Lowflybye
Registered User
Mount Juliet, Tennessee
This is my latest article that will be on the newsstands in the next week or so. I thought it might be beneficial and entertaining to some of you.
Enjoy
-Low
The Sport of Pilots
If you have read my articles in past issues, you are probably beginning to realize there is a recurring theme in them. For me, flying is not just a passion; it is an addiction. I am an addict.
There, I have finally publicly admitted what my wife has been telling me for as long as we have been married. I am addicted to flying. I read about it. I watch movies about it. I make a yearly pilgrimage to Oshkosh, the mecca for aviation addicts. I even attend a breakfast most Saturday mornings to meet with others who share this same addiction so we can discuss our habits and compare our vices. Is this starting to sound a little too familiar to you as well? Don’t worry, you are in good company and help is closer than you think. Seek out your local “Extreme Aviation Addicts” chapter and you will find yourself among friends. Da Vinci was right: “When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
So what is it about flying that gets into our blood and makes us want more? I suspect it is the same thing that drives some people to keep chasing that little ball around all 18 holes or that draws a running back to the end zone or a batter to the plate. It is the thrill of the sport, the challenge of the task ahead, and the satisfaction of accomplishment. Some may say flying is not a sport, but let us think about it a minute. Flying requires training, practice, and skill. It has a coach (better known as a Certified Flight Instructor or CFI), rules that must be followed, and referees to make sure the game is played correctly. Not only do we have referees in flying, but we also have penalties. And just like any great sport, the referee always seems to be full of bad calls. Yes, flying is a sport; it is the sport of pilots.
One other element flying shares with the better-known sports of the world is an injured reserve list. On the list is a group of pilots who may not be quite as physically fit as they once were yet still have the addiction and desire to remain on the team, even if it means they cannot play the entire game any longer. The player has retained the skills and the knowledge, but his body is just not quite what it was before. Many players will remain on the injured reserve list until they finally retire from the sport. For other players, the position is temporary, and as soon as a doctor signs a clean bill of health, they will return to the game. In the sport of flying, the injured reserve list could be considered the Sport Pilot category. Sport pilots are still pilots; they just play at a little slower speed with more limitations.
I have been blessed with the opportunity to meet many interesting people and make many good friends during my time in this sport. I have seen new pilots join the team, and I have seen veterans close the hangar for the last time. It was not until just a few years ago that extending your playing time by placing your name on the injured reserve list was even an option, but since a rule change hit the books, the injured reserve list has become a popular option. Now pilots who fly aircraft that meet the Light Sport rule no longer have to worry about high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, EKG tests, or cancer medications that may ground them on their next medical. As long as a medical has not been revoked or denied, pilots can still fly their airplanes. If pilots hold at least a Recreational Pilot rating and own a Cub, Champ, or other Light Sport Aircraft (LSA)-qualified plane, they can keep flying under the Sport Pilot rating without the worry the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will deny their next medical.
No Medical Equals No Insurance
Seems like a “no brainer” doesn’t it? The FAA makes the rules so there is nothing more to worry about right? Wrong. You forgot about your insurance. The FAA does not have its money on the line in the event of an accident or claim, but insurance companies do, and the rules of the insurance companies are oftentimes more strict than the FAA’s regulations. Your insurance policy was written with the understanding that you are a Private, Commercial, or Airline Transport Pilot (ATP), and your signature on the application attests to that being true. In order for the aforementioned pilot licenses to be valid, there must be a current and valid medical certificate to accompany them.
FAR Part 61.3(c) Medical certificate.
(1) Except as provided for in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, a person may not act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight crewmember of an aircraft, under a certificate issued to that person under this part, unless that person has a current and appropriate medical certificate that has been issued under part 67 of this chapter, or other documentation acceptable to the Administrator, which is in that person's physical possession or readily accessible in the aircraft.
If your medical certificate expires, your Private, Commercial, or ATP pilot license is no longer valid and therefore, your policy provides no coverage during your operation of the aircraft.
Whoa, surprised you with that one didn’t I. I have met many pilots who let their medical certificate expire and were clueless they were operating without insurance. An insurance policy is nothing more than a contract in which the underwriting company agrees to indemnify policyholders for a loss as long as they follow the terms laid out in the policy. The terms and premiums for the policy are based on the information provided to the underwriter in the form of an application. If the terms that were originally agreed upon change, the policy must be endorsed accordingly in order for the policy to remain bound. Some companies such as U.S. Specialty Insurance Co. actually spell out in the pilot section the requirement for a valid medical:
THE PILOT FLYING THE AIRCRAFT: The aircraft must be operated in flight only by a person shown below, who must have a current and proper (1) medical certificate and (2) pilot certificate with necessary ratings as required by the FAA for each flight. There is no coverage under the policy if the pilot does not meet these requirements.
