Basic Med has a lot of questions...

Unit74

Unit74

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Unit74
Looked at the questionnaire... Seems like a lot of questions ,some that would warrant an SI if it was 3rd class. How does this play if you answer a question that would be an SI for a 3rd class but the local doc signs off? Seems like a slippery slope to me.
 
Unit74 said:
Looked at the questionnaire... Seems like a lot of questions ,some that would warrant an SI if it was 3rd class. How does this play if you answer a question that would be an SI for a 3rd class but the local doc signs off? Seems like a slippery slope to me.
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You go fly.

Avoiding onerous SI requirements was much of the reason for Basic Med.

Fly. Smile. Repeat.
 
Slippery slope to what?

There are only three things that will cause an SI on that questionnaire; a cardiac condition, a mental health or a neurolgical condition. But the reason they do is because those are the three conditions that require you to get an SI prior to flying under basic med. Everything else is at the discretion of you and your doctor.
 
Unit74 said:
Looked at the questionnaire... Seems like a lot of questions
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They are the same questions which appear on the FAA's medical application.

some that would warrant an SI if it was 3rd class.
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True, but this isn't a 3rd Class, so an SI is only warranted for certain conditions.
How does this play if you answer a question that would be an SI for a 3rd class but the local doc signs off? Seems like a slippery slope to me.
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If its one of the few enumerated conditions which require an SI from the FAA before operating under BasicMed, it is the pilot's (not the physician's) obligation to know about it and not fly until they get it.

I'm not sure if any of that meets the definition of "slippery slope," but I guess it might for slippery pilots.
 
Yep, not all questions where you answer YES result in a Special Issuance (thank God).
 
What I mean by that is if one goes basic med, then needs a 3rd class for some reason, they are in a conundrum. Because if they go for it, and it goes SI, is their basic med now invalid?
 
When I first learned the rules behind Basic Med, I had a feeling that while some folks might get denied by an AME but approved by their PCP that others would suffer the opposite effect. I thought that their PCP’s more intimate knowledge of their medical history coupled with a lack of knowledge of aviation medical standards would result in the PCP refusing to sign off on the form when the condition the PCP was worried about was no real biggie. Anybody actually experience this?
 
Unit74 said:
What I mean by that is if one goes basic med, then needs a 3rd class for some reason, they are in a conundrum. Because if they go for it, and it goes SI, is their basic med now invalid?
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My understanding is that that will depend on whether your new 3rd class application, and any application for an SI that arises out of it, are successful. If they are, then I believe that your BasicMed qualification will remain in effect.

There is apparently some potential complication when your SI expires, however:

https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/com...sel-on-special-issuances-and-basicmed.115093/
 
Unit74 said:
What I mean by that is if one goes basic med, then needs a 3rd class for some reason, they are in a conundrum. Because if they go for it, and it goes SI, is their basic med now invalid?
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What conundrum? Are you saying that they might lie on their subsequent third class to one of the "have you ever" questions?
 
No. I’m saying if someone gets back into flying under Basic but has no doubt if they went for 3rd, would they be screwed.

I’m seriously asking for a friend. He has a commercial but not flown in prob 20 years and wants to buy a 172 as a retirement gig but I know he might have an issue with a 3rd class. I told him just be happy to fly under Basic and forget about the 3rd class unless he never wants to fly again at all.
 
Unit74 said:
No. I’m saying if someone gets back into flying under Basic but has no doubt if they went for 3rd, would they be screwed.

I’m seriously asking for a friend. He has a commercial but not flown in prob 20 years and wants to buy a 172 as a retirement gig but I know he might have an issue with a 3rd class. I told him just be happy to fly under Basic and forget about the 3rd class unless he never wants to fly again at all.
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If he hasn't had a valid medical in the last ten years, he'll be in trouble, as he'll need that 3rd class to get BasicMed.
 
Unit74 said:
No. I’m saying if someone gets back into flying under Basic but has no doubt if they went for 3rd, would they be screwed.

I’m seriously asking for a friend. He has a commercial but not flown in prob 20 years and wants to buy a 172 as a retirement gig but I know he might have an issue with a 3rd class. I told him just be happy to fly under Basic and forget about the 3rd class unless he never wants to fly again at all.
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If he had a 3rd or better after July 2006, he should just do the BM and go fly. With a 172, there's really no need for a 3rd class unless he want to fly outside the US. Even that is likely to become possible a few years down the road.

