Why do pilots need a medical

The recent questions about medical certificate, paper trail, sport
pilot etc.. etc..got me thinking. What is the reasoning behind
requiring a medical for pilots? Why is a minor medical condition
disqualifying for flying a Cessna 172, when the same person can drive a
20,000 lb truck on public roads? Are there statistic to show that
medically unfit pilots are a greater danger to society compared to
other activities?

On 16 Nov 2005 19:27:00 -0800, "Andrew Sarangan"
wrote:

The recent questions about medical certificate, paper trail, sport
pilot etc.. etc..got me thinking. What is the reasoning behind
requiring a medical for pilots? Why is a minor medical condition
disqualifying for flying a Cessna 172, when the same person can drive a
20,000 lb truck on public roads? Are there statistic to show that
medically unfit pilots are a greater danger to society compared to
other activities?


What I find even more disconcerting are conditions that would ground a
private pilot with a third class medical which merely get documented
and waived for a first class holder who flies heavy iron every day.

The consistency is questionable.

z

What conditions?

zatatime wrote:



What I find even more disconcerting are conditions that would ground a
private pilot with a third class medical which merely get documented
and waived for a first class holder who flies heavy iron every day.

The consistency is questionable.

z

On Wed, 16 Nov 2005 22:15:25 -0700, RomeoMike
wrote:

What conditions?

zatatime wrote:



What I find even more disconcerting are conditions that would ground a
private pilot with a third class medical which merely get documented
and waived for a first class holder who flies heavy iron every day.

The consistency is questionable.

z


Hearing and Diabetes are two on the top of my head that I know of
which happened recently.

z

zatatime wrote:
What I find even more disconcerting are conditions that would ground a
private pilot with a third class medical which merely get documented
and waived for a first class holder who flies heavy iron every day.

Hearing and Diabetes are two on the top of my head that I know of
which happened recently.

I doubt that you can get a waiver that would be valid for class-I but
not for class-III; as for hearing, there is a Deaf Pilots Association
(http://www.deafpilots.com/) which might disagree with your premise...

--Sylvain

Sylvain wrote:
zatatime wrote:
Hearing and Diabetes are two on the top of my head that I know of
which happened recently.

I doubt that you can get a waiver that would be valid for class-I but
not for class-III; as for hearing, there is a Deaf Pilots Association
(http://www.deafpilots.com/) which might disagree with your premise...


The FAA allows the use of Avandia, which is for the treatment of type II
diabetes. What is an absolute no-no (AFAIK) is any condition severe enough to
warrant the use of insulin.


--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

Now, what evidence do you have that "hearing and diabetes" would ground
a third class but not a first class medical holder?

zatatime wrote:
On Wed, 16 Nov 2005 22:15:25 -0700, RomeoMike
wrote:


What conditions?

zatatime wrote:



What I find even more disconcerting are conditions that would ground a
private pilot with a third class medical which merely get documented
and waived for a first class holder who flies heavy iron every day.

The consistency is questionable.

z



Hearing and Diabetes are two on the top of my head that I know of
which happened recently.

z

What I find even more disconcerting are conditions that would ground a
private pilot with a third class medical which merely get documented
and waived for a first class holder who flies heavy iron every day.

The consistency is questionable.

z

Do you have a "for instance"??
a nice example for us to compare?

BT

"zatatime" wrote in message
...
On 16 Nov 2005 19:27:00 -0800, "Andrew Sarangan"
wrote:

The recent questions about medical certificate, paper trail, sport
pilot etc.. etc..got me thinking. What is the reasoning behind
requiring a medical for pilots? Why is a minor medical condition
disqualifying for flying a Cessna 172, when the same person can drive a
20,000 lb truck on public roads? Are there statistic to show that
medically unfit pilots are a greater danger to society compared to
other activities?


What I find even more disconcerting are conditions that would ground a
private pilot with a third class medical which merely get documented
and waived for a first class holder who flies heavy iron every day.

The consistency is questionable.

z

If you can get a waiver for a condition on a first class you can get it for
a third.

Allen

What I find even more disconcerting are conditions that would ground a
private pilot with a third class medical which merely get documented
and waived for a first class holder who flies heavy iron every day.

The consistency is questionable.

z


If you can get a waiver for a condition on a first class you can get it for
a third.

You _can_ get a medical waiver on a third-class... but your chances
would seem to be much better on getting one with a first-class, because
holders of first-class medicals tend to fly for a living, whereas guys
with third-class ones don't. The FAA wouldn't bother with the
third-class waiver because of that.