1) The current medical reform agenda for General aviation is to allow pilots that hold a valid third class medical within the past ten years to continue to fly without another medical exam according to AOPA. For any new pilots that have not held or applied for an initial exam are required to do so with an Aviation Medical Examiner. Any pilot with certain medical conditions must receive a onetime special issuance (EAA 2015). This would apply to pilots flying VFR or IFR in aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds and carrying up to five passengers at altitudes below 18,000 feet and speeds up to 250 knots (Tennyson 2015). The third class medical reforms could save pilots more than $20 million each year and save the FAA approximately $2.5 million each year (Tennyson 2015).
2) The Pilots Bill of Rights 2 (PBR2) was passed by Senate on December 15, 2015, it is now awaiting to be passed by the House before it can be signed into law by the President.
3) I like that a pilot only needs one initial medical exam and can see his or her primary care physician in which they established a relationship verses finding an AME where there is no prior history. This makes it easier to find better solutions to any given medical condition. As for a onetime medical special issuance on certain medical conditions that are more severe, I believe it should not change. These medical conditions essentially require more test and sometime stronger medication, this is why they should continue to be on the current medical standards.
4) I don’t feel that the reform is necessary because it just opens Pandora’s Box per say. For an example compared to driving there is no medical exam for getting a driver’s license, other than an eye exam. With that being said there are people on the road taking impairing medications and have disabling medical conditions with no checks and balances preventing them from driving. It falls under the individual’s integrity to make the decision not to drive and in this case fly. The opportunity for deceiving the system will be easier. As long as a pilot does not get ramp checked or reported to the FAA hotline for being unsafe, they will get away with it.
References
On to the House! Senate Passes Medical Reform | EAA. (2015, December 15). Retrieved January 31, 2016, from http://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/eaa-news-and-aviation-news/2015-news/12-15-2015-on-to-the-house-senate-passes-medical-reform
Tennyson, E. A. (2015, December 9). Third class medical reform FAQs. Retrieved January 31, 2016, from http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/December/09/Third-class-medical-FAQs
Tennyson, E. A. (2015, December 15). Aviation groups urge passage of medical reform. Retrieved January 31, 2016, from http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/November/17/Aviation-groups-urge-passage-of-medical-reform
1) The current medical reform agenda for General aviation is to allow pilots that hold a valid third class medical within the past ten years to continue to fly without another medical exam according to AOPA. For any new pilots that have not held or applied for an initial exam are required to do so with an Aviation Medical Examiner. Any pilot with certain medical conditions must receive a onetime special issuance (EAA 2015). This would apply to pilots flying VFR or IFR in aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds and carrying up to five passengers at altitudes below 18,000 feet and speeds up to 250 knots (Tennyson 2015). The third class medical reforms could save pilots more than $20 million each year and save the FAA approximately $2.5 million each year (Tennyson 2015).
2) The Pilots Bill of Rights 2 (PBR2) was passed by Senate on December 15, 2015, it is now awaiting to be passed by the House before it can be signed into law by the President.
3) I like that a pilot only needs one initial medical exam and can see his or her primary care physician in which they established a relationship verses finding an AME where there is no prior history. This makes it easier to find better solutions to any given medical condition. As for a onetime medical special issuance on certain medical conditions that are more severe, I believe it should not change. These medical conditions essentially require more test and sometime stronger medication, this is why they should continue to be on the current medical standards.
4) I don’t feel that the reform is necessary because it just opens Pandora’s Box per say. For an example compared to driving there is no medical exam for getting a driver’s license, other than an eye exam. With that being said there are people on the road taking impairing medications and have disabling medical conditions with no checks and balances preventing them from driving. It falls under the individual’s integrity to make the decision not to drive and in this case fly. The opportunity for deceiving the system will be easier. As long as a pilot does not get ramp checked or reported to the FAA hotline for being unsafe, they will get away with it.
References
On to the House! Senate Passes Medical Reform | EAA. (2015, December 15). Retrieved January 31, 2016, from http://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/eaa-news-and-aviation-news/2015-news/12-15-2015-on-to-the-house-senate-passes-medical-reform
Tennyson, E. A. (2015, December 9). Third class medical reform FAQs. Retrieved January 31, 2016, from http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/December/09/Third-class-medical-FAQs
Tennyson, E. A. (2015, December 15). Aviation groups urge passage of medical reform. Retrieved January 31, 2016, from http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/November/17/Aviation-groups-urge-passage-of-medical-reform
2) The Pilots Bill of Rights 2 (PBR2) was passed by Senate on December 15, 2015, it is now awaiting to be passed by the House before it can be signed into law by the President.
3) I like that a pilot only needs one initial medical exam and can see his or her primary care physician in which they established a relationship verses finding an AME where there is no prior history. This makes it easier to find better solutions to any given medical condition. As for a onetime medical special issuance on certain medical conditions that are more severe, I believe it should not change. These medical conditions essentially require more test and sometime stronger medication, this is why they should continue to be on the current medical standards.
4) I don’t feel that the reform is necessary because it just opens Pandora’s Box per say. For an example compared to driving there is no medical exam for getting a driver’s license, other than an eye exam. With that being said there are people on the road taking impairing medications and have disabling medical conditions with no checks and balances preventing them from driving. It falls under the individual’s integrity to make the decision not to drive and in this case fly. The opportunity for deceiving the system will be easier. As long as a pilot does not get ramp checked or reported to the FAA hotline for being unsafe, they will get away with it.
References
On to the House! Senate Passes Medical Reform | EAA. (2015, December 15). Retrieved January 31, 2016, from http://www.eaa.org/en/eaa/eaa-news-and-aviation-news/2015-news/12-15-2015-on-to-the-house-senate-passes-medical-reform
Tennyson, E. A. (2015, December 9). Third class medical reform FAQs. Retrieved January 31, 2016, from http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/December/09/Third-class-medical-FAQs
Tennyson, E. A. (2015, December 15). Aviation groups urge passage of medical reform. Retrieved January 31, 2016, from http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/November/17/Aviation-groups-urge-passage-of-medical-reform