Other companies such as Global Aerospace do not specifically list the medical as a required component for coverage:
Item 7
PILOTS: The policy shall not apply while the aircraft is in flight unless the pilot in command is any of the following:
PART C: Any person holding a currently effective certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration designating him or her a private, commercial or airline transport pilot …
Although we do not actually see the term “medical certificate” in this form of policy wording, we do see the term “effective certificate” with reference to the pilot’s license. Since a valid medical certificate is required under FAR Part 61.3 in order to have an effective pilot certificate, it is understood that the policy does not apply without a medical certificate.
A Matter of Health
Why is this even an issue for a sport pilot? The skill level reached by pilots has not changed just because they are operating under the Sport Pilot rating. Indeed, pilots do not wake up the day after their medical certificate expired and lose all their skills, but there is something about their physical condition that causes them to be concerned about getting their medical renewed. Some insurance companies are willing to insure Sport-rated pilots, provided they have a valid medical certificate to accompany the license. It is not a matter of skill; it is a matter of health issues. The underwriter’s only gauge as to the physical condition of the pilot is the FAA medical. Underwriters have a lot riding on whether the pilot is insurable. You are asking them to be willing to pay for an aircraft in the event of a total loss as well as up to $1 million in liability claims for a pilot who is worried about being able to pass a medical exam. Would you put up that much of your own money if the roles were reversed?
So what do you do if you are in this position or facing this possibility in the near future? Talk with your agent about it. There are some companies that will write the sport pilots without an accompanying medical certificate provided they know it is a sport-pilot risk from the time the policy is initially in force. Depending on the circumstances behind a switch to sport pilot, an underwriter may be willing to continue a current policy.
A pilot taking medication approved by the FAA on a case-by-case basis may be hesitant to risk passing a medical by a flight physician only to have it overturned by an FAA bureaucrat who “knows better” than the physician what the effects of a drug are on the pilot. The pilot would essentially be grounded until the FAA is satisfied the patient has a clean bill of health or is competent to fly while taking medication. To prevent this problem altogether, pilots will oftentimes continue to fly under the sport-pilot rating until their treatment is complete. Then they can renew their medical certificate without the worry of red tape. These are situations that should be discussed with your agent in order to find the best solution for your insurance coverage.
I am still relatively young and expect to have many more years on this earth before my Father calls me home. I plan to enjoy flying for as long as He allows me to do so. Will I join the injured reserve list someday? If it allows me to stay in the game for a few more plays, you better believe I will. I know that one day I will have to close the door to the hangar for the last time as the pilot in command. I will eventually have to retire from this great sport: the sport of pilots.
Enjoy
-Low
The Sport of Pilots
If you have read my articles in past issues, you are probably beginning to realize there is a recurring theme in them. For me, flying is not just a passion; it is an addiction. I am an addict.
There, I have finally publicly admitted what my wife has been telling me for as long as we have been married. I am addicted to flying. I read about it. I watch movies about it. I make a yearly pilgrimage to Oshkosh, the mecca for aviation addicts. I even attend a breakfast most Saturday mornings to meet with others who share this same addiction so we can discuss our habits and compare our vices. Is this starting to sound a little too familiar to you as well? Don’t worry, you are in good company and help is closer than you think. Seek out your local “Extreme Aviation Addicts” chapter and you will find yourself among friends. Da Vinci was right: “When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
So what is it about flying that gets into our blood and makes us want more? I suspect it is the same thing that drives some people to keep chasing that little ball around all 18 holes or that draws a running back to the end zone or a batter to the plate. It is the thrill of the sport, the challenge of the task ahead, and the satisfaction of accomplishment. Some may say flying is not a sport, but let us think about it a minute. Flying requires training, practice, and skill. It has a coach (better known as a Certified Flight Instructor or CFI), rules that must be followed, and referees to make sure the game is played correctly. Not only do we have referees in flying, but we also have penalties. And just like any great sport, the referee always seems to be full of bad calls. Yes, flying is a sport; it is the sport of pilots.
One other element flying shares with the better-known sports of the world is an injured reserve list. On the list is a group of pilots who may not be quite as physically fit as they once were yet still have the addiction and desire to remain on the team, even if it means they cannot play the entire game any longer. The player has retained the skills and the knowledge, but his body is just not quite what it was before. Many players will remain on the injured reserve list until they finally retire from the sport. For other players, the position is temporary, and as soon as a doctor signs a clean bill of health, they will return to the game. In the sport of flying, the injured reserve list could be considered the Sport Pilot category. Sport pilots are still pilots; they just play at a little slower speed with more limitations.
I have been blessed with the opportunity to meet many interesting people and make many good friends during my time in this sport. I have seen new pilots join the team, and I have seen veterans close the hangar for the last time. It was not until just a few years ago that extending your playing time by placing your name on the injured reserve list was even an option, but since a rule change hit the books, the injured reserve list has become a popular option. Now pilots who fly aircraft that meet the Light Sport rule no longer have to worry about high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, EKG tests, or cancer medications that may ground them on their next medical. As long as a medical has not been revoked or denied, pilots can still fly their airplanes. If pilots hold at least a Recreational Pilot rating and own a Cub, Champ, or other Light Sport Aircraft (LSA)-qualified plane, they can keep flying under the Sport Pilot rating without the worry the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will deny their next medical.
