Sport Pilots & Medicals - Honors System?

skyflyer8

skyflyer8

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Per the regs, a sport pilot can use a driver's license in lieu of a medical certificate unless their most recent medical certificate application was not denied, revoked, suspended or withdrawn. The driver's license option also applies to recreational or higher pilots who would like to operate as sport pilots.

If someone comes to me for sport pilot training, or an already-certificated pilot wants to rent our light-sport airplane, how do I know whether their last medical application was denied, revoked, suspended, or withdrawn? Is it on the honors system?

I'm supposed to document a renter's credentials such as pilot certificate, medical, flight review, and photo ID before handing over the keys, per our school's rules. If someone has a medical, great -- there's paper proof I can run through the copy machine. If the person doesn't have a medical, how can I prove they haven't lost their last medical? Would I have any liability in the case someone misrepresented their situation?
 
Good questions to ask your flight school's attorney, especially the liability issue if the person caused injury to a third party who will sue everybody and let the courts sort it out.
 
Would it be appropriate for the school, FBO or club to require an affidavit by the pilot stating they have not been denied a medical for any reason?

Or, even required just by the CFI since it can be their ticket on the line?
 
KennyFlys said:
Would it be appropriate for the school, FBO or club to require an affidavit by the pilot stating they have not been denied a medical for any reason?
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I suspect that this would get into the legal area of what constitutes due diligence on the part of the flight school. Absent precedent case law on point, it's anyone's guess what a jury would find in a liability case (there being no FAA enforcement issue regarding the flight school, just the pilot).

Or, even required just by the CFI since it can be their ticket on the line?
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Not sure how a flight instructor's ticket could be on the line. If the instructor is in the plane, the instructor is pretty much responsible regardless of the trainee's medical status. If the instructor is not in the plane, the instructor's liability is pretty much limited to whether or not the instructor fulfilled his/her duty to ensure the trainee was properly trained and the proper endorsements/certifications were entered in/on the trainee's log/SP cert. If the trainee later flies in violation of 61.23, the only question I can see would be whether the CFI properly taught that section, not whether the trainee lied to the CFI about past medical denials.
 
This is such a mess.
The airman really should sign a notarized statement testifying to lack of a denial, and present a letter from the family doc saying "no problem with flying a light sport aircraft". That would take the onus off the school.
 
bbchien said:
This is such a mess.
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Agreed, and I suddenly thought of this "mess" running a bunch of hypotheticals through my head in today's boredom.

Good comments / advice so far... am I correct in assuming that no, there isn't a way for me to find out whether someone's medical has been denied?
 
An AME can access it from the database. However unless the man has presented for an opinion or for an exam, he has no business looking....
 
Kate

The FAA airman certificate search at
http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/interactive_airmen_inquiry/,

will tell you the current class, restrictions, and date of their current medical. I don't know if it will show any denials, suspensions, or revocations. I do know that an expired medical shows up as "No Medical Information Available" or something to that effect. Seems to me, that the FAA should be able to put a single word status on the page (Expired, Suspended, Denied etc). It wouldn't invade privacy anymore than the restrictions they show on the page and it would solve the problem you're up against. I think I'll try to get it brought up at the next ASTM meeting and see if they can make a suggestion to the FAA.

In the interim, we make new students sign an experience sheet stating that they have never had a medical denied, revoked, suspended etc.

Is the Ercoupe up and flying? Should be fun!!!

Good Luck,

Mitch
 
maddog52 said:
Is the Ercoupe up and flying? Should be fun!!!
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The Ercoupe was moved more to the back burner over winter, but work has progressed slowly but surely. Engine is all put together with prop on and everything. Hasn't been run yet, but soon. Major work is all done now. Need to do a bunch with the interior like wiring, panel, and reinstalling the control column. (What interior color goes with a blue and yellow plane that has a black and red seat???) I'm keeping my fingers crossed for sometime in March. The before & after pictures are amazing even in the not-yet-finished state.

The Ercoupe is actually what made me think of the question for this thread, given that there is a lot of local interest in renting it.

I think a signed statement is a great idea. CMB... cover my behind!
 
Because of the fact that you are basically flying on the honor system anyway with your drivers license. You should come up with a signoff system of your own if you rent out your plane. Like some one said they need to come in with a doctors OK. This relieves you of the burden. I'm betting half the people that drive on good licenses wouldn't cut the mustard for safe piloting.

Dan
 
A few ideas on this:

Do you require renters to have renters' insurance? Ask your insurance carrier and the renters' insurance carrier what they expect in the way of documentation as to the sport pilot's medical eligibility.

