by Charlton (Chuck) Stanley, weekend writer
Last August, I wrote a blog post entitled The FAA and NTSB vs. Common Sense. The reader can save time by going back and reading that post at the link, because it sets out the main premises of this article.
The FAA has been under growing pressure from all segments of the aviation community to relax the standards for a Third Class medical certificate. This pressure has come from recreational pilots, manufacturers of aircraft and aircraft components, small airport operators, and small businesses. Part of the reason for this pressure is that general aviation is slowly dying.
When the FAA was created, their primary mission was to promote aviation. That includes making it safe and affordable for the flying public. However, the FAA, being bureaucrats who hate to give up power and control once it is in their grasp, asked for comments on a proposed rule change.
That was back in 2009. The initial proposal was denied in 2010. The proposed rule was resurrected, but the FAA has been slow-walking the changes–for more than five years. There has been virtually no progress toward doing away with the Third Class Medical certificate.
Last year, while being questioned, FAA officials made some vague concessions, but would not be specific.
Instead of promoting aviation, I have come to the conclusion that some segments of the FAA resemble a certain character in the Dilbert comic strip; Mordac, the Preventer of Information Services, also known as Mordac the Refuser.
Exasperated, several members of the bipartisan House and Senate Aviation Caucus introduced H.R. 3708: The General Aviation Pilot Protection Act of 2013 (GAPPA). S2103, an identical measure, was introduced in the Senate.
This year, we have a new Congress, and the General Aviation Pilot Protection Act 2 was introduced in the House (H.R. 1062) and the Senate (S.571) last Thursday, Feb. 25, 2015. GAPPA-2 will protect general aviation pilots from liability on charitable flights, extend legal protections to FAA representatives, and require FAA contractors to provide information under Freedom of Information Act requests.
A group of aviation industry leaders sent identical letters to the Senators and Representatives who introduced the GAPPA-2 bills in Congress this week.
The Senate letters went to Senators James Inhofe and Joe Manchin. On the House side, the letters went to Representatives Sam Graves and Collin Peterson. All these members of Congress are part of the Aviation Caucus, which may be the most bipartisan of all Congressional caucuses. The label “Pilot” does not have an (R) or (D) after it.
Text of the letter is below, showing the signatories and the organizations they represent:
As representatives of tens of thousands of individuals and companies from all segments of the general aviation community, including pilots, aircraft owners, operators, businesses that utilize aircraft, mechanics, and manufacturers, we are writing to express our strong support for the new Pilot’s Bill of Rights legislation.
General aviation has been losing an average of 6,000 pilots per year over the past 10 years, and this critically important piece of legislation includes provisions that will allow general aviation to grow and prosper while affording important protections to pilots and aircraft operators.
General aviation is an important American industry that comprises all flying outside of military and airline operations. Each year it contributes $219 billion to the U.S. economy, moves 170 million passengers, and supports 1.1 million jobs. General aviation activity takes place from 5,200 public-use airports, including 3,380 of which are part of the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems and are eligible to receive federal funding, as well as some 13,000 privately owned landing facilities.
As you know, the new legislation would make improvements to the Pilot’s Bill of Rights (Public Law 112-153) that overwhelmingly passed the Senate and the House a few years ago by addressing a number of issues important to all segments of general aviation. These issues include expanding upon a current and successful FAA third-class medical exemption for certain general aviation pilots, urging expediting updates to the FAA’s Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) program to ensure pilots receive critical safety information as part of their preflight preparation and providing protections to volunteer pilots who fly in the public interest.
Third-class medical reform remains a pivotal issue for general aviation and its future. The FAA’s medical certification system has evolved into an onerous and costly one which provides little, if any, benefit to most general aviation pilots. The FAA recognized that fact more than 10 years ago when it created the Sport Pilot standard of medical certification, which allows pilots to operate light sport aircraft without obtaining a third-class medical certificate. It has been utilized safely and effectively by thousands of pilots flying tens of thousands of hours.
