Medical Requirement Update

[martymayes]

But you did list if you were on prescription pills. Which all of those, when treated with medicines, would be disqualifying.

To have an illness, one must have a diagnosis.

My point was a third class, or second class, or first class medical exam does not test for mental illness. Absent a disclosed condition, if a Dr. suspects something he can defer issuance of the medical. Most Dr.'s are not really equipped to make that kind diagnosis during a routine physical exam (apparenty Dr.'s should consult with pilots on a chat board who can make that diagnosis - insert eye roll here). I doubt many medicals are deferred for this reason.

[rosiejerryrosie]

No, but it eliminates people who have serious mental problems, which are likely to be ones who do things to hurt GA with an airplane.

You are kidding, right? I never had a mental status exam as part of any medical I ever took.....

[rosiejerryrosie]

Sure it does. How many people do you know flying with ADHD? Or Schizophrenia? Or clinical depression? Or, are you going to pretend that the 3rd class medical doesn't catch that.

Are you really claiming that there are no people with serious mental illnesses flying BECAUSE they didn't pass their medical? You can't be serious! I would posit that there are very few folks with mental illnesses who have even TRIED to pass a flight physical (for their own reasons)

[Joe LaMantia]

Here's a few more thoughts on the subject. "Laws were meant to be broken" somebody said that and it's true to the extent that there is always some case of someone doing something that is illegal. Lawbreaking is fodder for the press, and small single-engine private planes have always been easy targets. The FAA "rules" are in place to "promote" safety and aviation, that is their "mission statement". The "safety" rules also provide cover for the politicians when things go south. It is fair to say that the 3rd class medical is overkill, since the number of aviation accidents caused by a "disqualifying" physical condition is very small. It is also clear that the logic behind that law is a bit faulty since it is not applied to other modes of transportation. We kill about 50K people a year on our roads most of those accidents are preventable but there is no public outcry unless a tractor-trailer is involved. Private pilots are required to have a bi-annual flight review as a way of promote basic proficiency, why isn't that a requirement for the renewal of a drivers license? It isn't even required to renew a commercial drivers license, even though there is a physical exam required. The only real consistency we have in regulating our transportation system is the laws that have been written in reaction to events that put pressure on the politicians who write them.

In my opinion, most pilots "self certify" regarding all their flights. I don't fly if the weather is marginal, I don't fly if the aircraft is sick, I don't fly when I'm not up to the task physically, or mentally. That goes for driving as well, I don't own a boat but if I did I follow the same self imposed rules. This is just common sense with or without rules, and yes there will always be someone who is lacking in that department, rules won't prevent stupid actions, they do set some guidelines for proper behavior. What is needed are rules that make sense and are enforceable, that is the hard part.

Joe

[Bill Berson]

A rule maker achieves perfection not when the maximum hurdles and rules are created but rather when the absolute minimum rules needed are created.


(adapted from:"A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

[Flyfalcons]

It seems efforts to change the 3rd class medical requirements would be more effective than trying to eliminate the medical altogether.

[prasmussen]

How's this: Since my insurance company knows way more about me and my medical, financial and spiritual status than they should, let's skip the FAA medical step and just turn the decision who gets to fly over to the insurance companies. Guarantee if someone were unfit or undercapitalized, they'd be walking.

[kscessnadriver]

How's this: Since my insurance company knows way more about me and my medical, financial and spiritual status than they should, let's skip the FAA medical step and just turn the decision who gets to fly over to the insurance companies. Guarantee if someone were unfit or undercapitalized, they'd be walking.

That's assuming people have insurance, unless you want to make it mandatory?