Bipolar/Schizoaffective Disorder and Soaring

"DL152279546231" wrote in message
...
The controlling and ONLY FAR you need to consider medically while flying
gliders is 14 CFR 61.53(b).

Allan

So now I am still confused. Do I read this FAR to say if you know you have a
medical condition but don't think it will interfere with your flying, fly. OR,
if you have a medical condition which would make you ineligible for a medical
certificate you cannot fly even in an operation not requiring a medical
certificate...

You should be seeing a huge grey area, perhaps one big enough to fly a
glider through, perhaps not. I flew gliders for years whilst taking a "banned"
medication. IMHO I did so legally and safely because research told me that the
FAA was waivering that drug and that condition as long as certain medical tests
were done; tests that I had already done more than once. My doctor and I were
in agreement that it was OK for me to fly. Furthermore, it would have been
difficult for the FAA (or an insurance company) to say I was violating 61.53(b)
when the FAA was routinely granting waivers for exactly that same condition.
Later, this was all verified when I decided to fly SEL and actually went through
the bureaucratic hocus-pocus to get the waiver and the medical. Are they
waivering your condition and your medications? I don't know, but I'll bet that
AOPA could help you find out.

If the FAA is absolutely not waivering anybody with your condition and/or
anybody taking the drugs you take, I have to reluctantly say that it is probably
best for you to keep your feet on the ground.

Vaughn



(b) Operations that do not require a medical certificate. For operations
provided for in §61.23(b) of this part, a person shall not act as pilot in
command, or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight crewmember, while
that person knows or has reason to know of any medical condition that would
make the person unable to operate the aircraft in a safe manner.