Your bill stands to reduce barriers to medical certification in a manner that allows for the continued safe operation of general aviation aircraft while providing cost savings to both the FAA and the general aviation community. An Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association analysis estimates today’s total average cost of obtaining a third-class medical certificate to be $241. Coupled with an estimate of 230,250 pilots who could be expected to take advantage of the bill’s provisions, pilots could save $20.4 million every year. A conservative estimate also shows an annual savings of $2.49 million to the FAA. The money saved by reforming the third-class medical process could be used in ways that have the potential to do far more to improve safety, including increased proficiency flying, attaining additional ratings, and installing new safety equipment on aircraft.
As representatives of tens of thousands of individuals and companies from all segments of the general aviation community, including pilots, aircraft owners, operators, businesses that utilize aircraft, mechanics, and manufacturers, we are writing to express our strong support for the new Pilot’s Bill of Rights legislation.
General aviation has been losing an average of 6,000 pilots per year over the past 10 years, and this critically important piece of legislation includes provisions that will allow general aviation to grow and prosper while affording important protections to pilots and aircraft operators.
General aviation is an important American industry that comprises all flying outside of military and airline operations. Each year it contributes $219 billion to the U.S. economy, moves 170 million passengers, and supports 1.1 million jobs. General aviation activity takes place from 5,200 public-use airports, including 3,380 of which are part of the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems and are eligible to receive federal funding, as well as some 13,000 privately owned landing facilities.
As you know, the new legislation would make improvements to the Pilot’s Bill of Rights (Public Law 112-153) that overwhelmingly passed the Senate and the House a few years ago by addressing a number of issues important to all segments of general aviation. These issues include expanding upon a current and successful FAA third-class medical exemption for certain general aviation pilots, urging expediting updates to the FAA’s Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) program to ensure pilots receive critical safety information as part of their preflight preparation and providing protections to volunteer pilots who fly in the public interest.
Third-class medical reform remains a pivotal issue for general aviation and its future. The FAA’s medical certification system has evolved into an onerous and costly one which provides little, if any, benefit to most general aviation pilots. The FAA recognized that fact more than 10 years ago when it created the Sport Pilot standard of medical certification, which allows pilots to operate light sport aircraft without obtaining a third-class medical certificate. It has been utilized safely and effectively by thousands of pilots flying tens of thousands of hours.
The original Pilot’s Bill of Rights provided important protections to pilots and the new bill stands to expand on them. The FAA’s NOTAM system transmits important safety of flight information to pilots, and it is crucial that the FAA continue to provide that service and information in a timely and relevant manner. Additionally, pilots who volunteer their time and aircraft to provide public benefit flights through non-profit organizations deliver valuable services to the community and the nation. Such public benefit flights provide no-cost transportation to patients receiving specialized medical treatment, deliver humanitarian aid, and assist in disaster relief efforts. The bill’s provisions will make it easier for these organizations and pilots to continue offering these important flights.
The general aviation community greatly appreciates your leadership in introducing this important and much needed legislation. The bill and its provisions will help ensure the future sustainability of our industry and its valuable contributions to the nation’s economy and transportation system.
Sincerely, Mark R. Baker
President and CEO
Aircraft Owners and Pilots AssociationJack Pelton
Chairman of the Board
Experimental Aircraft AssociationRichard W. Sloan, MD
President
Flying Physicians AssociationPeter J. Bunce
President & CEO
General Aviation Manufacturers AssociationMatthew S. Zuccaro
President and CEO
Helicopter Association InternationalAndrew D. Moore
Executive Director
National Agricultural Aviation AssociationThomas L. Hendricks
President and CEO
National Air Transportation AssociationEd Bolen
President and CEO
National Business Aviation Association
As an aside, one of the commenters in the last article I wrote on the subject is a physician and Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). He pointed out that the American Medical Association has come out against doing away with the Third Class Medical. Aviator Doc wrote:
“The AMA passed a resolution opposing this act. Once again showing they are more interested in protecting the bottom line than in being advocates for their patients. Typical. And they wonder why their membership is now less than 18% of all U.S. physicians. Once upon a time, they did some good. Now they just do stupid.”
It is noteworthy that the Flying Physicians Association has come out with strong support for GAPPA-2.
As I wrote last year, the chair of the NTSB has expressed a vague concern that somebody, somewhere, might fly with a medical impairment. As I said then, I have news for him. After researching this issue diligently I cannot find a single instance of an accident, fatal or not, that was caused by an LSA or glider pilot becoming impaired in flight for medical reasons.
