A total of 14 groups representing a broad range of pilots is asking the FAA to defer a new medical certification policy that could dramatically increase the number of denials issued. As we reported earlier, effective Jan. 1 the agency will deny medicals to pilots whose deferrals are not accompanied by all the required examinations and paperwork. The goal is to streamline the deferral process and reduce wait times but the coalition, of which AOPA, EAA and the Flight School Association of North America, said it's fraught with unintended consequences, including lengthy groundings and ineligibility for Sport Pilot or BasicMed.
Excellent video interview with AME and military flight surgeon Dr. Keith Roxo. The key takeaway: The FAA medical exam is to assess your medical risk as a pilot. Be prepared, treat it like a check-ride.
Given the small number of medically related flight accidents, non-commercial pilots shouldn’t even need a medical and instead rely on the same self certification glider pilots use which is a prohibition against flying with a known unsafe medical condition. Combine that with the knowledge that their insurance likely won’t cover them if an accident is determined to be medically caused, and think the medical requirement becomes moot. Commercial pilots should have medical requirements determined by their specific employer.
Excellent points and think how much money the FAA would have saved on implementing BasicMED and the LSA rules under MOSAIC by simply making the 3rd Class medical disappear. My guess is that the major complainers would have been the attorneys and perhaps some AMEs?
Show me the evidence that a 3rd class medical is required for the purposes of safety. Evidently it isn’t a safety issue or we wouldn’t have BasicMED or the Sport/glider rules.
I’ve been an AME for 30 years and I would not miss it. I only do it for the pilot community, and lose money on every one I perform. I’d still have plenty of 2nd Class to keep me busy. I’d also endorse disposing of the 3rd Class medical, and I’m frankly not impressed by the benefit of the 2nd.
The problem I see is with Basic Med. I’ve had to convince a Physician that he was qualified to process me through Basic Med. Now I’ll ask him to insure I have everything the FAA requires…
This negates Basic Med’s simplicity, forces me to go to an AME if the slightest thing changes to insure I’m not caught up in a web. Why go to through Basic Med if I have to get a consult with an AME? Will AMEs give consultation service cheaply enough to still pursue Basic Med?