denverpilot
Tied Down
Well, it's done... about time to go for a medical.
Since there's nothing on there that should be a red flag, it'll be interesting to see if my AME is as clueful as Doc Bruce, and requests a copy of the saved copy ahead of time, or anything like that.
Impressions of the system...
Decent data entry website, seemed less fussy than IACRA, but still decided I was "logged out" and tossed that information inside of a field/DIV in the form about five minutes in. Had to log out, back in, and start over. Cute.
The system had me confirm the new Pilots Bill of Rights stuff twice, and then again on the "re-login" after it dumped me. Some might say it was thorough in its bugginess. LOL.
PDF saved from Safari File->Save As, was corrupted. Glad I checked before closing the page. Saved from floating icons at the bottom of the screen, fine. Apple Preview doesn't "like" the FAA's PDF format as much as Adobe Reader does. Prints better and looks better in Acrobat Reader, just FYI.
The security questions for the site are awful. Almost all stuff anyone could easily figure out about anyone. Sadly, that's the state of most "secure" websites these days. What a joke.
I typed the usual words, "Previously Reported, No Change" into the comments fields before realizing they'd provided a button for same. The label "PRNC" might be something folks doing it every six months for a 1st Class or the Docs might recognize, but I will admit, I didn't read the instructions and that one was semi-non-intuitive.
Why not just label the button with the words? It doesn't need to be in 24-point font like it is with four letters... sheesh. A checkbox with the text next to it would have worked just as well without a button.
Oh well, I caught it and hit the button, and apparently the FAA does capitalization differently than I was taught -- that's all that changed. One letter. I'm sure it'll make their DBA happier, though. Garbage in, garbage out.
Nothing else was difficult. My AME *is* smart enough to have provided a copy of the last application, even if he's stuck in the Dark Ages with a fax machine and none of the documents digitized (e-mail, hint hint!) and I had to hunt down a working fax machine at work... but comparing and making sure nothing got missed is always nice.
Somehow, I doubt my AME is as up to speed on Doc Bruce's save and review technique. His staffer certainly didn't mention it when I talked to him about this being the first time for me in Medxpress when I called about the copy of the last application. I suspect if the AME had instructed the staff to do that, they'd have said something right then.
Oh well, it's saved here per Doc's instructions if my AME really is that clueful and asks about it when I arrive.
So... is this silly thing smart enough to fill in stuff next year, or do you keep the PDF around for the comparison game again? Just curious. I'll keep the PDF anyway -- but just wondering how Medxpress Round #2 goes, and how smart the system is. Really not a big deal either way...
Looks like the appointment worked out, I'll sneak in exactly one day beneath my 40th birthday. Had just under another year left on the old one.
(Cue Tom D. complaining about "13 month annuals for humans", in 3... 2... 1... GRIN!)
Since there's nothing on there that should be a red flag, it'll be interesting to see if my AME is as clueful as Doc Bruce, and requests a copy of the saved copy ahead of time, or anything like that.
Impressions of the system...
Decent data entry website, seemed less fussy than IACRA, but still decided I was "logged out" and tossed that information inside of a field/DIV in the form about five minutes in. Had to log out, back in, and start over. Cute.
The system had me confirm the new Pilots Bill of Rights stuff twice, and then again on the "re-login" after it dumped me. Some might say it was thorough in its bugginess. LOL.
PDF saved from Safari File->Save As, was corrupted. Glad I checked before closing the page. Saved from floating icons at the bottom of the screen, fine. Apple Preview doesn't "like" the FAA's PDF format as much as Adobe Reader does. Prints better and looks better in Acrobat Reader, just FYI.
The security questions for the site are awful. Almost all stuff anyone could easily figure out about anyone. Sadly, that's the state of most "secure" websites these days. What a joke.
I typed the usual words, "Previously Reported, No Change" into the comments fields before realizing they'd provided a button for same. The label "PRNC" might be something folks doing it every six months for a 1st Class or the Docs might recognize, but I will admit, I didn't read the instructions and that one was semi-non-intuitive.
Why not just label the button with the words? It doesn't need to be in 24-point font like it is with four letters... sheesh. A checkbox with the text next to it would have worked just as well without a button.
Oh well, I caught it and hit the button, and apparently the FAA does capitalization differently than I was taught -- that's all that changed. One letter. I'm sure it'll make their DBA happier, though. Garbage in, garbage out.
Nothing else was difficult. My AME *is* smart enough to have provided a copy of the last application, even if he's stuck in the Dark Ages with a fax machine and none of the documents digitized (e-mail, hint hint!) and I had to hunt down a working fax machine at work... but comparing and making sure nothing got missed is always nice.
Somehow, I doubt my AME is as up to speed on Doc Bruce's save and review technique. His staffer certainly didn't mention it when I talked to him about this being the first time for me in Medxpress when I called about the copy of the last application. I suspect if the AME had instructed the staff to do that, they'd have said something right then.
Oh well, it's saved here per Doc's instructions if my AME really is that clueful and asks about it when I arrive.
So... is this silly thing smart enough to fill in stuff next year, or do you keep the PDF around for the comparison game again? Just curious. I'll keep the PDF anyway -- but just wondering how Medxpress Round #2 goes, and how smart the system is. Really not a big deal either way...
Looks like the appointment worked out, I'll sneak in exactly one day beneath my 40th birthday. Had just under another year left on the old one.
(Cue Tom D. complaining about "13 month annuals for humans", in 3... 2... 1... GRIN!)
