Some questions about training and medical

[rab23us]

Hello All;

I have been registered for some time but I don't post all that much. I have been interested in flying for as long as I can remember to the point that I joined the United States Army earned my commission through ROTC took annual class 1 flight physicals from 1988 to 1993 when the government ran out of money while I was at Ft. Rucker for my IERW.

I have since been discharged (honorably) but the flight bug has never left me. I looked several different times at getting my PPL but work, children and other life events always took a front seat to me learning to fly. I am in reasonable health, I don't wear glasses have no heart conditions and if push came to shove and I was ever recalled to active duty I would more than likely pass a class 1 physical (I would have to lose the extra weight that has shown up over the years for military purposes LOL )

So now that my children are just about done with college (the two youngest graduate next December) I have begun to look for a reasonable route to learning to fly. While the main mission would be recreation, the other prominent mission would be the ability to visit with my adult children where they reside. My oldest is a high school math teacher in Northern Iowa, the middle one is in Chicago (the city it sucks that Meigs is closed) and my youngest is in southern Missouri...

I have been looking at everything from the Jabiru series to possible Gyroplanes....I live in Illinois and the closest place to me would be Mt. Vernon unless there is training in Charleston Illinois but that would be for fixed wing....As I continue to research training then I read about the BAsic Medical...

So my questions at the point are would it still be worth while getting a sports pilot certificate? If so fixed wing or Gyro? and the basic medical I well outside the 10 year but it does seem appealing in doing doe it enhance anything like going towards a PPL? Or would they still require a class 3?

I do enjoy the massive amounts of information that is on this site for sure...

Ron

[smutny]

I'd suggest getting your sport pilot license. Then as time goes on, if you find yourself cancelling flights because of LSA restrictions, get your Class III medical and go Basic Med thereafter.

[TimTaylor]

Hello All;

I have been registered for some time but I don't post all that much. I have been interested in flying for as long as I can remember to the point that I joined the United States Army earned my commission through ROTC took annual class 1 flight physicals from 1988 to 1993 when the government ran out of money while I was at Ft. Rucker for my IERW.

I have since been discharged (honorably) but the flight bug has never left me. I looked several different times at getting my PPL but work, children and other life events always took a front seat to me learning to fly. I am in reasonable health, I don't wear glasses have no heart conditions and if push came to shove and I was ever recalled to active duty I would more than likely pass a class 1 physical (I would have to lose the extra weight that has shown up over the years for military purposes LOL )

So now that my children are just about done with college (the two youngest graduate next December) I have begun to look for a reasonable route to learning to fly. While the main mission would be recreation, the other prominent mission would be the ability to visit with my adult children where they reside. My oldest is a high school math teacher in Northern Iowa, the middle one is in Chicago (the city it sucks that Meigs is closed) and my youngest is in southern Missouri...

I have been looking at everything from the Jabiru series to possible Gyroplanes....I live in Illinois and the closest place to me would be Mt. Vernon unless there is training in Charleston Illinois but that would be for fixed wing....As I continue to research training then I read about the BAsic Medical...

So my questions at the point are would it still be worth while getting a sports pilot certificate? If so fixed wing or Gyro? and the basic medical I well outside the 10 year but it does seem appealing in doing doe it enhance anything like going towards a PPL? Or would they still require a class 3?

I do enjoy the massive amounts of information that is on this site for sure...

Ron

You don't qualify for Basic Med since your FAA Medical expired more than 10 years prior to 7/15/16. If you want to go for Private PIlot certificate, you would have to pass a 3rd class FAA medical. When it expires, you could do Basic Med thereafter. However, if you have a valid driver's license and no medical conditions that would make you unfit to fly, you can train for and get a Sport Pilot certificate without a 3rd class FAA medical and without Basic Med. There is not much you cannot do with a Sport Pilot certificate except fly at night or fly IFR. You will be limited to Light Sport aircraft.

[3Dreaming]

It is an easy process to add fixed wing or gyroplane to the other one at the sport pilot level. there is a big hole for sport pilot training there in the middle of the state. I just finished up a sport pilot student from Sullivan, but it was almost a 2 hour drive for him to get here. Unless you are willing to buy your own aircraft your best bet would be to join the aero club there at Decatur, get e third class medical, and get you private pilot then go from there.

[akroguy]

As I see it, I would just go for the Private. (you acquired that level of skill and then some in Army flight school, right?) Having the Class III medical starts the ten year window looking ahead to decide on Basic Med or driver's license for LSA only. You'll have options this way. Also, as you intend to travel, then having the ability to fly at night (if even just to get a jump on summertime heat by taking off right before dawn) might be beneficial to you.

I am newly transitioned to SLSA after buying an Evektor Sportstar. I first built an RV8, sold it (family grew), bought a Cessna 180 Skywagon, then decided to sell it as finances after leaving a prior job pretty much made the decision clear. I plan to fly at night (cooler and smoother here in the desert southwest) so having the Private ticket is required for my situation.

Regarding the Basic Med, my AME told me of numerous clients/patients of his who tried to get their primary care physician to sign off on Basic Med and they just about laughed them out of the office. Why would a non-aviation oriented Doctor want the liability? Not worth the hassle. Still gotta see a Doc, might as well see one who knows how the game is played.

Best of luck to you!

Brian

[FastEddieB]

Regarding the Basic Med, my AME told me of numerous clients/patients of his who tried to get their primary care physician to sign off on Basic Med and they just about laughed them out of the office. Why would a non-aviation oriented Doctor want the liability? Not worth the hassle.

