Sport Pilot Medical - Learners Permit?

[BillTIZ]

Ok.. we all know the Sport Pilot only requires a "Drivers License Medical", absent of that.. all the reading I can find refers to either the Drivers License Medical or a standard Class III.

I have not called the FSDO yet... that's next.

The question. The young Sport Pilot Student is too young or has not yet completed his practical road test for his State regulated and issued Automobile Drivers License. But he has his "Learners Permit".

So what to do, the young sport pilot student is about ready to solo, no "approved" medical in hand. Student pilot certificate (no medical) issued by either the FSDO or DPE.

Does the Automobile Learner's Permit qualify for the "Drivers License Medical"?
The student has already passed the state medical qualifications to hold a drivers license based on the issue of the learners permit.

 

[bbchien]

Needs a DL, Bill. 61.30Xs

 

[poadeleted20]

Needs a DL, Bill.

...or a Third Class medical. If you have a Sport Pilot trainee who doesn't have a DL for age or any other reason, s/he will have to get the combined Third Class/Student certificate to solo and take the Sport Pilot practical test, and carry that medical when exercising those privileges until s/he obtains a valid DL.

 

[BillTIZ]

...or a Third Class medical. If you have a Sport Pilot trainee who doesn't have a DL for age or any other reason, s/he will have to get the combined Third Class/Student certificate to solo and take the Sport Pilot practical test, and carry that medical when exercising those privileges until s/he obtains a valid DL.

Thanks all.. that was what I was finding too.. but I thought I'd bounce it off some of the experience around here.

The issue, a student is looking to get a Sport Pilots license. He is concerned about the Class III because many years ago he had some epilepsy episodes. I don't know more than that. He's been fine for years and on Meds.

He'll be taking his drivers license soon.. I have suggested he contact his doctor about both driving and flying. He's not my student.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Thanks all.. that was what I was finding too.. but I thought I'd bounce it off some of the experience around here.

The issue, a student is looking to get a Sport Pilots license. He is concerned about the Class III because many years ago he had some epilepsy episodes. I don't know more than that. He's been fine for years and on Meds.

He'll be taking his drivers license soon.. I have suggested he contact his doctor about both driving and flying. He's not my student.

Have him wait. If all he's interested in is the sport certificate, there's no good reason I can think of for him to take the risk of failing an FAA medical and being ineligible for sport privileges.

 

[poadeleted20]

The issue, a student is looking to get a Sport Pilots license. He is concerned about the Class III because many years ago he had some epilepsy episodes. I don't know more than that. He's been fine for years and on Meds.

He'll be taking his drivers license soon.. I have suggested he contact his doctor about both driving and flying. He's not my student.

Good suggestion -- right in line with what the Federal Air Surgeon has to say about stuff like that.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Thanks all.. that was what I was finding too.. but I thought I'd bounce it off some of the experience around here.

The issue, a student is looking to get a Sport Pilots license. He is concerned about the Class III because many years ago he had some epilepsy episodes. I don't know more than that. He's been fine for years and on Meds.

He'll be taking his drivers license soon.. I have suggested he contact his doctor about both driving and flying. He's not my student.

If he's not safe flying due to this medical condition, then I would argue that he isn't safe driving a car since you are always operating in much closer proximity to things to hit in a car.

 

[ClimbnSink]

Possible to go state shopping for DLs? Any relatives in nearby farm states that allow 14 year olds to drive? Claim to live there and get a DL. The way they are going up here it'll be 21 to drive in the Northeastern states soon.

 

[poadeleted20]

FWIW, in Maryland, if you have epilepsy (or one of 19 other conditions all very similar to the disqualifying conditions for an FAA medical), you must be approved by Driver Wellness & Safety and/or the Medical Advisory Board to get a Learner's Permit or DL. See http://www.mva.maryland.gov/About-MVA/INFO/26200/26200-03T.htm for more on that. However, if the trainee we're discussing already has a Learner's Permit, that issue should already be resolved.

