Is a class III medical possible w/mild cerebral palsy?

[Country Flier]

Did a search, but didn't locate any threads on this subject.

A local kid (I call him "a kid" but he's just a kid to me, maybe late 20's) and I got to talking the other day. He mentioned how he always dreamed of getting his pilot's license but he felt his hearing loss was keeping that dream from happening. I told him the good news that hearing loss doesn't necessarily stop one from becoming a pilot, and how there is a private pilot where I hangar that has significant hearing loss (actually seems this pilot is way worse off than this kid), and he seems to do just fine.
He was happy to get this news, but then he mentioned that he also has mild cerebral palsy. I see this kid moves/walks/drives a car/speaks without apparent limitation. Anyone have any idea what it would entail for him to get a class 3?

 

[TCABM]

Cerebral Palsy requires deferral.

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...guide/app_process/exam_tech/item43/amd/spine/

There’s gliders and sport pilot that may be less risky from a medical certification standpoint assuming your friend is healthy enough to safely fly.

 

[Country Flier]

Cerebral Palsy requires deferral.

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...guide/app_process/exam_tech/item43/amd/spine/

There’s gliders and sport pilot that may be less risky from a medical certification standpoint assuming your friend is healthy enough to safely fly.

Thanks. Sport pilot is tough around here (no training/no trainer planes that I'm aware of) but gliders are common.

 

[Daleandee]

A friend with a slight case of palsy on one side of their body recently earned a Sport Pilot Certificate.

I do see the concern that Country Flier brings up i.e. the lack of Sport Pilot instructors. But we are blessed to have an excellent school not too far away that is quite busy & making money ...

 

[Half Fast]

...the lack of Sport Pilot instructors.

AFAIK, any CFI can teach Sport. The problem is typically not having any LSAs available. Some people take a couple of weeks and travel to a SP school, but then they can’t find rental LSAs in their area. Not a problem if you’re going to buy a plane, but that doesn’t seem to be the case in this instance.

 

[Daleandee]

AFAIK, any CFI can teach Sport.

I've been surprised at how many won't do it. Mostly it is because of the lack of Light Sport planes available and most of the instructors I know won't train in an experimental.

My last flight review I had a wonderful instructor that wasn't afraid of experimentals. She had seen mine fly several times. After the flight review was over I suggested she try it out. She loved the openness of the big bubble canopy and the sporty feel of the plane!

 

[frfly172]

There would be plenty of light sport airplanes available if the FAA would change the LSA rules.

 

[Baked Potato]

There would be plenty of light sport airplanes available if the FAA would change the LSA rules.

It's really strange to me that a sport pilot can't be PiC in things like a 150/152.

 

[Baked Potato]

I've been surprised at how many won't do it. Mostly it is because of the lack of Light Sport planes available and most of the instructors I know won't train in an experimental.

My last flight review I had a wonderful instructor that wasn't afraid of experimentals. She had seen mine fly several times. After the flight review was over I suggested she try it out. She loved the openness of the big bubble canopy and the sporty feel of the plane!

At the least, anyone can build dual hours and knowledge at any flight school in anything that a private pilot could otherwise fly. The instructor can train them in whatever airframe they normally train in. The student would just need a plan to get a few hours in an LSA for familiarity before soloing.
But the dual hours would count either way.

 

[bbchien]

Neurocognitive eval, prior to any application....

 

[Half Fast]

It's really strange to me that a sport pilot can't be PiC in things like a 150/152.

It’s even stranger that a SP can fly Ercoupe C and CD models, but not other variants of the same plane. Similar story with certain flavors of Luscombes.

 

[Daleandee]

At the least, anyone can build dual hours and knowledge at any flight school in anything that a private pilot could otherwise fly. The instructor can train them in whatever airframe they normally train in. The student would just need a plan to get a few hours in an LSA for familiarity before soloing.
But the dual hours would count either way.

The only concern that I've run into is that I can't do a flight review in a plane that is not Light Sport or meets the criteria for Light Sport. I know at least one Light Sport Pilot that took their flight review in a Cessna 150. I suggested to them that it wasn't legal to do that but some folks make up the rules as they go along ...

 

[Baked Potato]

The only concern that I've run into is that I can't do a flight review in a plane that is not Light Sport or meets the criteria for Light Sport. I know at least one Light Sport Pilot that took their flight review in a Cessna 150. I suggested to them that it wasn't legal to do that but some folks make up the rules as they go along ...

Yes, that's the thing. You can (legally) only train up to a certain point in non-LSA without a third class medical. For someone who is interested in the experience, or who wants to build hours while working out the medical stuff, they can get just up to the point where they would solo. Then they'd have to either find an LSA or obtain a medical.

 

[Kenny Phillips]

Cerebral Palsy requires deferral.

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...guide/app_process/exam_tech/item43/amd/spine/

There’s gliders and sport pilot that may be less risky from a medical certification standpoint assuming your friend is healthy enough to safely fly.

There are likely tens of thousands of people with CP that don't know it; it's a continuum. So that's yet another thing that should be issued in office (as CP is static) rather than become a money pit.

 

[Daleandee]

Yes, that's the thing. You can (legally) only train up to a certain point in non-LSA without a third class medical. For someone who is interested in the experience, or who wants to build hours while working out the medical stuff, they can get just up to the point where they would solo. Then they'd have to either find an LSA or obtain a medical.

The question then becomes ... how large of a single engine, fixed gear, ground adjustable prop plane is allowed for a Sport Pilot to take their dual training in?