Yes, there have been accidents. All caused by either mechanical failure or pilot error. Those accidents occurred at about the same (or less) incident rate as pilots with current and valid medical certificates.
After scouring the NTSB accident report database, I cannot find a single incident of a sport or glider pilot flying on a driver’s license alone dying at the controls. On the other hand, there are several reports of both commercial and private pilots who died while flying. Several non-pilots or low-time pilots have had to land an airplane with a dead or incapacitated pilot in the left seat. In every one of those incidents, the dead pilot had a current medical certificate in his or her pocket. This link takes you to an audio recording of one such incident.
Some non-pilot members of congress and the bureaucracy seem to be fearful of a pilot without a Class III medical flying after smoking a joint or taking pills. I do not advocate smoking weed and popping pills, but I have news for them. They pass people on the highway all the time who do that.
Most pilots have far too much invested in training and safety to do stupid stuff. As a group, both commercial and private pilots are far more attuned to the state of their own health than the average person. I have said frequently; no pilot wants to be the first to the scene of an accident, especially if they have their family on board.
If somebody from the FAA, NTSB, or Congress can offer a rational explanation—based on scientifically valid research instead of somebody’s gut feeling—just how the Third Class Medical certificate for private pilots keeps the public safer, I am all ears. The floor is open in the comment section for a reply.
–ooOoo–
A Disclaimer: The author of this article has multi-engine, instrument & glider ratings, and has been flying airplanes off and on since 1950. Also have done mental health evaluations for the FAA for years, and am a member of the Association for Aviation Psychology.
The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.
Been a certificated “single engine land” pilot since 1967. Was delighted to get into LSA. Now I fly a rental 2 place low wing little beauty and only need a drivers license. But it doesn’t have to meet the more rigorous requirements of a Cessna 150 which is easier to fly. Also…the LSA engine is the limiter for night flight, (it might quit??) but I can fly right over Seattle in the day.
So why not get a 3rd class medical? PTSD, Depression and an 2001 MI. Any one of these will fail the medical or cost thousands to maybe obtain a provisional clearance. All three have been well managed for over 10 yrs. But if I failed the medical, I would be grounded.
So, don’t take the medical and legally go fly LSA A/C as I haven’t failed the medical. Oh yes, I passed a rigorous heart test on a January in 2001. Flying colors. The widow maker MI hit me 4 months later…no warning. Medical tests only show the person’s health at the time. The third class medical reform only applies to fully certificated private pilots…fully trained pilots…..which in a way includes a “physical” and “mental health” test during instruction days and the annual check rides.
Some may accuse the following of being non-sequitur. The three pilots who spread a 777(?) short of a SFO runway on a beautiful clear day??? Fully medically qualified trained pilots.
Air France over the Atlantic?? Three highly skilled pilots killed everyone on board through stupid mistakes….they stalled the airplane.
Should there be medicals? Yes for commercial and high performance aircraft, although it won’t diagnose “stupid”.
This letter is in support of The General Aviation and Pilot Protection ACT 2
Background:
Briefly, along with a few other measures, the bill requires the FAA to implement the driver license standard for medical certification in place of the 3rd class medical. The 3rd class medical is the most important feature of the bill from the viewpoint of the private pilot community. The 3rd class medical is presently required for private recreational pilots to fly small General Aviation (GA) aircraft. However, it has become increasingly burdensome, expensive, and far out of proportion to the risks it supposedly addresses. It is a needless burden to GA as a whole. The bill expands the scope of aircraft that may be flown by private pilots using an alternate drivers’ license medical standard. At present, only Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) can be flown with a driver’s license in place of the 3rd class medical. The sport pilot medical exemption, beginning 10 years ago, for LSA aircraft was a step in the right direction. It allows pilots to fly a very restricted category (LSA) plane without a medical certificate. However this exemption contains much that is illogical and arbitrary. Due to the very restrictive parameters defining a light sport aircraft (LSA), a new set of aircraft designs has been created and manufactured. Many are home-built from kits. Due to a ridiculous (1320 lbs) weight limit, they are flimsy, cramped, less stable, usually have non-certified airframes and engines, and many are subject to the vagaries of homebuilding. Quite arguably they are less safe than the older mainstream aircraft like a Cessna or Piper. Does anyone actually believe that forcing an older pilot into an LSA is safer than letting him continue to fly his familiar Cessna 172? This is an example of the arbitrary and illogical quality of some FAA rule making. The arbitrary and capricious nature of these rules argues strongly for a revision of the power relationship between the FAA and the people who have to live under their decisions.