 

[Ozzie]

After reading this thread, I understand that a Learner's Permit will not suffice to get me in the air alone. But what about a Provisional Driver's License? I haven't been able to find any information about the aforementioned bill that does not allow a learner's permit alone to be used for soloing. "Provisional Driver's License" does have the words Driver's License in there, and it seems that the only real difference between that and a full license for holders over the age of 18 is what will happen if you are convicted of breaking a driving-related law. Can anyone tell me if this is enough to get me in the air?

 

[poadeleted20]

After reading this thread, I understand that a Learner's Permit will not suffice to get me in the air alone. But what about a Provisional Driver's License? I haven't been able to find any information about the aforementioned bill that does not allow a learner's permit alone to be used for soloing. "Provisional Driver's License" does have the words Driver's License in there, and it seems that the only real difference between that and a full license for holders over the age of 18 is what will happen if you are convicted of breaking a driving-related law. Can anyone tell me if this is enough to get me in the air?

I see nothing in the regs which indicates that it is not good enough, as long as it lets you drive by yourself on public roads.

 

[Ozzie]

I see nothing in the regs which indicates that it is not good enough, as long as it lets you drive by yourself on public roads.

I really hope you're right about that. I've been waiting far too long to go soloing.

Edit: Where do you find the regulations to which you are referring? Apparently, I have a poor search technique, and being able to find them easily in the future would surely be of benefit.

 

[poadeleted20]

I really hope you're right about that. I've been waiting far too long to go soloing.

Edit: Where do you find the regulations to which you are referring? Apparently, I have a poor search technique, and being able to find them easily in the future would surely be of benefit.

In your FAR/AIM book or on line at http://rgl.faa.gov/ -- then look for regulation 61.3. If you need positive confirmation, call your local FSDO, but you may have to wait four months while they check with the Chief Counsel's office, because as far as I can tell, this question has not been asked of the Chief Counsel before.

 

[BillTIZ]

I see nothing in the regs which indicates that it is not good enough, as long as it lets you drive by yourself on public roads.

I'm thinking the same thing. Some states issue "limited" auto licenses. Individual too young to hold a regular license, but a limited license will allow them to drive to school or work with no pax other than immediate family. Some areas call it a "farm license" in country areas only.

But I would think they would suffice for LSA flying.

 

[denverpilot]

Colorado has a required number of "supervised" hours before a full license is issued nowadays, friends with kids tell me.

The one with twins had to make up reasons to go places to get them both finished up around the same time.

Also can only drive siblings around until some number of logged hours too, no friends. Or something like that.

"Drivers Ed" no longer is an available paid-extra high-school class like it was back in the day. It's a booming very expensive business done privately where you send the kids to someplace "approved" by your insurance company or you pay them through the nose.

Or so I hear...

Sure a lot different than my "learner's permit" where you had it but didn't have to even log one second of driving time.

I also drove around the pig farm for two summers before it was technically legal for me to do so, 'cause that's just what you do on farms. Grandpa's Toyota carried a lot of fence posts and barbed wire around to where we'd pound 'em in and run the wires.

Pestered parents to let me drive everywhere once the learner's permit was done. They let me.

I waited to whack a pillar in a parking garage into the passenger side door of the Chevy until long after I had my real license. Mom was in the passenger seat. She wasn't too amused.

I got to do more busboy and dishes at the local Italian food place to pay for the higher insurance costs the next year, too... as well as buying my first car... A beater 1974 Toyota Corolla liftback... Which needed a new head put in it the next year and a burnt valve replaced, as well as carb work. Grandpa taught me how to do that in his driveway.

Now that he's passed, that silly piece of wood with some bailing wire holding the burnt valve and two Polaroid photos of us working under the carport that summer, is a cherished keepsake. I learned that cussing helps extract rusted bolts too.

Good lessons, all.

 

[poadeleted20]

Word from AFS-810, as to their intent when they wrote the rule -- any "drivers license" whether junior, provisional, whatever, is OK as long as it allows you to drive by yourself.