Third Class Medical Reform

            The current agenda for GA medical reform is to help keep ageing pilots flying. Many GA organizations such as AOPA have been pushing for a medical reform for years. This is because under the current regulations all pilots must have a minimum of a 3^rd class medical to fly, and with a 3^rd class medical there are certain medical parameters. However, with age these parameters become increasingly harder to achieve. Under the proposed Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 “pilots flying recreationally in a wide range of aircraft would no longer need to obtain a third-class medical certificate. The new bill would allow private pilots to make noncommercial VFR and IFR flights in aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds with up to six seats. Pilots also would be allowed to carry up to five passengers, fly at altitudes below 14,000 feet msl and fly no faster than 250 knots. PRB2 also includes a provision to ensure that pilots can fly under the new rules even if the FAA fails to comply with the bill’s provisions 180 days after enactment.” (American Bonanza Society, 2016). This provides elderly pilots, or pilots who have had disqualifying surgeries to continue flying. This is important because many of the GA population are beginning to not be able to maintain their medicals. This bill is meant to provide these pilots, especial the ones with special issuance, the best method to be able to safely continue to fly.

This bill started to receive traction when “Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) introduced the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 in the Senate in February as a follow up to the original Pilot’s Bill of Rights measure he championed that became law in 2012. In addition to medical reform, the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 includes a number of protections for pilots facing FAA enforcement actions.” (Tennyson, 2015). As of December 15 the Senate has passed the bill containing the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2. The bill has now moved from the Senate to the House of Representatives and is currently on the docket to be voted upon. If the bill is passed in the House it will then have to be signed by the president before it becomes law.

One aspect of the GA medical reform that I find particularly interesting is the policy pertaining to the 10- year maximum since a pilot has last-held an FAA medical.  Wood Eppelsheimer, a retired airline pilot and 45-plus year active GA pilot states, “While I understand the surface politics of the 10-year maximum since the last-held FAA medical, if I were a non-flying congressman it would sound like a contradiction of the facts and I would question the legitimacy of the whole concept. The fact is we self evaluate every time we fly, years of light sport and glider flying prove the concept. The 10-year lookback is meaningless. It will only serve to deny some older pilots the same rights the rest of us seek and, in my view, could damage the effort.” (Sclair, 2015). While Eppelsheimer may believe that a 10- year maximum is damaging to the bill. There are numerous steps a bill needs to take prior to becoming a law. This maximum may not provide a meaningful impact on pilots due to the self-evaluation each pilot does prior to every flight. However, the maximum does allow for congressmen who are not as versed in the aviation industry a safety feature that will permit for the bill to receive the needed votes to become a law. This horse-trading is a vital aspect to successfully getting a bill through Congress. While it may seem to not have much value to the pilots below the surface, its existence in the bill is paramount due to the additional votes it will persuade. This language is tactfully placed to provide better general aviation medical regulations even if it still may not be perfect.

           

            While our current GA medical regulations may not be perfect. I find this reform that is being pushed via the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 is not necessarily the answer. I find this legislation is not fundamentally about the overall general aviation community. I believe it to be based on aging senators having their medicals on the line, and want to continue to be able to fly. While this bill may benefit pilots who have received special issuances on their medical, I don’t find this bill provides the evidence that individuals who have these disqualifying conditions should be able to fly as a whole.  Less medical screening is not the answer. The reduction of medical screening will just create numerous other issues. Additionally, the bill places the screening that would be done for these individuals on their personal physicians and not an AME. These personal physicians may be great doctors, but lack the training and knowledge needed to properly screen and evaluate a pilot’s medical conditions.

References

American Bonanza Society. (2016, January). THIRD CLASS MEDICAL EXEMPTION LEGISLATION INTRODUCED. Retrieved from https://www.bonanza.org/2-uncategorised/1034-third-class-medical-exemption-legislation-introduced?noredirect=true

Sclair, B. (2015, October 14). Have an opinion? Of course you do. You’re a pilot. Retrieved from http://generalaviationnews.com/2015/10/14/have-an-opinion-of-course-you-do-youre-a-pilot/

Tennyson, E. A. (2015, December 15). Full Senate passes medical reform. Retrieved from http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/December/15/Full-Senate-passes-medical-reform