Gunny
Registered User
WA
Hey Pilots,
The comment period for comments on the proposed 3rd Class Medical Exemption is still open until 14 September at midnight. If you have not done so already please comment now. The more pilots comment in favor of this the more likely its success and it is a common sense proposal. Here is the link to the comment site. http://www.regulations.gov/#!searchResults;rpp=25;po=0;s=FAA-2012-0350
It is FAA Docket No. 2012-0350 if you are looking it up manually. I am posting this in the public (as opposed to members only) forum so max dissemination will occur I hope.
Here are a couple sample letters that you can cut, paste and edit to streamline expressing your views or of course you can type your own. Thanks to Doc Randy and energytech for sharing their sample letters. Remember folks, commenting on things like this is like voting - if you don't (comment/vote) you give up your right to bitch about the outcome. Nuf said....
SAMPLE ONE
Re: Docket number FAA-2012-0350
From: YOUR NAME HERE
YOUR STREET ADDRESS
YOUR TOWN, STATE 12345
Phone: 125-456-7890
Email: yourid@address.com
Please accept this as a letter of support for FAA-2012-0350.
I am writing to you as apilot with 4000 hours. I obtained my private pilot certificate in 1983 and have flown in various parts of the United States since then, all in general aviation. Aviation has been a very important aspect of my personal and professional life. While I fly for pleasure, I also use general aviation as a means of transportation enabling me to provide care for patients who live in rural areas of Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana and Wisconsin.
As a pilot, I have remained current with my medical certificate throughout my flying years, renewing my second class certificate for the vast majority of that time (yearly examinations). During those years I have had many times when I felt that my physical condition was not conducive to safe flight and have chosen to “ground” myself, or self-certify, if you will. As a result I have been able to safely and effectively operate aircraft since obtaining my certificates. In those instances when I felt unfit to fly I simply sought care with my local physician, and used what I felt to be good judgement in grounding myself until I felt I could safely resume my flying activities.
I am also aware of the fact that my views in support of this Docket may not be shared by some AMEs , many of whom devote a large part of their medical practice to performing aviation medical examinations. It is my feeling that those who require a first or second class medical certification will continue to do so. I also feel that many of those who hold a third class medical certificate will continue to obtain that certification so that they may legally fly at night, etc. The overall benefit to the aviation community will be far in excess to the loss that AME’s who might see in a reduction in their medical practice. The argument can be made that this will free up their time to attend to other patients who are in need of their services.
Continuing medical education, for physicians, has been very important in keeping us sharp and aware of new concepts and breakthroughs in the practice of medicine. Continuing aviation education achieves the same for pilots, and I heartily encourage the pilots I examine to participate…and they do!
With these thoughts in mind, I urge you to rule favorably and approve Docket FAA-2012-0350. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
SAMPLE LETTER TWO
Re: Docket number FAA-2012-0350
From: YOUR NAME HERE
YOUR STREET ADDRESS
YOUR TOWN, STATE 12345
Phone: 123-456-7890
Email: yourid@address.com
Please accept this as a letter of support for FAA-2012-0350.
Sirs:
I was recently made aware of the joint AOPA - EAA petition for an exemption to the third class medical for recreational pilots carrying one passenger in aircraft of 180 horsepower or less. If anything should be changed, the horsepower limit should be raised to 200 hp in the interest of incorporating a broader spectrum of aircraft. This is the first intelligent proposal I've seen that would transform the private aviation community during these serious economic times.
I first began flying as a student pilot in 1969 and hold a private pilot certificate. My father and two brothers all hold private pilot certificates so you could say we were a flying family. My experience in years past has been one of restricting my flying to periods when I felt healthy, though I always had a third class medical. Flue, severe cold or simply the feeling that I was coming down with something would cause me to limit my flying activity by self-grounding. Increasing awareness of medical self-certification is much more important and relative to safe flying. Passing a third class medical is only a one in two, or one in five year snapshot of an individuals health. Self certification as described in this docket lasts a lifetime and is applied prior to every flight.
Having accumulated thousands of hours in flying the Alaskan bush I have come to a point in my carreer (retired) where flying to travel for work is no longer a part of my life. To fly recreationally would be nice, but it is certainly not a necessity and I currently have my Cessna 180 up for sale. I believe the driver's lisence medical exemption with the proposed training should be put into effect immediately if for no other reasons than to improve safe flying and arrest the decline in general aviation flying activity.
