Am I too old to fly?

writes:

By your black and white, one size fits all interpretation, anyone that can't
pass the phyical for astronauts is "not fit to fly".

No. By my interpretation, anyone who could not pass a third-class FAA medical
is not eligible to fly with a light sport license. That's the obvious
interpretation of the regulations, but it is clear that the FAA left a
loophole in them deliberately, by allowing pilots to certify themselves.

I suppose this is tacit recognition that the medical standards are too high,
but it avoids actually lowering the standards and risking the heat if a pilot
causes a crash due to medical issues. The FAA can always say that the pilot
didn't follow the regulations.

Mxsmanic wrote:
writes:

By your black and white, one size fits all interpretation, anyone that can't
pass the phyical for astronauts is "not fit to fly".

No. By my interpretation, anyone who could not pass a third-class FAA medical
is not eligible to fly with a light sport license. That's the obvious
interpretation of the regulations,

No, it is not obvious by any stretch of the imagination and it is just as
stupid as saying a private pilot is not fit to fly because they could not
pass a first class medical.

When you look at the rules taken as a whole, instead of through the blinders
you always wear, you discover that the FAA recognizes four different types
of flying with four different standards with respect to medical qualificaton:

That which requires a first class medical

That which requires a second class medical

That which requires a third class medical

That which requires the pilot to self certify as to fitness


--
Jim Pennino

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writes:

When you look at the rules taken as a whole, instead of through the blinders
you always wear, you discover that the FAA recognizes four different types
of flying with four different standards with respect to medical qualificaton:

That which requires a first class medical

That which requires a second class medical

That which requires a third class medical

That which requires the pilot to self certify as to fitness

You don't need to be able to pass a first-class medical to fly in situations
that require only a second-class medical. But you need to be able to pass some
sort of medical to fly at all, either explicitly or (for the light sport
license) implicitly. The medical determines your fitness; if you cannot pass a
third-class medical, you are unfit. Otherwise having failed or lost a
third-class medical would not disqualify you from flying light sport. If the
FAA didn't care about your ability to pass a medical, that restriction would
not exist.

Mxsmanic wrote:
writes:

When you look at the rules taken as a whole, instead of through the blinders
you always wear, you discover that the FAA recognizes four different types
of flying with four different standards with respect to medical qualificaton:

That which requires a first class medical

That which requires a second class medical

That which requires a third class medical

That which requires the pilot to self certify as to fitness

You don't need to be able to pass a first-class medical to fly in situations
that require only a second-class medical.

Yep, and you don't need to be able to pass a second class medical to fly in
situations that require only a third class medical.

And you don't need to be able to pass a third class medical to fly in
situations that don't require a medical, which by the way is more than
just light sport pilot.

But you need to be able to pass some
sort of medical to fly at all, either explicitly or (for the light sport
license) implicitly.

Nope, there is nothing "implicit" in the rules and they are quite clear.

In relation to the FAA, the term "medical" means specific tests, specific
results, and performance by specific people as in for a third class medical
blood pressure is tested to be less than 155 under specific conditions and
done by an AME.

To fly as a light sport pilot there is no requirement that one has ever
seen a physican of any kind at any time in their life, only the requirement
that they be safe to fly.



--
Jim Pennino

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writes:

And you don't need to be able to pass a third class medical to fly in
situations that don't require a medical, which by the way is more than
just light sport pilot.

Yes, you do. You don't have to take the medical, but you need to be able to
pass it.

That's why failing the medical or having one suspended disqualifies you.

If you disagree, explain why you cannot fail a medical or have it suspended
and still fly as a sport pilot.

Nope, there is nothing "implicit" in the rules and they are quite clear.

There is a great deal implicit in the rules. It looks exactly like a loophole
by design--one that can potentially trap pilots and one that can potentially
protect the FAA from liability.

To fly as a light sport pilot there is no requirement that one has ever
seen a physican of any kind at any time in their life, only the requirement
that they be safe to fly.

Why does the FAA disqualify sport pilot applicants who have failed a medical,
if they can safely fly?

Mxsmanic wrote:
writes:

And you don't need to be able to pass a third class medical to fly in
situations that don't require a medical, which by the way is more than
just light sport pilot.

Yes, you do. You don't have to take the medical, but you need to be able to
pass it.

No, you don't, there is no such rule, and there is no such thing as "the
medical".

Nope, there is nothing "implicit" in the rules and they are quite clear.

There is a great deal implicit in the rules. It looks exactly like a loophole
by design--one that can potentially trap pilots and one that can potentially
protect the FAA from liability.

Babbling paranoia.

To fly as a light sport pilot there is no requirement that one has ever
seen a physican of any kind at any time in their life, only the requirement
that they be safe to fly.

Why does the FAA disqualify sport pilot applicants who have failed a medical,
if they can safely fly?

Because it is the rule, whether it makes sense or not, and is a separate
set of conditions.

To change that rule the FAA would have to establish standards for light
sport pilot which would in effect create a fourth class medical, which the
FAA has no apparent interest in doing.

There is a loophole for those that have failed a third class medical if
they wish to persue it.

If the reason for failing the third class is what most would concider
trivial, e.g. a blood pressure of 156, that is not obviously an unsafe
condition, you can spend lots of time and money getting a special issuance.

The bottom line is to fly as a light sport pilot, and as some other types
of pilot, there is no requirement that one has ever seen a physican of any
kind at any time in their life nor is there any requirement that they be
able to pass a third class medical.


--
Jim Pennino

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