Jerry Hall wrote in message ...
John. It seems that once you move from oral medication to insulin as a
treatment for diabetes, that is the death knell to one's medical
certificate. Lord knows I've certainly jumped through a lot of hoops.
Several years ago the FAA medical folks as much as said, "Give it up,
turkey. You're not getting your medical reinstated." I go through a
similar line of BS in keeping my automobile driver's license. And my
glucose readings seldom go over 140. Have been hoping the newer "Sport"
license might allow me to fly again. Then there are ultralights but
that just isn't quite the same thing. To steal a line from Top Gun, I
feel the need for speed. Had a 177 RG. Jerry

Jerry,

That's how it used to be, but no more. I got mine back and I take
injections twice a day. Your blood sugars have to be between 100-300
thirty minutes prior to flight, and checked every two hours during
flight. Though I have to admit that if the Sport certification comes
through soon it'll probably be easier, and defiantely be cheaper, to
go that route.

Best of Luck,
John


John E. Carty wrote:
"Jerry Hall" wrote in message
...

When I conducted my first solo flight, it was pretty much a non-event
except that I had the plane to myself. After about thirty minutes of
dual - read that as two of us in the airplane, student (me) and the
instructor - including several landings at a controlled (has a tower)
airport, the instructor had me taxi over to the base of the tower and shut
the airplane down. He then asked for my log book and scribbled an
endorsement in the back certifying that I was qualified for solo flight.
Mind you, I had already received ten hours of flight training up to that
point plus extensive text work as well. He then told me to keep the
airplane "in the pattern", i.e. don't leave the controlled airspace
surrounding the airport: approximately a five mile radius. I was then to
perform three "touch and goes" - landings in which you place the airplane
on the runway but do not come to a stop but rather retract the flaps while
still rolling, apply power, and takeoff again. Then I was to land with a
full stop and return to the tower. He said he would watch with the
controllers. Geez, now I had an audience. I contacted the tower via
radio and was given clearance to takeoff and stay in the pattern. I
remembered I was literally shaking, not with fear but with exhilaration.
"Don't screw this up, don't screw this up," was my mantra. I advanced the
throttle once I was positioned on the centerline of the runway and, in my
estimation, the little Cessna 152 leapt forward, unencumbered by the
weight of a second person. Reaching 50 knots, I gently pulled back on the
yoke and the plane rotated and departed the runway. "WOW! I was flying!
Really flying! I was in control! I am a pilot!"
It was all I could do to not start whistling the theme from "The High and
the Mighty." The rest is history.


Many hundreds and hundreds of flight hours (PIC or Pilot In Command) later
and innummerable aircraft, I find myself grounded due to diabetes.


Have you thought about getting a special issuance (if your diabetes is under
fairly good control) to get your medical back and start flying again? :-)


Nothing will ever quite compare to that first solo flight. God I miss it.
Jerry


Aviation wrote:

I have two questions inspired by Hollywood movies.

In the movies (Goldfinger, Executive Decision and so on), when
pressurized aircraft suffer catastrophic decompression
at high (25000+ feet) altitude (usually when the bad guy shoots a bullet
through a window) everything not tied down gets sucked out of the plane
and the aircraft goes into an immediate, rapid nose dive and the pilots
or the good guys have to struggle to level it off or prevent a crash. Is
this an automatic "safety" feature of real, regular aircraft? On the one
hand, passengers need to get denser air to breathe but large aircraft
have oxygen masks that drop down. (I could do some rough estimates that
the average fat slob can hold their breath for less than a minute so,
without masks, the jet
would have to go from let's say 30000 feet to 5000 feet in 30-45 seconds.
My ears would explode.)

I would think that a crash dive to a lower altitude could be even more
dangerous such as if it occurred in a crowded air corridor. Maybe there
are other dangers.

What REALLY happens (or is supposed to happen) in the event
of sudden decompression of real high flying aircraft? The second
Hollywood inspired question comes from Executive
Decision (1996). The main character is taking flying lessons
in a single prop 2-seater plane and lands. The plane is still
running (on the ground) and his instructor says, 'I think you're ready to
solo' and gets out. The main character starts to taxi and then other
non-flying plot developments happen. I was wondering if taking your
FIRST solo flight is that simple. The location in the film in
Washington, DC but I figure all
US flying is FAA regulated. Wouldn't the first time soloist have to fill
out some forms, file a flight plan with the airport and maybe even do a
complete pre-flight check on the aircraft? Is the simplified movie solo
flight completely bogus or could it happen that way?


THANK YOU VERY MUCH.