Do the affidavit. It may not be a silver bullet, but it can't hurt. Have a standard form drafted by an aviation lawyer and keep them on hand as part of your written rental agreement package.

Ask your FSDO. Again, can't hurt. If you do not have a good rapport with the FSDO, ask a sport pilot designated examiner. They would have to face this issue. I have a friend who is one and I will ask him how he approaches this.

Good luck!

Drew Coats
KDWH
 
C&P from www.sportpilot.org

Official student pilot certificate
As your flight training progresses, you'll eventually need an official student pilot certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before you may fly solo. If you'd like, as an EAA member you can obtain that certificate in advance for free by attending an EAA event such as EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, or one of the several other air shows and fly-ins at which EAA exhibits. If you don't have an official student pilot certificate, most flight instructors or schools can direct you to a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) who can issue the student certificate at a cost of approximately $50. Or you can go to any FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) and get the certificate there.
 
bbchien said:
This is such a mess.
The airman really should sign a notarized statement testifying to lack of a denial, and present a letter from the family doc saying "no problem with flying a light sport aircraft". That would take the onus off the school.
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So then the flight school is in effect canceling the drivers license
medical privelege and requiring a trip to a doctor ($$$) for certification.

There is no way to protect against lawyers. They're going to go after
who ever they can.
 
RogerT said:
So then the flight school is in effect canceling the drivers license
medical privelege and requiring a trip to a doctor ($$$) for certification.

There is no way to protect against lawyers. They're going to go after
who ever they can.
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The flight school has assets and seeks to move the preponderance of the "usual care" duties to the student. It's just another straw in the handful of straws that a skilled attorney uses to make the flight school (can you say, possessor of assets) make look like a horses' patoot. Remember, Juries love it and really understand very little.

Part of the nonending battle to keep attorneys out of everyone's pockets. When you hear them talk at professional meetings, it's "where are there unplowed fields to sow?" as far a generation of revenue.
 
Hey Drew,

Good to see you popped over here, thanks for the response.
 
When you complete your Sport Pilot written exam, oral exam and check ride, have all signatures required and apply for your Airman Certificate with the FAA, don't they then find out if a medical was denied? All that info should be in the FAA system when you fill out the ICAO required information. So, when the Sport Pilot Airman Certificate is issued by the FAA that should be proof there was no denied medical in the past.
 
Do you check the medicals on all renters? I don't remember ever showing mine, but I guess I'm a known quantity to my home base.

The applicants for training don't need a medical unless they solo.
 
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We have to give copies of our cert, and each medical when issued to the FBO I rent from. Evidence of BFR or Wings is also required.
 
I found this from www.sportpilot.org. I always understood that it was on the pilot (student) to self-certify, I guess I thought that would take the instructor out of any potential liability beyond what he/she already has from instructing. (I underlined the part I was thinking about). But, you are probably right in that a lawyer will try to attack if something happens.



One of the great benefits of the sport pilot rule is that it requires only a valid state driver’s license to establish medical fitness. No more need for a third-class medical! Unfortunately, the rule includes one major exception: Existing pilots, including previous student pilots who have had their
most recent FAA medical certificate application denied, suspended, or revoked by the FAA, are not allowed to operate using their driver’s license. To qualify to use their valid state driver’s license, they must clear the denial from their airman record by obtaining a valid third-class medical certificate. Any time thereafter they may switch to using their driver’s license. Note that a special issuance is not a denial.

In addition, FAR 61.53 requires every pilot, from sport pilot to ATP, to self-certify medicalfitness to operate the aircraft in a safe manner before each flight. As pilots, it is our responsibility to ensure that our current medical health in no way jeopardizes the safety of a flight.​

This report can be found here http://www.sportpilot.org/learn/cfi_guide.pdf
It is pretty informative.​

​
 
wilst3 said:
When you complete your Sport Pilot written exam, oral exam and check ride, have all signatures required and apply for your Airman Certificate with the FAA, don't they then find out if a medical was denied? All that info should be in the FAA system when you fill out the ICAO required information. So, when the Sport Pilot Airman Certificate is issued by the FAA that should be proof there was no denied medical in the past.
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Good point, but that still doesn't cover the case of a solo student.
 
mikea said:
Do you check the medicals on all renters? I don't remember ever showing mine, but I guess I'm a known quantity to my home base.

The applicants for training don't need a medical unless they solo.
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Any FBO I've talked to about renting from required my license, proof of BFR, medical, and sometimes proof of insurance.
 
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