Over on the Pilots of America site, someone took a survey. A very significant percentage of pilots got their primary physicians to do the BasicMed exam. Mine did - I was her first but it was no issue at all.

Anyone can sue anyone for anything, but the way the form is set up I think liability would be limited. The physician basically asserts that each item has been examined and discussed, and that they are not aware of any deficiencies that would make operating an aircraft problematical.

Edited to add:

The exact wording: “In accordance with section 2307(b)(2)(C)(iv), of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-190), I certify that I discussed all items on this checklist with the individual during my examination, discussed any medications the individual is taking that could interfere with their ability to safely operate an aircraft or motor vehicle, and performed an examination that included all of the items on this checklist. I certify that I am not aware of any medical condition that, as presently treated, could interfere with the individual's ability to safely operate an aircraft.”

[TimTaylor]

...and if you have an FAA medical denied or revoked, you are done flying. There is no recourse. That's not to say you can't get a special issue if you have a condition that the FAA wants to look at more closely.

[Merlinspop]

...and if you have an FAA medical denied or revoked, you are done flying. There is no recourse. That's not to say you can't get a special issue if you have a condition that the FAA wants to look at more closely.

Gliders, even motorgliders, would still be an option, as would Part 103.

[TimTaylor]

The OP's question and this thread are about Sport Pilot vs Private Pilot. Do you want to also talk about drones and RC's?

[drseti]

The OP's question and this thread are about Sport Pilot vs Private Pilot. Do you want to also talk about drones and RC's?

I see no problem with expanding a discussion topic, as long as it doesn't derail the thread.

[drseti]

It is an easy process to add fixed wing or gyroplane to the other one at the sport pilot level.

True. Sport Pilot rules made it ridiculously easy to add category add class privileges to any rating. I did an extensive EAA Webinar on the topic three years ago. See:

http://www.eaavideo.org/detail/video/3830218310001

[Merlinspop]

The OP's question and this thread are about Sport Pilot vs Private Pilot. Do you want to also talk about drones and RC's?

Yes! And paper airplanes, too. Maybe those balsa wood and rubber band toys that you wind up. Those are cool, too.
There is such a thing as "Private Pilot - Glider", so my answer was within your limitations of the OP's question.

...and if you have an FAA medical denied or revoked, you are done flying. There is no recourse.

It was you who didn't specify that your answer pertained only to Sport Pilot or Private Pilot flying. I was pointing out that, if a medical was denied or revoked, there was still viable options for someone who wants to continue to actually control an aircraft or aerial vehicle.

[HAPPYDAN]

To OP:
If you think it may be possible to fail a 3rd class medical, you can usually find an AME that will agree to a "screening". Some years ago, when I went for my 3rd class medical, the AME offered to treat it as a screening, probably due to my age (63 then). I foolishly declined, and subsequently failed. 6 months later and a ton of paperwork, 2 trips to the eye doctor and $$ out of pocket, I received the medical with restrictions. The Sport Pilot ticket can put you in some really fine airplanes, so the hassle of the medical may be unnecessary, unless you wish to fly bigger planes.

[rab23us]

I should clarify the reason I had asked the initial question. While I was in the process of doing my research I had come across a couple of aircraft that were identified as LSA and also fit the cross country profile very well. One of them is/was the Jabiru J-250 which prior to being designated as an LSA aircraft had a gross weight well in excess of 1320 pounds. In fact the same model labeled J-450 could carry 4 people. The 250 has the back seat removed..meaning lots of storage space. I told myself I can do this then life happened.

Since then one of the my kids has graduated from college and is working full time my other two are done in December of 2018, which means more disposable income to my wife and I. Since then I have also started looking at Gyro's and really liking what I am seeing with some of the side by side set ups again appears to be set up for fun and cross country travel.

Again I tell myself I can do this. Then the whole basic medical comes into play. Now while I don't see myself flying at night or into a whole lot of IMC conditions, the thing the basic medical brings out had been mentioned the possibility of flying a plane with a higher speed and higher gross....But I would guess that I would definitely need to be a PPL at that point over a SP.

As far as Army aviation went completed phase one of my OBC, our class was advised that there was a funding shortfall for the fiscal year so instead of 15 people proceeding on only three did, I wasn't one of them, and I was re-branched from Aviation to Infantry. As far as age I am still not 50 and as I said previously my last flight physical was in 1993 when I arrived at Ft. Rucker.

I want to thank everyone for their input, and I may be looking into the Aero club or because if the pricing on the web site is so attractive look at doing the Sport pilot training in Mt. Vernon (prepay it all and then schedule a few times during the year to be there for a week (I have enough seniority at work that I now get six weeks of vacation) at a time. It may take a year to do but I believe it could be a good start to something both fun and useful.

[Half Fast]

True. Sport Pilot rules made it ridiculously easy to add category add class privileges to any rating. I did an extensive EAA Webinar on the topic three years ago. See:

http://www.eaavideo.org/detail/video/3830218310001

Paul, not wanting to create too much of a diversion to the thread, but in that video you list 4 categories: S-LSA, E-LSA, Exp-AB, and SPEA. I can't find anything like that in the FAR, and for my logbook endorsement the DPE wrote "...proficient to act as PIC of (category/class) SPORT ASEL of light-sport aircraft."

Are those categories you listed what the FAA uses?