Catastrophic Decompression; Small Place Solo

Contrary to popular opinion you may be on insulin and get a 3rd class
medical. You must only keep you A1C sugar within limits, pass a series
of medical tests and follow a test regimen during flight quarters. The
fly in the ointment is that you must have a flight physical every 90
days. This correlates with the A1C blood glucose test.
I am a difficult diabetic patient. I have not stabilized to a
significant enough degree as to be able to pass the A1c. BTW the limits
are very liberal for passing. The other problem is that the tests can
cost several thousand dollars but only have to be done once. Your
glucose is very much within tolerance and if you have no nerve or blood
circulation problems you should be able to qualify. I'm still working on it.
This program has been in effect for more than 5 years I believe.

Dave Nagel

Jerry Hall wrote:
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

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.