No Medical Equals No Insurance
Seems like a “no brainer” doesn’t it? The FAA makes the rules so there is nothing more to worry about right? Wrong. You forgot about your insurance. The FAA does not have its money on the line in the event of an accident or claim, but insurance companies do, and the rules of the insurance companies are oftentimes more strict than the FAA’s regulations. Your insurance policy was written with the understanding that you are a Private, Commercial, or Airline Transport Pilot (ATP), and your signature on the application attests to that being true. In order for the aforementioned pilot licenses to be valid, there must be a current and valid medical certificate to accompany them.
FAR Part 61.3(c) Medical certificate.
(1) Except as provided for in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, a person may not act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight crewmember of an aircraft, under a certificate issued to that person under this part, unless that person has a current and appropriate medical certificate that has been issued under part 67 of this chapter, or other documentation acceptable to the Administrator, which is in that person's physical possession or readily accessible in the aircraft.
If your medical certificate expires, your Private, Commercial, or ATP pilot license is no longer valid and therefore, your policy provides no coverage during your operation of the aircraft.
Whoa, surprised you with that one didn’t I. I have met many pilots who let their medical certificate expire and were clueless they were operating without insurance. An insurance policy is nothing more than a contract in which the underwriting company agrees to indemnify policyholders for a loss as long as they follow the terms laid out in the policy. The terms and premiums for the policy are based on the information provided to the underwriter in the form of an application. If the terms that were originally agreed upon change, the policy must be endorsed accordingly in order for the policy to remain bound. Some companies such as U.S. Specialty Insurance Co. actually spell out in the pilot section the requirement for a valid medical:
THE PILOT FLYING THE AIRCRAFT: The aircraft must be operated in flight only by a person shown below, who must have a current and proper (1) medical certificate and (2) pilot certificate with necessary ratings as required by the FAA for each flight. There is no coverage under the policy if the pilot does not meet these requirements.
Other companies such as Global Aerospace do not specifically list the medical as a required component for coverage:
Item 7
PILOTS: The policy shall not apply while the aircraft is in flight unless the pilot in command is any of the following:
PART C: Any person holding a currently effective certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration designating him or her a private, commercial or airline transport pilot …
Although we do not actually see the term “medical certificate” in this form of policy wording, we do see the term “effective certificate” with reference to the pilot’s license. Since a valid medical certificate is required under FAR Part 61.3 in order to have an effective pilot certificate, it is understood that the policy does not apply without a medical certificate.
A Matter of Health
Why is this even an issue for a sport pilot? The skill level reached by pilots has not changed just because they are operating under the Sport Pilot rating. Indeed, pilots do not wake up the day after their medical certificate expired and lose all their skills, but there is something about their physical condition that causes them to be concerned about getting their medical renewed. Some insurance companies are willing to insure Sport-rated pilots, provided they have a valid medical certificate to accompany the license. It is not a matter of skill; it is a matter of health issues. The underwriter’s only gauge as to the physical condition of the pilot is the FAA medical. Underwriters have a lot riding on whether the pilot is insurable. You are asking them to be willing to pay for an aircraft in the event of a total loss as well as up to $1 million in liability claims for a pilot who is worried about being able to pass a medical exam. Would you put up that much of your own money if the roles were reversed?
So what do you do if you are in this position or facing this possibility in the near future? Talk with your agent about it. There are some companies that will write the sport pilots without an accompanying medical certificate provided they know it is a sport-pilot risk from the time the policy is initially in force. Depending on the circumstances behind a switch to sport pilot, an underwriter may be willing to continue a current policy.
A pilot taking medication approved by the FAA on a case-by-case basis may be hesitant to risk passing a medical by a flight physician only to have it overturned by an FAA bureaucrat who “knows better” than the physician what the effects of a drug are on the pilot. The pilot would essentially be grounded until the FAA is satisfied the patient has a clean bill of health or is competent to fly while taking medication. To prevent this problem altogether, pilots will oftentimes continue to fly under the sport-pilot rating until their treatment is complete. Then they can renew their medical certificate without the worry of red tape. These are situations that should be discussed with your agent in order to find the best solution for your insurance coverage.
I am still relatively young and expect to have many more years on this earth before my Father calls me home. I plan to enjoy flying for as long as He allows me to do so. Will I join the injured reserve list someday? If it allows me to stay in the game for a few more plays, you better believe I will. I know that one day I will have to close the door to the hangar for the last time as the pilot in command. I will eventually have to retire from this great sport: the sport of pilots.
read in context. I spent 5 paragraphs trying to give this article a positive, fun spin before I got down to the facts. If read in context the scary information is very accurate and appropriate for the article. It is the reason for the entire article. Would you rather that I did not tell pilots this information and let them find out the hard way? 
