Aeromedical

Third-class medical reform legislation is on its way to the Senate floor after gaining approval from the Commerce, Science and Transportation committee Wednesday. The committee had delayed its vote in November on the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 for lack of a quorum, and now its advocates hope for a Senate vote later this month. […]

The amendment that would give relief on third class medicals survived the mark-up process in the Senate but it’s still in committee. AVweb’s Paul Bertorelli spoke with AOPA President Mark Baker about the day’s events. Duration: 8:24 File Size: 7.1 MB download here

Legislation designed to waive the third-class medical for private pilots flying light aircraft has turned into a plan to require one-time medicals for new pilots or those who haven’t had one for more than 10 years, according to remarks made Thursday on the Senate floor by Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla. Inhofe, who introduced the Pilot’s […]

Almost 15 years ago a well-known professional golfer named Payne Stewart was a passenger in a Lear 35 that departed Orlando, Florida for Dallas, Texas. The departure was unremarkable. Three minutes after the last communications with the Lear it made a turn consistent with a human input, but just three minutes later ATC was unable […]

Watching the last-minute machinations over legislative efforts to eliminate or at least curtail the Third Class medical requirement reminds me of arguments I used to have with my Dad when I was kid and wanted something forbidden. When all the logic a 10-year-old could summon seemed to be backing the old man into a canyon […]

When considering how to crash, my first bit of advice is don’t do it. Since the reality of any flight is that things can go wrong, that isn’t particularly helpful, I know. What can go wrong? Your crankshaft can break, your fuel lines can clog or, if you are a damn fool, you can run […]

The FAA will impose new guidance on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to air medical examiners on March 2. The new rules are much different than the controversial 2013 edict that came from then-Chief Flight Surgeon Fred Tilton, which automatically grounded pilots with body mass index of 40 or more. But it does require AMEs to […]

Advocates of third-class medical reform hope their campaign will forge ahead with help from new leadership announced this week in the Congressional GA caucuses. Sens. John Boozman, R-Ark., and Joe Manchin, D-W.V., will co-chair the Senate caucus. In the House, Reps. Sam Graves, R-Mo., and Marc Veasey, D-Texas, will serve as co-chairs. Boozman and Graves […]

Well, I think we can safely kiss good-bye any hope of meaningful changes to the third class medical requirements for private pilots. I base that theory on the nasty note AOPA President Mark Baker sent to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx last week on the topic. (PDF) But what I can’t figure out is which is […]

Welcome to the start of the Holiday Season-Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, New Year-the highest stress time of the year. Welcome to the season of intense pressure, spoken and unspoken, to make the flight you’re planning to be with your family. Before you start saying that Scrooge was the more caring member of my family, the point […]