Larynx removed

Tom-D

Tom-D

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Tom-D
Can a rated pilot continue to fly with the larnyx removed.

Will the change in the rules to driver license allow that to happen?
 
Tom-D said:
Can a rated pilot continue to fly with the larnyx removed.

Will the change in the rules to driver license allow that to happen?
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Dunno about the first. Perhaps with some kind of restriction about towered airports, but likely a whole bunch of nonsense because of the cancer diagnosis.

Under the sport pilot rules, if he/she has a drivers license and can self certify that he/she can safely operate as PIC, and didn't do something stupid like attempt to get a third class medical and fail, then yes, enjoy the ride.

Under the (perhaps) coming FAA rules for further medical reform no one knows. I personally suspect that the rules will be similar to the existing sport pilot with a somewhat higher weight limit.
 
Matthew said:
Would it be much different from flying under NORDO rules?
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The guy I knew had a SODA and could still produce an intelligible voice with his box. If the guy can't produce a voice I would think that NORDO restrictions will be the limitation given. As long as you can safely control the plane, you will be allowed to fly within some reasonable limitation.
 
Matthew said:
Would it be much different from flying under NORDO rules?
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I think you can be NORDO but contact the tower ahead of time like deaf Henry Kisor did. He would advise that he needs light signals but he could talk for a while so he made broadcast calls.

In this case say that you can hear but not transmit.

Assume that you can contact FSS on a TTY or with a TTY service.
 
Tom-D said:
Can a rated pilot continue to fly with their Larnyx removed?
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Depends -- can the pilot still speak English in an understandable manner? If not, then the pilot no longer meets the standards for his/her pilot certificate and will have to be re-evaluated, probably for a limitation restricting operation to airspace where radio comm is required unless a second pilot is there to talk on the radio. However, if the loss of the larynx was due to cancer, s/he is medically grounded upon diagnosis of cancer until going through the applicable cancer protocol -- but that's a medical certification issue, not a pilot certification issue.
If the third class is replaced by the Drivers license will they then be able to ?
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I don't see the type of medical certification being an issue. Even for Sport Pilots, the ability to speak English is a requirement for holding that pilot certificate.
Sec. 61.305
What are the age and language requirements for a sport pilot certificate?

(a) To be eligible for a sport pilot certificate you must:
...
(2) Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English. If you cannot read, speak, write, and understand English because of medical reasons, the FAA may place limits on your certificate as are necessary for the safe operation of light-sport aircraft.
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So, if you can no longer speak English in an understandable manner, you no longer meet the eligibility requirements even for Sport Pilot, and will have to go back to the FAA to have any "necessary" limits applied to your pilot certificate.
 
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Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Under the sport pilot rules, if he/she has a drivers license and can self certify that he/she can safely operate as PIC, and didn't do something stupid like attempt to get a third class medical and fail, then yes, enjoy the ride.
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Even for Sport Pilots, the ability to speak English is a requirement for eligibility for your pilot certificate regardless of the rules on medical certification. Loss of the ability to speak English renders you ineligible to hold your pilot certificate without specific exemption (usually accompanied by an appropriate limitation on your pilot certificate) by the FAA.

Under the (perhaps) coming FAA rules for further medical reform no one knows. I personally suspect that the rules will be similar to the existing sport pilot with a somewhat higher weight limit.
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That will not change the rules on pilot certification requiring the ability to speak English.
 
Henning said:
The guy I knew had a SODA
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As I suspected.

and could still produce an intelligible voice with his box. If the guy can't produce a voice I would think that NORDO restrictions will be the limitation given. As long as you can safely control the plane, you will be allowed to fly within some reasonable limitation.
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Right, but you have to get the FAA to evaluate you and decide whether or not to put that limitation on your ticket. You can't just fly only outside radio-required airspace on your own without getting the FAA involved first.
 
Ron Levy said:
As I suspected.

Right, but you have to get the FAA to evaluate you and decide whether or not to put that limitation on your ticket. You can't just fly only outside radio-required airspace on your own without getting the FAA involved first.
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Exactly, you do a SODA ride with the Feds and they issue a letter stating your limitations that you have to carry when flying based on what they observe. I haven't heard of any abusive rides or unwarranted limitations being applied.
 
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A couple years ago, when on my way home from Idaho as we were approaching our refueling stop, we heard an old guy in a 172 with a voice box announcing touch and goes at the airport and his radio calls were perfectly understandable, so yes there are guys out there flying without a larynx and they are able to adapt and safely fly just fine.
 
Ron Levy said:
Depends -- can the pilot still speak English in an understandable manner?
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I know two non pilots who can. Both have a buzzer device, that allows them to talk like Dart Vader.

I have no idea how that would sound over a radio.
 
Tom-D said:
I know two non pilots who can. Both have a buzzer device, that allows them to talk like Dart Vader.

I have no idea how that would sound over a radio.
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Sounds the same over the radio, it works in general.
 
I can't imagine having my Larynx removed. What a horrible surgery to have to have.

However, and my apologies in advance to anyone that has or may have to have this surgery.

How would you yell "Clear Prop"?
 
tmyers said:
I can't imagine having my Larynx removed. What a horrible surgery to have to have.
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My neighbor across the street is a retired Master chief, he noticed that it was getting more and more difficult to speak. He was referred to Madigan Medical Center at Fort Lewis. They told him they would do a biopsy to see if it was cancer, have it annualized if it was they would take the larynx out while he was under. He woke up with a hole in his neck to breath thru and unable to speak.
The whole mass removed was sent to an civil lab, and the report came back negative.
 
Wow. That would be hard to wake up to. So no cancer which is good but no larynx which is bad
 
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