The dual mandate of the FAA is to promote safety, but also promote general aviation (GA). Instead, there has evolved over the years an over-zealousness of the FAA regarding medical standards (and much else) in GA. So much so, far from promoting GA, it has become a detriment to GA as a whole. The numbers of private pilots has shrunk over the last 20 years, and continues to shrink. And the entire GA industry shrinks along with it. Although there are several reasons for this shrinkage, grossly excessive medical certification hurdles are one of them. The 3rd class medical has grown into an intrusive paper inquisition. It is grossly out of proportion to anything reasonable for a private recreational pilot. That is because it is grossly out of proportion to the risks it supposedly addresses, as we will soon demonstrate.
Scope:
By private pilots I refer only to recreational pilots who fly light aircraft under 6000 pounds, not airlines, not commercially, or other large aircraft. This discussion pertains only to recreational private pilots, not these other categories. (Those other categories require a higher level class 2 or class 1 medical in any case). There is an obvious difference in certification standards reasonably needed for these 2 groups. An airline pilot may carry 500 passengers in difficult IFR conditions, and does so on a daily basis. Their aircraft are much more complex. By comparison, the private pilot flies only occasionally, with only a few passengers, if any, and flies a very simple aircraft, usually in VFR (clear weather) conditions. It is this class of pilot that currently requires a 3rd class medical certificate. But this medical certificate has become a significant barrier due to its very intrusive questionnaire. And the ever increasing number of conditions that can ground a pilot.
Overreach of the 3rd class medical:
The third class medical seems more suited for screening for an astronaut program, than for recreational pilots. It has a very intrusive questionnaire, which asks if you have, or ever in your life had such and such condition or taken such and such medication. It includes traffic history and criminal history. Each item you answer (medical or otherwise) “yes” to, will be reviewed upon each subsequent periodic physical. Far-fetched ailments are reviewed at your expense while your medical certificate is on hold. The local examiner does not make the final determination. The FAA aero medical headquarters in Oklahoma City presides over the case without ever seeing you. This costs a lot of money, and delay. Have or had high blood pressure? Ever taken a sleeping pill? Have allergies? List all OTC medications? Sleep apnea? Marriage counseling? Depression? Have arthritis?, Overweight, etc.? Answering “yes” to any of these, or many others, will likely trigger an investigation of your medical history that may ground you for a long time. You must comply with tests and reports at your time and expense. Much delay ensues. And once listed, it will be reviewed each time you apply to renew your medical. And the latest thing: The FAA medical is now going to measure for obesity and test for sleep apnea. These are conditions far removed from immediate risks. This is being done despite widespread protest from pilot organizations and despite the FAA pushing this through without the required rule-changing protocols. These are new categories for grounding private pilots, but like many others, are only long term risk factors, not imminent dangers. For example, someone who is obese or has high blood pressure might have a stroke in the next 20 years. Yet the fact remains the number of inflight sudden deaths in a year from strokes can be counted on one hand. While an aircraft owner is caught in this bureaucratic red tape, his $100,000+ aircraft sits unused. The questionnaire has draconian penalties for false statements-5 years in prison and $250,000 fine. All this before a private pilot can recreationally fly his light plane. They are completely powerless, and at the mercy and good graces of a remote and all powerful bureaucracy.
Now, here is main argument which puts the whole issue in a context that reveals the absurdity of the present 3rd class medical for recreational pilots:
Relative numbers and risk:
FAA 3rd class medical policies are grossly out of proportion to the numbers and risks it supposedly addresses. To see this clearly we must discuss relative numbers and risks in a larger context. The absurdity of FAA 3rd class medical policy can only be seen by looking at this larger context.
