Posted on 04/20/2017 2:24:18 PM PDT by pabianice
S.2658 — 114th Congress (2015-2016): cancels the requirement for a pilot to hold at least a 3rd class medical certificate to exercise the privileges of private pilot in most cases.
"The FAA may not take enforcement action against a pilot for not holding a valid third-class medical certificate unless the FAA has published final medical certification regulations in the Federal Register". The FAA was given one year to publish regulations governing this.
The DOT/FAA responded with a set of rules for this, to take effect no later than 1 May 2017. That is eleven days away and the rules, paperwork, biennial education requirements, and medical requirements disappeared into OMB months ago. If released, it will take months if not years for pilots and the medical establishment to get on board. Some family physicians already state they do not want this responsibility. Per Congress, unless the government gets its act together, on July 1 the congressional law will take effect.
Not a pilot but this seems to be the final rule.
https://www.faa.gov/news/updates/media/final_rule_faa_2016_9157.pdf
More here: https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/april/05/just-what-the-doctor-ordered
On a personal note..., my own physician (of over 20 years) feels that since God did not give me wings I shouldn't fly (he has to take a anxiety drug in order to even fly on an airliner)! So, I will continue to go to an FAA Designated Medical Examiner for flight physicals as I have for the past 50 years! They are invariably pilots themselves and are fully knowledgeable concerning medical health and flight capacity....
My mom’s husband has two planes. One he cannot fly due to this rule. He has a pacemaker and otherwise in great health.
The other is a two seat plane under different rules which he can fly.
He’s hanging on to his 4-seater waiting for this to go into affect.
Sounds like Congress is passing the buck, yet again.
Yes, that's my plan too.
The big difference with the implementation of this rule is that you can see your AME (Aviation Medical Examiner) as a licensed physician, rather than as an AME reporting to the FAA.
All of the examination and questions will remain confidential between you and the doctor and do not get reported back to the FAA. This will make it easier for pilots with older problems - such as 10 year old bypass surgery - to simply talk to the doctor rather than getting 10 year old reports and updates from a cardiac doctor.
It's also been reported that some doctors won't perform the examinations due to liability concerns, even though they are OK with giving commercial truck driver medical exams.
There are so many hoops for BasicMed that it’s much easier to just keep getting a 3rd Class. I’ll be done with my 3rd Class way before someone else is done with all the paperwork and steps for BasicMed.
Hi,
We’re the F.A.A., & we aren’t happy til you are unhappy.
Fine, but there is yet no required approved online medical education course, no medical checklist, and no certification paperwork for May 1. Ten days now.
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