a good way for the medical examiners to keep cranking pilots through and collect their $150 for 5 minutes of work.  Flying is such a costly investment, with so many hoops to jump through already, why can’t we reduce any burden we can for the recreational aviator?

Reference:

Pilot's Bill Of Rights Changes; One-Time Medicals For Some - AVweb flash Article. (2015, October 15). Retrieved from http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Pilots-Bill-Of-Rights-Changes-Medicals-Required-For-Some-224918-1.html

AOPA, EAA answer questions about medical reform. (2015, September 30). Retrieved from https://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/September/30/AOPA-and-EAA-answer-questions-about-medical-reform