In all of general aviation (GA), there are currently about 400 deaths a year from all causes. Actually, less than that for recreational pilots, because this figure includes some commercial categories. Of those, an infinitesimal fraction are due to medical impairment (in flight heart attack, loss of consciousness, diabetic coma, etc). Overwhelmingly, they are due to mechanical malfunction (itself many causes), fuel mismanagement, bad and unpredictable weather, poor judgment, inadequate training, alcohol or drugs, youthful risk taking, and just fluke accidents. These are all factors unrelated to things preventable by the 3rd class medical. But, let us say that 5% are due to actual medical incapacitation (probably a high figure). Assuming that, it means that about 20 deaths a year occur from medical incapacitation in all of GA. Even less for just recreational pilots, after excluding the corporate part of GA (which requires a 2nd class medical). Note that number is roughly in the same ballpark as deaths due to lightning strikes or falling out of bed (literally). The question this raises is: Does such a low number of casualties warrant an intrusive and expensive federal bureaucracy to police it? “No” is the obvious answer. Consider the following:
By contrast, there are (approximately):
4500 motorcycle accident deaths a year,
750 boating accident deaths,
700 bicycle accident deaths,
5300 pedestrian deaths,
2400 drowning deaths swimming in public areas,
30,000+ auto accident deaths a year.
None of these activities have any medical requirement or ongoing bureaucratic supervision. At most, a simple license application is required. Anyone can drive a 10,000 pound RV on the highway at 70 mph without a medical. As the list shows, a myriad of other activities cause death with far higher numbers than due to aviation medical incapacitation.
Why is the private recreational pilot is singled out for this grossly out of proportion, costly and unfair treatment? All pursued by an expensive federal bureaucracy, paid for by the taxpayer.
One might claim the low numbers of medically related accidents is because the 3rd class medical has filtered out larger numbers that would have caused accidents. However, since the sport pilot exemption was created 10 years ago, there has not been a significant rise in accidents in that group for medical causes (despite the arguably less safe characteristics of LSA aircraft they are forced to fly). So, there is no reason to believe the present rate of casualties would be significantly higher without the 3rd class medical. But even if the death rate was 2x higher (which it certainly is not), it would still be smaller than any of the unregulated categories listed above. And there are actually some negative health implications of the 3rd class medical. It is a strong disincentive to go to a doctor for treatment of a suspected or real ailment. That is because of fear of creating a paper trail for the FAA to later ground the pilot. Thus, a pilot with medical issues may simply not get treatment so as to not be on record with an ailment.
Absolute safety vs. reasonable safety:
One often hears the phrase “if only one life is saved, it will be worth it”. Of course we do not, and cannot, live by such a notion. If we did, driving cars, using boats, skiing, motorcycling, and innumerable other activities would have to be banned. The truth is we cannot attain a risk free world. If we tried, it would not be a world worth living in. Neither individually, or as a society, would such a ban be tolerated. That is because the restrictions necessary for it would make life intolerably devoid of freedom. In reality, we strive for a reasonable balance between safety and freedom. But in the world of FAA medical certification, it appears absolute safety is the goal, and freedom is not considered at all. Hermetically isolated and unaccountable bureaucracies often behave this way. Only outside intervention (as in this bill) can restore a reasonable balance.
The crippling of an entire industry:
One result of this over zealous medical policy is that General Aviation is a shrinking industry. This affects manufacturers, suppliers, airport operators, FBOs, mechanics, avionics technicians, etc. They all lose jobs. Tax revenues decline. While there are other factors causing this shrinkage, medical certification red tape is certainly one of them. With ever fewer pilots getting certified, all other aspects of the GA industry shrink accordingly. One observer noted that a bureaucracy would rather shut down an entire industry than risk an accident being blamed on them. It’s time to fix this. Please support this bill.
Beldar here: The police team was in the bar again last night. I can hear from 40 ft away with my Remulak ears. The sum of the story is that two city policemen and a “federal NSA agent” followed the cab from the Marriott but it did not go to the airport but first to a RadioShack store and the partial blind guy went in with the dog and bought some computer parts and then went to a house on “Hudson Road in Ferguson” and stayed. As to the Tom Cummins story: he was a crime victim forced off the Chain of Rocks Bridge in 1991 or so when four rapists assaulted his two cousins and threw them off. They died, he survived. The federal agent told the cops that they think that the dog can talk into a Smartphone and it comes out in American on the screen as print. So they want to interview the dog to see if he did indeed survice the fall off the bridge because one of the rapists convicted of rape and murder is on death row and says that Tom Cummins is a liar and he did it. So the dog might be a witness in a capital murder case in Missouri before the guy gets executed. More later. Boy these guys can drink and talk.
