If you are suggesting that the AMEs can make money doing third class FAA Medicals, think again. A couple of personal friends, who are practicing physicians and also AMEs, do them as a service to fellow pilots, over the objections of their practice partners. Why do their partners object? Because the going rate for a third class Medical is a fraction of the revenue that could have been generated by a patient with medical insurance.Originally Posted by rv builder
BJC
Last edited by Byron J. Covey; 02-05-2016 at 12:49 PM.
My understanding is the AME group (whatever it's called) has come out in favor of it, but the American Medical Association is against it.
Ron Wanttaja
There are many in Congress that are big proponents of turning everything over to "private industry". In general, private enterprise can handle many things more efficiency. But that only happens if the government will get completely out of the way. Also, that will mean, those with the smallest $$ (in this case, GA), will lose.
I work for a company that used to be operated by a non-profit university contracted to the Federal Government. These guys in favor of private enterprise for everything got the university tossed out and we are now run by a privately held consortium in an LLC. The immediate fallout was that the management fee to the government went from $7M/yr to $70M/yr. The company was required to offer "substantially the same" benefits package to current employees when they took over. However, all new employees took a pretty severe hit to the benefits, mostly in that they were not allowed into the pension plan. Consequently, with the pension plan under a previously non-existent LLC, the "new" pension plan went insolvent, so those of us in it took a 6% pay cut off our gross to prop up the pension plan. Did we suddenly become more efficient? Nope. With the feds allocating the funding and still making all the rules and regulations we have to work under, we are now more inefficient than ever, and the cost to do business with us is even higher. However, since the company is now privately held, it was a boon to the local government in that our $2B+ annual budget is now taxable. So this move was good for the state and local government entities, lousy for the employees, and lousy for the customers, but the board of directors of the new company got ENORMOUS bonuses.
If you want to keep equal access for all, the air traffic control system needs to stay under the FAA. In the video created by the proponents of this bill, they make it clear that they want our aviation system to reflect the European aviation system. Does anyone in their right mind want that for GA? Really? When every contact with ATC results in a bill, people will stop contacting them. That becomes a safety issue.
In pilot training in Europe, students rarely spend time doing touch and goes. Instead, they do approaches with a low pass. Why? Because every time the tires touch the pavement, you ring up the tally on the bill for your flight. So the skills of actually landing an aircraft degrade because every landing has a $ sign attached to it. Again, does anyone really want to see that here in the US? That's where these guys are headed.
However, as I stated previously, nothing ever goes through Congress intact. There is a lot of good in this bill. It can be fixed with amendments to the funding structure and to the parts moving ATC to privatization. AOPA is still studying the bill and along with other organizations will be lobbying hard to either change or kill it. Both the House and Senate appropriations committees have made it clear that the user fee structure and the privatization of ATC will not be supported.
-Cub Builder
Last edited by cub builder; 02-05-2016 at 02:02 PM.
I agree with you completely Mr. Covey, no doctors that I know rely on 3rd class medicals to make their fortune. Most don't like them much is my perception and do them for the reason you mention. It is always about the money but I still can't figure this one out. Unanimous in the Senate and the House has to "fix" it
Oddly enough the AME I go to does nothing but FAA and DOT physicals, 9:00 - 12:00, 3 days a week. Also costs less than most. But you're right. Very few AMEs are going to make their living that way. The AME I went to before also did nothing but FAA & DOT physicals, in a really seedy part of town. Also did a cash only business treating young women with social diseases. Going in for a physical was an interesting social scene with a waiting room full of pilots, truck drivers, and hookers.But you are right. Not many Drs are getting rich doing FAA & DOT physicals. Too much tied up in their educations to waste it like that.
-Cub Builder
Last edited by cub builder; 02-05-2016 at 11:02 PM.
I think I'd like to go just for the entertainment value!The AME I went to before also did nothing but FAA & DOT physicals, in a really seedy part of town. Also did a cash only business treating young women with social diseases. Going in for a physical was an interesting social scene with a waiting room full of pilots, truck drivers, and hookers.
I'm surprised the hookers and the truck drivers didn't complain... :-)The AME I went to before also did nothing but FAA & DOT physicals, in a really seedy part of town. Also did a cash only business treating young women with social diseases. Going in for a physical was an interesting social scene with a waiting room full of pilots, truck drivers, and hookers.
Ron Wanttaja
Funny you mentioned that. In '79, I was progressing far-enough along in my training that solo was imminent. I happened to be in Palm Springs for 3 weeks, and was using the FBO there for some flight time. I asked if they had a list of AME's, and they handed me a paper copy. I have no idea *why*, but I chose this one Dr. on the list and called for an appt. Imagine my youthful horror when I walked up to the building, and he was an ob-gyn. Stuck with it, got the odd looks from the preggo's in the waiting room when my name was called, and walked out with my certificate and pap smear results.<snip> Going in for a physical was an interesting social scene with a waiting room full of pilots, truck drivers, and hookers.
-Cub Builder
No fair....I'm drinking coffee, darned you!
The opinions and statements of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.
Uh, not exactly...
In Section 502 of the Bill, it tells the FAA to develop Regulations prohibiting the use of cell phones for voice communications on scheduled airlines while in-flight.
And as a multi million miler in the Trapped in an Aluminum Tube Club, I'd kinda like to see intelligent regulations on this. However, I don't think it will impact us GAers unless we are trying to call someone on a commercial airliner.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote