I recently didn't mention something to a fellow senior pilot and the
next day he damaged an aircraft. He's a friend, so
I really should've. Shame on me.

I usually give advice by saying, "I'd do it this way" rather than
condemning something. Seems to still get the point across.

As far as rules beyond the FAA regs, this is kinda sticky.
Sure sure, a club could require it's members have medicals,
or reduce the currency times, but I'd be careful
about specifics. Requiring spin training, having some
checklist different than the book, requiring full gas tanks,
even prohibiting ballast could be talked up by some clever
lawyer as contributing to an accident.

As far as ol' timers go, what about a medical and a flight review?
If the guy can pass both of those, shouldn't that be enough?
Are the CFIs signing off that gullable?

I gotta say that just because gliders don't require a medical
doesn't mean it isn't required before flight. If somebody wanted
to fly a glider I owned, and I had any smidge of doubt,
I'd demand a medical first. And if anyone ever demanded that of me,
then fine. And I'll tell you there's a TON of medically disqualifying
medication for flight, regardless of whether one has a medical or not.
A bunch is over the counter! I think AOPA has the list...

I'd be surprised if there weren't a bunch of ol' timers flying
with full knowledge they are medically groundable. That's
breakin' the regs as much as anything else...

The flip side of this, and one that has to get some respect, is
that if the professional flight surgeon and professional CFI
both say he's ok, that needs some weight.

In article ,
JJ Sinclair wrote:
Gary & All,
Speak up, when you see something you think is unsafe. I don't care if the pilot
listens or not, at least you just gave him one data point. When he gets several
data points, it may sink in.

I watched a fairly low time pilot enter the pattern at 200 feet and then
proceed to fly downwind and base, just like he was at normal altitude. I swore
he was going to dig in his wing tip as he turned final. He made it and nobody
said anything to him

The next weekend he was killed after arriving at the airport, very low and
then proceeding as though everything was completely normal.

TELL THEM,
JJ Sinclair


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Mark Boyd
Avenal, California, USA