Need advice on medical renewal

S

Student flyer

Guest
I could use some help figuring this out. First of all, I am currently 75 years old. Back in 1999 I obtained a medical and started lessons. I got about 18 hours in my book and then moved across the country and dropped out of the aviation scene. Jump forward to today and I would like to fulfill my dream. The problem is I had a heart attack in 2014 that resulted in a stent being placed in the lad artery. The doctor said no damage was done and I have had a couple of treadmill stress tests since then and passed with flying colors. (Pun intended) No long term effects and my meds include metropolol, elequis, and pravastatin.

A second issue is that in 2017 I was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. This is being treated with a new drug called zitiga and semi annual hormone shots to reduce testosterone, never any chemo or radiation. PSA has been less than .1 and T has been near zero since treatment began.

I assume these two conditions will put me into the SI category. So the question is, what are the chances I would get approved or denied, about how long would it take? I would just give up and opt for sport pilot except I really want to be able to fly cross country and finding a suitable plane for that is difficult. I am thinking of building a RV-9 if I can get the medical, or a RV-12 if I have to settle for Sport Pilot.

Thanks for any insights and advice.
 
My take is that both are possible to get approval for. The timeline is probably long due to the current backlog, many months to a year.

my recommendation is to just fly sport pilot, which you seem to be aware of. That doesn’t have to be a whiz bang new plane, many of the old grasshoppers qualify. You could get current in an old cub and probably be ready for a check ride in just a few weeks.
 
Consult with a really good AME (like @bbchien) first before the class 3 exam. If these are the only two health issues you have (no history of DUI? Depression?) then you can probably find out with good certainty whether or not you are certifiable.
 
At your age you might only have 20 or 30 flying years left. Do you really want to waste one or two of them chasing a medical when you could be flying? Go Sport Pilot and don't look back. Plenty of LSAs can be used for XC travel. Even Ercoupes if you're not in a hurry.
 
Congrats on wanting to get back on the horse. Even though you had 18 hours back in the day, you'll probably need 60 or 80 hours of flight training to get your sport.

I guess I'd reco getting a Sport License, and then after a while you can see if you really want to roll the dice and get the 3rd class. Remember, if you get denied for a 3rd class you can no longer fly on your driver's license / you'll no longer be able to fly LSA / Sport.
 
I follow the advice to pursue Sport Pilot. Much, much simpler for you, and the regs are supposedly being changed to allow more aircraft to qualify as light sport. You may be able to ultimately get a Class III, but I suspect your legs will get pretty tired from jumping through all the hoops! :). Not worth it in my estimation.
 
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 365 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.
Back
Top