Beldar
Was that across from the Horse Farm? That first House on the Left is my Parents house. Just thought I would say you know?? What are the Police doing in a nice area like that off of Washington and Elizabeth Street anyway Jeezzz can’t they leave anyone in peace??? 😉
Is he coming on here to say a few words to us as we all miss him so much?
😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉 😉
The same cops were in the same bar last night. I can hear well from 40 ft away with my Remulak ears. They were talking about the male blind guy, or partially blind guy, leaving the Marriott and getting in a cab to the airport. The dog came out from under a truck parked right there by the door. Dog and the guy reunited and got in the cab. They said it was the same lab dog. Then the one guy admitted that Tom Cummins was right about surviving a fall off that bridge twenty plus years ago. I need to google that name and find out what they are talking about. So, the long of it is that there was a dog named Barking Dog and he is united with a blind guy from the Marriott and the cops did try to kill the dog. If he is the same as the blog dog then I hope he calls in here again and tells the story.
you mean he didn’t get sucked under and trapped in ice? wow. Super Dog!!!
😉
Beldar here: off topic. But, about the bloggers. I am in Saint Louis. Last night at a bar two cops were drunk and bragging about throwing a dog off of the Chain or Rocks Bridge. Then they were arguing if he was like Tom Cummins and could survive the push into the Mississippi. Then they said he had a collar and his name was Barking Dog and that he was taken from a Marriott Hotel at the bequest of a federal official and that the federal official was watching his owner in a hospital and that guy fled the hospital. There was a commenter on here called BarkinDog. That dog I thought was really a human. But maybe its all just a similar name. Can BarkinDog respond here?
They did not watch after they threw him overboard and dont know if he drowned but assume full heartedly that he did because Tom Cummins was a liar twenty years ago and no one could survive the bridge.
Beldar – at least one person survived jumping off the Golden Gate bridge.
McCain is not too old to fly a plane or be President. Everyone wants to die in office. Even pilots would want to die on the job. That is why God has co-pilots. And a smart pilot will have Dog as his co-pilot. McCain happens to be on CSPAN right now drilling Clapper. Why we are not on the ground in Ukraine with boots fighting the Russians is a disgrace to the human race. McCain would be there. Why did you humans not vote for him? We would be ruling the world by now.
I don’t vote for McCain because as an Arizonan we get a closer look at him. He is a blithering idiot. I have not voted for him in the last 3 cycles.
Paul C. Schulte
I already had a high opinion of you but it just skyrocketed. McCain is insane. I could go on for hours but I won’t lol 😉
Darn it. I don’t believe in Age Discrimination. That is what this is all about is it not? I was not sure for the longest time but then when you are old it takes a long time. I have a friend who was a pilot for Ozark Airlines and got retired because he was too old. He wants a job and they wont take him back because they say he is too old. He is not too old to drive a car! He drives a boat! What is so darn special about an airplane? Don’t they have auto pilot and all that?
It is all Obama’s fault. Just like the stock market going up since Obama came into office. That did not help my human half blind guy who has a stock index that shorts stocks. And Obama is responsible for the low gas prices. I got a dog on the dogpack here with a human pal who runs a gas station and he says they are busy as all get out. Complaining about Obama he is. I don’t blame him. Why do we need all this cheap gas and natural gas in America? It is time for a change! It is time for Old Guys to Rule! Bring back someone old like Reagan was. Doesn’t he have a kid who is old? Or George H.W. Bush, he is old enough. Not Jeb. Too young. Biden maybe. McCain is not too old. We need a war. Boots on the ground.
McCain is too old. He wants to die in office.
Warren,
As Dirty Harry said, “A man’s gotta know his limitations.”