I recently offered to pay for flying lessons for our son and daughter, 35 and 32 years old respectively. My intention is to provid to them the 'gift of flight', as I know it will better their life experience through an enhanced sense of organization and mechanical and technical knowledge. Both are all for doing this but the overall cost to maintain a private pilot certificate (repeated medicals included) is of concern to them even though I have offered my financial support in paying for their flight training. The drivers license medical exemption would be a great asset by improving their medical understanding on a personal level, thus flying safer, while reducing the expense to maintain a recreational involvement in aviation. And, we now have seven years of LSA experience that has proven this to be a non issue.
I recently looked into purchasing an LSA aircraft and tested a couple of models I thought would be suitable for us. These turned out to be too light, too underpowered and too expensive for our mission of recreational use. I found that they were more difficult to control in practically any wind, all were without adequate cabin heat and every one of them would be over-gross for two people, fuel and baggage to allow traveling distances between our towns and villages. Perhaps if I had more experience in flying ultra-light or LSA aircraft the transition from a heavier plane to such a light 1,320 gross weight limit would be easier. However, limiting recerational flying to such light gross weight and underpowered aircraft is, in my opinion, dangerous. An old equipment operator once told me "The bigger they are, the easier they are." I find this generally applies to aircraft also and my pilot friends driving 'heavy iron' agree.
In addition to the above noted safety benefits, much of the technology incorporated into LSA models (read engines, instruments, airframes) is imported from foreign sources and is economically damaging to our country. Sending money outside our borders does nothing to heal or improve our economic well-being. Shipping jobs offshore to China, as with the Cessna Skycatcher, is neither patriotic nor wise for our country. Austria is another recipient of the LSA fortune as the great majority of engines used in this classification are manufactured there. At some point we need to say enough to this nonsense.
In closing, many pilots I know would continue flying were this exemption approved. Aircraft meeting the limits outlined within the AOPA/EAA request would increase slightly in value and desirability. New pilots would enter the field of aviation and A&P mechanics and instructors would be put back to work. What could possibly be negative about this?
So, this is my testimony. My recommendation is that we must make our industry healthy again, safer and affordable. We may accomplish much of this by allowing FAA-2012-0350 to become a reality.
Respectfully,
YOUR NAME
THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE COMMENT AND ALL WHO WILL COMMENT.
The comment period for comments on the proposed 3rd Class Medical Exemption is still open until 14 September at midnight. If you have not done so already please comment now. The more pilots comment in favor of this the more likely its success and it is a common sense proposal. Here is the link to the comment site. http://www.regulations.gov/#!searchResults;rpp=25;po=0;s=FAA-2012-0350
It is FAA Docket No. 2012-0350 if you are looking it up manually. I am posting this in the public (as opposed to members only) forum so max dissemination will occur I hope.
Here are a couple sample letters that you can cut, paste and edit to streamline expressing your views or of course you can type your own. Thanks to Doc Randy and energytech for sharing their sample letters. Remember folks, commenting on things like this is like voting - if you don't (comment/vote) you give up your right to bitch about the outcome. Nuf said....
SAMPLE ONE
Re: Docket number FAA-2012-0350
From: YOUR NAME HERE
YOUR STREET ADDRESS
YOUR TOWN, STATE 12345
Phone: 125-456-7890
Email: yourid@address.com
Please accept this as a letter of support for FAA-2012-0350.
I am writing to you as apilot with 4000 hours. I obtained my private pilot certificate in 1983 and have flown in various parts of the United States since then, all in general aviation. Aviation has been a very important aspect of my personal and professional life. While I fly for pleasure, I also use general aviation as a means of transportation enabling me to provide care for patients who live in rural areas of Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana and Wisconsin.
As a pilot, I have remained current with my medical certificate throughout my flying years, renewing my second class certificate for the vast majority of that time (yearly examinations). During those years I have had many times when I felt that my physical condition was not conducive to safe flight and have chosen to “ground” myself, or self-certify, if you will. As a result I have been able to safely and effectively operate aircraft since obtaining my certificates. In those instances when I felt unfit to fly I simply sought care with my local physician, and used what I felt to be good judgement in grounding myself until I felt I could safely resume my flying activities.
I am also aware of the fact that my views in support of this Docket may not be shared by some AMEs , many of whom devote a large part of their medical practice to performing aviation medical examinations. It is my feeling that those who require a first or second class medical certification will continue to do so. I also feel that many of those who hold a third class medical certificate will continue to obtain that certification so that they may legally fly at night, etc. The overall benefit to the aviation community will be far in excess to the loss that AME’s who might see in a reduction in their medical practice. The argument can be made that this will free up their time to attend to other patients who are in need of their services.
