really trully Sport Pilot!

It's good to hear about someone actually making good use of the much
heralded Sport Pilot rating.

In truth, I haven't heard too much about this happening in my neck of the
woods. Everyone who was cheerleading the Sport Pilot effort has been
heart-broken by the rule that prohibits previously denied pilots from flying
again.

It's been like throwing a starving dog a rubber bone.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

It's a broken record to say this, but Sport Pilot is really about a lot more
than helping a few nice old gentlemen fly a Cub or Champ for a few more
years. Cheaper, simpler, and faster certification of both pilots and
aircraft promise to bring in a dramatically larger amount of new blood,
which will help support the aviation infrastructure we all depend on both
economically and politically. Allowing certification of LSA by industry
consensus standards rather than the classic FAA certification process is a
HUGE shift bureaucratically speaking.

And Sport Pilot does improve the medical situation significantly. You only
need to get through the special issuance process *once* now, which at least
means a reduction in time and cost. I know pilots who spend hundreds of
dollars every 12-18 months for tests to keep their Special Issuance. A lot
more pilots give up on getting a special issuance before being _denied_. I
wonder how many of those guys who gave up flying did so because they
couldn't see going through special issuance over, and over, and over again.
Well, you don't need to do that anymore. Run the gauntlet once, and you're
free. Plus, the way the guidance is written, the FAA has left an "out" for
those of us who have medicals today but then get say a cardiac problem to
simply "opt out" and fly with a DL medical as a Sport Pilot with no
questions asked. Perfect, no, but again a step in a positive direction.

The bottom line here is that making aviation cheaper will bring more people
into it. We're talking about bringing in people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s
who will fly for 10, 20, 30, even 40 years. That's a much bigger
contribution to keeping airfields, maintenance shops, airport restaurants,
even aviation-themed hotels open than keeping a couple thousand pilots in
the game a few years longer. Not to say I don't feel bad for those guys,
hey, I could be one of them someday. But like I said, at least things are
getting better. It will just take a few years to see the changes work their
way thorugh.

-cwk.

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:AZlSd.36884$tl3.25598@attbi_s02...
It's good to hear about someone actually making good use of the much
heralded Sport Pilot rating.

In truth, I haven't heard too much about this happening in my neck of the
woods. Everyone who was cheerleading the Sport Pilot effort has been
heart-broken by the rule that prohibits previously denied pilots from
flying
again.

It's been like throwing a starving dog a rubber bone.

On Mon, 21 Feb 2005 16:15:22 GMT, "Colin W Kingsbury"
wrote:

I know pilots who spend hundreds of
dollars every 12-18 months for tests to keep their Special Issuance. A lot
more pilots give up on getting a special issuance before being _denied_.

Can you or someone explain how this works? I've been told to bring a
narrative history of asthma to my next aero-med physical, and I think
some other documentation. (It's a year away.) When does this sort of
precaution turn into a Special Issuance, and when does a Special
Issuance turn into a denial?

(I had my first physical bucked to the FAA, and it took forever and a
helpful inquiry from a gent in high position to get it out of there.
For the two ensuing physicals, the doc has signed it there in the
office.]



-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net

"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 21 Feb 2005 16:15:22 GMT, "Colin W Kingsbury"
wrote:

I know pilots who spend hundreds of
dollars every 12-18 months for tests to keep their Special Issuance. A
lot
more pilots give up on getting a special issuance before being _denied_.

Can you or someone explain how this works? I've been told to bring a
narrative history of asthma to my next aero-med physical, and I think
some other documentation. (It's a year away.) When does this sort of
precaution turn into a Special Issuance, and when does a Special
Issuance turn into a denial?

When the AME can't issue on the spot it's called a deferral. It goes to the
Civil Aeromedical Bureau in OK City, and the officials there make a
decision. They might just issue it, or they might ask for more information.
Lather, rinse, repeat. At any point, they can (a) issue a standard medical
(b) deny you outright or (c) grant a special issuance. "Denial" means you're
out of options, until they change the standards (as with insulin-dependent
diabetes or many cardiac conditions).

A special issuance is a certificate with limitations, and are often granted
with a shorter duration so that they have the opportunity to review your
condition more regularly. Increasingly they are devolving responsibility for
handling renewals down to local AMEs or the regional flight surgeons so that
not every SI renewal has to go through Oklahoma. It depends on the condition
but in some cases now your local AME can handle renewals on the spot, the
first time it still has to go through the old-fashioned way.

I've found AOPA to be helpful when I've had questions in the past, they can
help advise you on what you should and should not say. There are also a
handful of consultants out there who handle people with potential problems.
Basically they have doctors on staff who are not AMEs (so you can confess
everything to them in confidence) but know the system and can help make sure
you put the best foot forward. If you ask around a group of commercial
pilots I'm sure they'll know people in your area.

-cwk.

Thanks for that summary, Colin!


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net

If you can accept the Sport Pilot limitations, have current valid medical
and can self-certify, then there is no reason to get another flight medical
exam except for losing your driver's license.


"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 21 Feb 2005 16:15:22 GMT, "Colin W Kingsbury"
wrote:

I know pilots who spend hundreds of
dollars every 12-18 months for tests to keep their Special Issuance. A lot
more pilots give up on getting a special issuance before being _denied_.

Can you or someone explain how this works? I've been told to bring a
narrative history of asthma to my next aero-med physical, and I think
some other documentation. (It's a year away.) When does this sort of
precaution turn into a Special Issuance, and when does a Special
Issuance turn into a denial?

(I had my first physical bucked to the FAA, and it took forever and a
helpful inquiry from a gent in high position to get it out of there.
For the two ensuing physicals, the doc has signed it there in the
office.]



-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net