Under GAPPA and GAPPA-2, there is no suggestion that anybody should fly an aircraft like the F-16 without being totally fit and preferably young. I have pulled 10+G in the past, but there is no way in hell I would even begin to think about doing that now.
My son pointed out to me that we could pick up an airworthy MiG-21 and a couple of spare engines for less than a hundred thousand. I pointed out to him that feeding the beast would make initial cost look like chicken feed. Not to mention that knowing him, I didn’t want to have to bail him out of jail and pay for who knows how many broken windows and dishes.
The video below pretty much shows what GAPPA-2 is all about. This video was made in Canada.
I’m not a pilot, but did work in aerospace engineering 10 years on B-1B, F-16, AC-130 Gunship, Space Shuttle and V-22 Osprey.
Age, Psychological and physical ability to fly is an issue. The cut off age for many DOD pilots and air traffic controllers is “age 35”.
Take a ride with Major Dan Blue on an F-15. Find a very busy cockpit for 1 pilot.
And physically demanding. You can here Major Blue huff and puff during those high G turns.
HP,
You may want to show your husband this correspondence between Rep. Tom Tancredo and the Administrators of both the FAA and NTSB shortly after one of Rep. Tancredo’s constituents was killed in 2005. Of most interest is the spreadsheet provided to Tancredo by the NTSB Acting Chairman.
Keep in mind this correspondence took place in 2005, eight years before the Inhofe crash.
https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/design_approvals/small_airplanes/cos/mu2_foia/congressionals/media/Tancredo_FAA-050630-006.pdf
Thank you Chuck Stanley and good night
It is very informative to listen to Senator Inhofe describing his interaction with the FAA. As he rightly points out, he ran into a stone wall of obstructionism when trying to get cleared when he landed on a temporarily closed runway. If a US Senator cannot extract information and ATC tapes from the FAA, what is the average citizen going to do?
He was soundly criticized by almost everyone for landing on a closed runway: however, what took forever to come to light was the fact the air traffic controller cleared him to land, and the X marking the runway closed was a non-standard marker. Like many of the police shooting cases, it is his belief–and mine–the FAA was stonewalling to cover their own mistake. That is one reason the FOIA demand is in the GAPPA2 bill.
Many don’t know the Senator lost his son, Dr. Perry Inhofe, in a 2013 crash near Tulsa. Dr. Inhofe was a high time pilot himself, but was in an unusually complex airplane, He was flying a Mitsubishi MU-2B-25, when he lost an engine. I think randyjet can attest to the fact this airplane is a real handful, and engine out procedures are more demanding than most aircraft in that class.
Chuck Stanley
He was flying a Mitsubishi MU-2B-25 , when he lost an engine. I think randyjet can attest to the fact this airplane is a real handful,
X marking the runway closed was a non-standard marker. Like many of the police shooting cases, it is his belief–and mine–the FAA was stonewalling to cover their own mistake. That is one reason the FOIA demand is in the GAPPA2 bill.
That sounds typical of a government coverup.
I will ask my Husband about this Jet when I visit him at the Veterans Home tomorrow as he was in the Vietnam War and knows everything about Jets and I looked this up and it was in commission then it seems
http://mu-2aircraft.com/content.asp?id=85&sid=23
That is sad.
I agree with Paul C. Schulte and I think Congress is insane. Great Post Chuck Stanley. I am going to have to read it again tomorrow.
Chuck Stanley…thank you for the post. I’m too tired to read it with intelligence now, but I will tomorrow. You attention to detail is impressive.
My old man built jet engines. My father-in-law flew bombing missions over Germany in WW2. I have great respect for pilots and believe they have the integrity, maybe more than any other group, to police themselves.
It is ironic that Senator Inhofe is both put up for ridicule and glory in almost successive posts. We humans are complex. Our culture likes to have super heroes and super villains. Shakespeare, thousands of years ago, understood human nature much better than the elitist folks do today. There are no super heroes or villains. You may agree w/ Inhofe on some issues and disagree w/ him on others. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.
Nick – Shakespeare wrote in the late 1500s and early 1600s. Not thousands of years ago. 😉
I find it interesting that Congress finds itself fighting with the bureaucracies that it creates. This is just another example. Personally, I want my pilot to be free of any mind-altering chemicals.