Quote Originally Posted by vibster View Post
So after some further research on FAA & AOPA sites:
* Sport pilot allows you and your doctor to decide if you're safe unless you have either gotten, been denied, or been yanked from a medical cert... BUT it's the FAA not your doctor who will enforce the rule.
* My condition and medication would get me denied as unsafe to fly by the FAA based on their guidance to medical examiners.
* Ergo, I can't assume that even if my doctor cleared me that the FAA wouldn't come down like a ton of bricks, yank my license, and possibly issue a fine for every time I've touched an airplane.
Unless someone can provide some evidence of actual people *openly* flying on sport pilot license with conditions like bipolar and ADHD and not getting in trouble with the FAA, I'm going to assume it's ultralights for me.

Thanks for your time, all!
I am 58 years old and recently returned from Oshkosh and bad case of 'its finally time to get my license'. I have well controlled type 1 diabetes using a pump and CGM and thus was totally fixated on researching this and it seemed doable though possibly requiring some extra work/documentation/etc. I have pretty good vision in one eye but my other is not so great but have lived with this and compensated fully and feel that I am safe but it never dawned on me that it might be an issue.

Well, I was floored when my AME (after paying him $185) told me that my likely blocker is my vision! (of course, what was I thinking) Well I am now reading about SODAs and how others claim it is possible to get a PPL with one good eye but that is to be seen.

My question though, if I get denied (bulleted item above) does that screw my chance to fallback to a sport pilot license??

Any advice on the vision issue would be helpful also. I read that you can get a medical to start training and once ready to solo get an FAA monovision check ride? Is that accurate still? I guess I am awaiting my first reply from the FAA to start getting help from the EAA Aeromedical Advisory Program.

I was pretty bummed but am ready for the long haul just hope I did not screw up already.