Despite recent meetings among EAA staff, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey and Federal Air Surgeon Jon Jordan, EAA said on Tuesday “the specific recourses available to pilots who have FAA medical denials or revocations on file remain unclear.” EAA said the FAA’s preamble to the final rule suggests that, in addition to the traditional special-issuance process for reinstating medical eligibility, the agency will develop a modified, or alternative, set of procedures specifically for those seeking medical reinstatement for sport-pilot flying only. (Goody, more rules.) At Oshkosh, the general buzz leaned toward interpreting this to mean that the FAA would essentially hash out a new set of standards, somewhere below what is required for a third-class medical, and establish a procedure that would allow denied or revoked pilots to qualify to regain their wings. “EAA has continued to assert the need to tailor the special-issuance criteria for those willing to fly only within the domain of sport-pilot operations,” EAA said in its report. “FAA’s responses have demonstrated a sympathetic understanding of EAA’s position and the sound philosophical rationale behind it.”
…It’s Going To Take Time…
Key Takeaways:
- The specific procedures for pilots with FAA medical denials or revocations to regain eligibility for flight remain unclear.
- The FAA is considering developing a modified set of procedures and potentially new, lower medical standards specifically for sport-pilot flying reinstatement, distinct from the traditional special-issuance process.
- EAA continues to advocate for tailoring special-issuance criteria for those flying only within sport-pilot operations, a position the FAA has shown sympathetic understanding towards.
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