"ADP" wrote in message ...
Well Tom,

Wrong again.

You may have an instrument rating in a helicopter or an autogiro (powered
lift). Clearly they are not "Airplanes".

Picky, picky. Same difference.


I am aware that there is no instrument glider designation but that is not
the point.

As I have already exhaustively pointed out, a motor glider is considered a
powered aircraft for the purposes of 14 CFR 91.205. That being the case, a
current IFR ticket (however defined) will enable you to fly a properly
equipped motor glider under IFR.
14 CFR 61.23 B(8) also says that you do not need a medical to take a test or
check for a certificate, rating or authorization when using a flight
simulator or flight training device.

Also, 14 CFR 61.3 (E)(3) specifies that to fly a glider under IFR you may
have a pilot certificate with a glider category rating and an
AIRPLANE instrument rating.

Thus, you may renew your instrument rating, take a check or become current
without any medical at all.

In addition, the recency requirements for flying IFR under 14 CFR
61.57(C)(2) i and ii allow you to become current with:
1. 3 hours instrument time in as glider in flight -simulated or actual.
(For which no medical is required), or
2. Up to 1.5 hrs in an aircraft of a total of 3 hours in flight and ( if you
can persuade the other pilot to be PIC) no medical is required.

I concede the point that, in this special case, it is possible to
maintain IFR currency without a current medical.


So, despite the desire of almost everyone here to rewrite the regulations to
suit their particular prejudices,
we can do what is permitted and safe and this is one of those things..

That is not to say that the practice is safe. Presumably, the pilot in
question doesn't have a current medical because he lost it for some
important medical reason. You cannot declare his actions safe w/o
knowing what that reason was. Remember, we self-certify that we are
fit to fly gliders. As I am sure you are aware, we do not have cart
blanche to fly with a disabling medical condition.

And, yes, I don't know why the guy lost his medical either.

Tom