Posted on 07/20/2016 1:49:30 PM PDT by pabianice
If you fly, you will have heard by now that The Pilots' Bill of Rights 2 has been signed into law. This is the result of the DOT refusing to rule on the proposal for close to five years. In short, it will allow anyone who has held a third class medical since 2007 be able to fly any airplane up to 6,000 pounds, single or twin, VFR or IFR, under 10,000 feet without another current medical certificate. The law becomes effective July 17, 2017.
My prediction is that the FAA will never allow it to take effect, esp. with the bums at ALPA screaming blood. Instead, I suspect the FAA will simply raise the allowable gross weight of the Light Sport Aircraft category from a stupid and ridiculous 1,320 pounds up to perhaps 3,000 pounds. This will allow the Cessna 152/172/Piper Archer type airplane to be flown without a medical certificate as a sport aircraft, which is what they are.
Just my prediction after having seen the FAA rule-making process.
Does this mean I don't have to re up my medical or is there a hold on the law.?
The FAA will do what hurts private aviation.
They could increase the gross weight limit for light sport, but I think they’re stuck with the pilots bill of rights 2. I don’t think the statute gives them a lot of wiggle room. My concern is they may make the required four-year physical as onerous as the third class medical Exam.
I have the sport pilot cert, and am currently working towards the private. Wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they upped the sport rating. Then I could hold off on the private cert. And buy the plane I’ve been looking at, 150 hp Cessna 152.
Law doesn’t become effective until July 17, 2017. If you have had any disqualifying condition or incident, you still have to go through the FAA special issuance medical certificate circus. If you fail that, you cannot ever fly LSA, either. A bit of FAA double jeapardy.
FAA has one year to issue rules, but if they don’t, it GOES INTO EFFECT.
Also, the altitude limit is 18,000.
Darn. Must have been reading through rose colored glasses
My Bad
Good AMEs are hard to find in my area.
Another day and couple hundred bucks down the drain.
Ping.
In reading the NTSB Reporter which prints reports of aviation accidents there have been many cases of pilots being impaired by drugs or alcohol regardless of having a medical. In some cases prescription drugs were not reported on the pre-medical form that would cause pilots to experience disorientation and crash. Over the counter meds as well were being abused especially antihistamines.
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