Continuing medical education, for physicians, has been very important in keeping us sharp and aware of new concepts and breakthroughs in the practice of medicine. Continuing aviation education achieves the same for pilots, and I heartily encourage the pilots I examine to participate…and they do!
With these thoughts in mind, I urge you to rule favorably and approve Docket FAA-2012-0350. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
SAMPLE LETTER TWO
Re: Docket number FAA-2012-0350
From: YOUR NAME HERE
YOUR STREET ADDRESS
YOUR TOWN, STATE 12345
Phone: 123-456-7890
Email: yourid@address.com
Please accept this as a letter of support for FAA-2012-0350.
Sirs:
I was recently made aware of the joint AOPA - EAA petition for an exemption to the third class medical for recreational pilots carrying one passenger in aircraft of 180 horsepower or less. If anything should be changed, the horsepower limit should be raised to 200 hp in the interest of incorporating a broader spectrum of aircraft. This is the first intelligent proposal I've seen that would transform the private aviation community during these serious economic times.
I first began flying as a student pilot in 1969 and hold a private pilot certificate. My father and two brothers all hold private pilot certificates so you could say we were a flying family. My experience in years past has been one of restricting my flying to periods when I felt healthy, though I always had a third class medical. Flue, severe cold or simply the feeling that I was coming down with something would cause me to limit my flying activity by self-grounding. Increasing awareness of medical self-certification is much more important and relative to safe flying. Passing a third class medical is only a one in two, or one in five year snapshot of an individuals health. Self certification as described in this docket lasts a lifetime and is applied prior to every flight.
Having accumulated thousands of hours in flying the Alaskan bush I have come to a point in my carreer (retired) where flying to travel for work is no longer a part of my life. To fly recreationally would be nice, but it is certainly not a necessity and I currently have my Cessna 180 up for sale. I believe the driver's lisence medical exemption with the proposed training should be put into effect immediately if for no other reasons than to improve safe flying and arrest the decline in general aviation flying activity.
I recently offered to pay for flying lessons for our son and daughter, 35 and 32 years old respectively. My intention is to provid to them the 'gift of flight', as I know it will better their life experience through an enhanced sense of organization and mechanical and technical knowledge. Both are all for doing this but the overall cost to maintain a private pilot certificate (repeated medicals included) is of concern to them even though I have offered my financial support in paying for their flight training. The drivers license medical exemption would be a great asset by improving their medical understanding on a personal level, thus flying safer, while reducing the expense to maintain a recreational involvement in aviation. And, we now have seven years of LSA experience that has proven this to be a non issue.
I recently looked into purchasing an LSA aircraft and tested a couple of models I thought would be suitable for us. These turned out to be too light, too underpowered and too expensive for our mission of recreational use. I found that they were more difficult to control in practically any wind, all were without adequate cabin heat and every one of them would be over-gross for two people, fuel and baggage to allow traveling distances between our towns and villages. Perhaps if I had more experience in flying ultra-light or LSA aircraft the transition from a heavier plane to such a light 1,320 gross weight limit would be easier. However, limiting recerational flying to such light gross weight and underpowered aircraft is, in my opinion, dangerous. An old equipment operator once told me "The bigger they are, the easier they are." I find this generally applies to aircraft also and my pilot friends driving 'heavy iron' agree.
In addition to the above noted safety benefits, much of the technology incorporated into LSA models (read engines, instruments, airframes) is imported from foreign sources and is economically damaging to our country. Sending money outside our borders does nothing to heal or improve our economic well-being. Shipping jobs offshore to China, as with the Cessna Skycatcher, is neither patriotic nor wise for our country. Austria is another recipient of the LSA fortune as the great majority of engines used in this classification are manufactured there. At some point we need to say enough to this nonsense.
In closing, many pilots I know would continue flying were this exemption approved. Aircraft meeting the limits outlined within the AOPA/EAA request would increase slightly in value and desirability. New pilots would enter the field of aviation and A&P mechanics and instructors would be put back to work. What could possibly be negative about this?
So, this is my testimony. My recommendation is that we must make our industry healthy again, safer and affordable. We may accomplish much of this by allowing FAA-2012-0350 to become a reality.
Respectfully,
YOUR NAME
THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE COMMENT AND ALL WHO WILL COMMENT.