If he hasn't had a medical recently enough, he should consider Sport. He'll be limited on luggage if he's carrying a passenger, but it's manageable. Plenty of people do long XCs in an LSA.
 
Kenny Phillips said:
If he hasn't had a valid medical in the last ten years, he'll be in trouble, as he'll need that 3rd class to get BasicMed.
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About twelve and a half years, actually, and getting longer all the time. He just needs to have held a medical since July 2006. It's a hard date, not a floating ten year look-back.
 
Awe crap..... I forgot about the previous Medical required. I really don’t think he will want to go through the SI process.
 
There was some talk of them increasing the LSA weight so who knows what might happen in the future.
 
The back story is his house was destroyed by a tornado this year while he was inside and basically said he feels like he missies out on the one thing he loved to do the most. Flying. But life passed him by and now wants to make amends with himself. 30 years in the military and a 100% VA rating that comes with a stack of meds plus PTSD rating. Maybe LSA or ultras?
 
Unit74 said:
The back story is his house was destroyed by a tornado this year while he was inside and basically said he feels like he missies out on the one thing he loved to do the most. Flying. But life passed him by and now wants to make amends with himself. 30 years in the military and a 100% VA rating that comes with a stack of meds plus PTSD rating. Maybe LSA or ultras?
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Motorglider.
 
Stop worrying. Anybody that flies an aircraft has a mental condition. FACT
 
Half Fast said:
About twelve and a half years, actually, and getting longer all the time. He just needs to have held a medical since July 2006. It's a hard date, not a floating ten year look-back.
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Actually the legislation says "valid as of the day enacted (July 15, 2016)", so if he was issued after July 1, 2004, he will satisfy the "prior 3rd class issuance" requirement.
 
bbchien said:
Actually the legislation says "valid as of the day enacted (July 15, 2016)", so if he was issued after July 1, 2004, he will satisfy the "prior 3rd class issuance" requirement.
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Or after July 1, 2003 if they were under age 40 at the time of the examination, so potentially 15 1/2 years ago.
 
I used to think like that too until I realized BasicMed is the FAA washing their hands of the medical process. Look at the checklist you are giving to your doctor, there are no specifications or PASS/FAIL...it just says you were examined. They are saying its your judgement about your health to fly, just go see a doctor every 4 years. Assessing your health to make a flight is no different then assessing the weather, use good judgement. So far we haven't seen a thousand GA planes fall out of the sky from Basicmed pilots yet :)
 
A_Valkyrie said:
I used to think like that too until I realized BasicMed is the FAA washing their hands of the medical process. Look at the checklist you are giving to your doctor, there are no specifications or PASS/FAIL...it just says you were examined. They are saying its your judgement about your health to fly, just go see a doctor every 4 years. Assessing your health to make a flight is no different then assessing the weather, use good judgement. So far we haven't seen a thousand GA planes fall out of the sky from Basicmed pilots yet :)
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As PIC, you are supposed to evaluate your health before every flight, just like the weather, regardless of what medical you have--Class 1, Class 2, Class 3, Basic Med or Light Sport.
 
Hank S said:
As PIC, you are supposed to evaluate your health before every flight, just like the weather, regardless of what medical you have--Class 1, Class 2, Class 3, Basic Med or Light Sport.
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Exactly my point...it is the first part of the IMSAFE checklist. No certificate out there can replace that judgement.
 
As a side conversation, a medical is really only good that day it's issued. Think about it for a sec..... The whole process is nothing more than a benchmark day, and a few years of hoping nothing happened till the next exam. It's kinda like a car... It runs good today, but get some bad gas or a crash changes the entire serviceability of the vehicle. Same with us.
 
Unit74 said:
As a side conversation, a medical is really only good that day it's issued. Think about it for a sec..... The whole process is nothing more than a benchmark day...
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No different than any check ride one takes. It’s a snapshot of performance at one particular time.
 
There wouldn't have needed to be a 5 year 3rd class for Brad's statement to be correct, only 3 year or 36 month. According to AOPA, prior to the 60-month rule, the 3rd class for pilots under 40 was indeed valid for 36 months. I have no idea how far back THAT rule went though.
 
The 3 year rule went in around 1998 or so. I remember I got one 3 year renewal out of it because I turned 40 right after the exam.
 
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