Making sure I'm not denied or deferred

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I'm a recently minted private pilot, 60 years old and in good health. Although I fly a light sport aircraft, I opted for PP training and certificate for a number of reasons. I'm on my second 3rd class medical certificate and have had no problems qualifying other than white coat blood pressure. Letting my medical lapse and flying with light sport pilot privileges would not significantly affect my flying enjoyment other than causing a slight increase in insurance costs.

At this point I just want to always be sure that I never get denied or deferred. I'd rather just let the certificate lapse than deal with a ton of red tape. Each time I go in for a medical, I tell the doctor that it is important that I do not have a denial or deferral on my record and he says he understands.

Is there anything I can be proactive about to make sure that I never get a denial or deferral on my record?
 
I think you can book an appointment with the Dr., make it clear you are not there for an FAA medical, but want to do all the things that are on the medical. Do NOT fill out the FAA form. If they give you the form, they are not understanding. Then, after the examination, ask them if you could pass an FAA medical. If not, don't go for one til you get things fixed. If so, book one promptly.
 
The minute you apply for a medical (by giving the doctor the form), he can only do one of three things:
Issue you a medical certificate
Defer your medical certificate
Deny you a medical certificate.

He CANNOT pretend you never applied (not if he's got any sense of ethics).

So, when you hand over the form, you're committed. What you can do before you apply is to get a medical consultation that is NOT an examination for a medical certificate. I believe (and Bruce can correct me) that if you and your physician find something that would make you ineligible for a medical certificate you can address it together, and if it's not something that would make you ineligible for a driver's license or make you unsafe to operate an airplane, you can treat it and not go in for your next medical renewal, and operate at the SP privilege.

Practically, however, you can get special issuances for LOTS of things at the third class level, and maintain a medical certificate for as long as you wish.

One other thing of note. My flight school, though it offers some light sport aircraft for rent, requires a medical certificate for all PICs, citing insurance as a factor.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
I think you can book an appointment with the Dr., make it clear you are not there for an FAA medical, but want to do all the things that are on the medical. Do NOT fill out the FAA form. If they give you the form, they are not understanding. Then, after the examination, ask them if you could pass an FAA medical. If not, don't go for one til you get things fixed. If so, book one promptly.
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What Dave and Tim said - once ink is applied to that form, I think the AME is obligated to send it through the system.

Also - an SI is not the end of the world, it's just one more piece of paper you have to deal with.
 
TMetzinger said:
One other thing of note. My flight school, though it offers some light sport aircraft for rent, requires a medical certificate for all PICs, citing insurance as a factor.
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Hopefuly this kind of thing is going to recede as numbers of SPs grow and it makes good business sense not to cut them off. One owner reports in LightSport Talk that he changed his insurance provider to one that had no such provision. Sadly, he neglected to name the old and new companies.
-- Pete
 
Unregistered but asking for help? Come on, we're not gonna bite...

I agree with Dave's and Tim's comments but think they are discussing the far end of your spectrum of options. To think about the medical exam as the point where your medical eligibility - if not fitness - for flying is decided is letting the tail wag the dog. No wonder there's Labcoat-itis when its exam time. If you manage your health proactively, and barring a systemic disease, you will not just retain your fitness to fly but know you are fit to fly. You'll be knowledgeable about your physical condition, what meds are necessary but compatible with flying, you'll be menu-planning, eating and exercising with the future (not just the present) in mind, and you'll know your risk factors and be watchful regarding them. If all that's going on, there is an excellent likelihood that you'll have identified and also researched any potential medical condition that might put your 3rd class medical at risk, as well. The 'veil' that otherwise lies across the 3rd class medical exam and its outcome will - for you - mostly dissipate.

As someone recently posted, we too often pay little attention to 729 days of medical fitness for flying, then worry about it on Day #730. That is - at least IMO - one of the best aspects of the EAA/AOPA proposal for a 'driver's license medical' for 'recreational flying': pilots that may have been issued licenses decades ago - or just last year - will have a syllabus of flight-related medical knowledge and risk factors they must master. If we're to stay current with our skills, why is a minimum knowledge base related to our physical & mental fitness for flight not as important? Supposedly, we do a 'fitness to fly' assessment each time we enter a cockpit. You really shouldn't be operating in the dark about that, thinking it's only relevant when Day #730 arrives.

Jack
 
they're flying a light sport plane. they don't need a medical. i don't know why they're spending time worrying about getting a medical.
 
yeah I guess if you never plan to use the medical, why bother. in fact it is a liability because denial affects your ls privileges, right?
 
There are several advantages to flying a light sport aircraft with pp privileges. One mile and clear of clouds in class G, night flying, flying higher than 10,000 feet and business use are the most important ones.
 
Unregistered said:
There are several advantages to flying a light sport aircraft with pp privileges. One mile and clear of clouds in class G, night flying, flying higher than 10,000 feet and business use are the most important ones.
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IFR if you've got one of the IFR LSAs, too.

If you've only got one person, some of those LSAs are efficient X/C machines.
 
TMetzinger said:
If you've only got one person, some of those LSAs are efficient X/C machines.
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May be in East. When I look at the numbers, it seems like LSAs are plenty fast: faster than a 150, and people fly XCs in 150. But then I fly them and it turns out that, from Albuquerque, in 6 hours Remos GX can reach Las Vegas, but Mooney can get to San Francisco. That's a difference between 1 day trip and 2 day trip. The realization that LSAs are useless was a major factor in my decision to risk taking medicals. Once AME strikes me down, I'll just curl up and die.
 
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