The medical issue and rogue pilots

Bill

Bill

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So, as some of us wait for some kind of supposed medical reform, I wonder what percentage of spamcan pilots are rogue pilots, i.e., flying without a valid medical. Anyone want to hazard a guess?
 
Probably directly proportional to those driving without a license or insurance.
 
old cfi said:
Probably directly proportional to those driving without a license or insurance.
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Not necessarily. I'd wager most of those denied medicals or with expensive SI processes possess valid drivers license and insurance.
 
Hard to even hazard a guess,untill they get checked,no one will know.
 
frfly172 said:
Hard to even hazard a guess,untill they get checked,no one will know.
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If someone gets curious they might know because your last medical date is public in the FAA database.
 
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What percentage of accident investigations have revealed a pilot flying without a medical?
 
What's the worst the FAA can do if you get caught caught flying with a lapsed medical? What do they usually do?

Also, how many pilots are out there with valid medicals that they got by shall we say forgetting certain issues on the application and/or being good friends with an AME?
 
In Harrison, AR when I was there...about a third.

When I was working in GA and AL, the same, maybe more.

In Ohio, maybe 20%.

This area, I don't know, haven't met enough pilots to have an adequate sampling.

I believe it was Larry who told the story about a local pilot's club meeting of some sort in Nebraska...where all but one in the room admitted to being "rogue" in some way. (My memory is foggy, it's been a while, but I think one was the correct number.)
 
I believe that most FSDO have less than a full staff of inspectors, they have better things to do other than ramp checks.
 
What happens if your are caught flying without a medical. What happens really, not what could happen.
 
Civil disobedience, GA-style.
I like it.
If a rule is not providing a benefit, what is the point of the rule?
Other than to give purpose to an overbearing government.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Civil disobedience, GA-style.
I like it.
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Then I take it you are all for unlicensed and uninsured drivers on the road as well. :rolleyes:

Let'sgoflying! said:
If a rule is not providing a benefit, what is the point of the rule?
Other than to give purpose to an overbearing government.
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Same with automobiles. What right does a state have to require a license, right? :dunno: The roads should be open to anyone who wants to get behind the wheel, right?

Same with aviation, why should a minimum standard be set to get in an aircraft and go fly? :dunno:


:rolleyes2:
 
SkyDog58 said:
What percentage of accident investigations have revealed a pilot flying without a medical?
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valittu said:
Great question. :popcorn:
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Actually it's not. At least I don't think it is. At least not if your implying that it's representative of how many rogue pilots are out there.

The reason being...

Almost all rogue pilots I knew flew locally only, at most a 100nm trip to a fly-in, and only on nice VFR days. These aren't the type of trips that generate accident reports.
 
Bill Jennings said:
So, as some of us wait for some kind of supposed medical reform, I wonder what percentage of spamcan pilots are rogue pilots, i.e., flying without a valid medical. Anyone want to hazard a guess?
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Nationwide.... I am going to guess 28.6%.....:yes:
 
RotorAndWing said:
Suspension of pilot's license. Then if caught again, revocation of license.

Caught again? Civil fines and possible jail time.
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Integrity aside, that seems like a completely reasonable risk to run if you can't get a medical or would have to spend thousands on special issuance. Seems like ramp checks are a once in a lifetime event for most people. You get caught once and your certificate gets suspended? Doesn't change much, does it?
 
SkyDog58 said:
What percentage of accident investigations have revealed a pilot flying without a medical?
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valittu said:
Great question. :popcorn:
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I've personally investigated 3.

cowman said:
Integrity aside, that seems like a completely reasonable risk to run if you can't get a medical or would have to spend thousands on special issuance. Seems like ramp checks are a once in a lifetime event for most people. You get caught once and your certificate gets suspended? Doesn't change much, does it?
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Maybe, maybe not. Kinda goes along the line "Do you feel lucky?"
 
RotorAndWing said:
Suspension of pilot's license. Then if caught again, revocation of license.

Caught again? Civil fines and possible jail time.
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Ok but I would imagine the reason they are flying without a medical is because they can't obtain one for some reason. So losing your license shouldn't be a big deal since you were flying illegally anyway.


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I'd imagine your insurance company might have something to say should you try and file a claim without a current medical.
 
mirage00 said:
Ok but I would imagine the reason they are flying without a medical is because they can't obtain one for some reason. So losing your license shouldn't be a big deal since you were flying illegally anyway.


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Except now you've opened yourself up for enforcement. Get caught again and the penalty gets higher.

BTW, most people are caught flying without a medical or certificate by either a pilot deviation report, an incident or accident, or the ever popular having someone rat you out. It happens more than you think.
 
I would think the temptation is greater if you already owned the airplane. Especially if owned without a loan and you are a good amateur mechanic.

I lost mine and it makes flying a rare treat since I have to pay for a CFI to tag along. I try to make each one count. My last was early this year and I used it to fly a "glass panel" C172. Previously I went on a couple of aerobatic trips. Unless I'm doing a lot of IFR cross-country I don't see the value of the fancy glass.
 
Bill Jennings said:
So, as some of us wait for some kind of supposed medical reform, I wonder what percentage of spamcan pilots are rogue pilots, i.e., flying without a valid medical. Anyone want to hazard a guess?
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I fly without a medical. How does that make me a "rogue pilot"?
 
SkyDog58 said:
What percentage of accident investigations have revealed a pilot flying without a medical?
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Most NTSB reports don't provide the status of the pilots medical certificate - particularly non-fatal accidents. I don't know if that means they didn't check, or the pilot had a medical which makes it a not-worth-the-ink thing.
Fatal accidents are most likely to have the pilots last medical date.

But, even if you look at fatal accidents only, it is likely that it will take a while to find one where the medical is expired or non-existent.

If I were to through out an off the wall guess based on my random reading, I would say about a couple percent or less of the accident reports will give information that leads one to believe that the pilot did not have a valid medical.
 
It seems to me that the bigger risk is the threat of litigation following an accident. If someone gets hurt or suffers significant property damage, and the pilot is flying illegally, it could go very badly (very costly).

If the joy you get from flying outweighs the risk of losing significant financial assets, then go fly. But consider those risks carefully, especially if you have a family that depends on you.
 
Yeti Niner Five said:
It seems to me that the bigger risk is the threat of litigation following an accident.

especially if you have a family that depends on you.
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This is probably a far stronger deterrent to going rogue than anything the FAA would do to you.
 
SkyDog58 said:
What percentage of accident investigations have revealed a pilot flying without a medical?
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Not sure, but I've read plenty of them where the "accident pilot" was taking an unreported, disqualifying medication. Puh-lenty of them. One was a surgeon who wiped out his whole family flying hard IFR in a twin while on an absolute ton of hydrocodone. I've also read plenty of accident reports involving a commercial pilot flying for pay (class 2 or above) who were found after the fact to have been flying while taking an unreported, disqualifying medication.
 
cowman said:
Integrity aside, that seems like a completely reasonable risk to run if you can't get a medical or would have to spend thousands on special issuance. Seems like ramp checks are a once in a lifetime event for most people. You get caught once and your certificate gets suspended? Doesn't change much, does it?
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No, but having your life insurance invalidated (or your aircraft insurance), you being sued, your estate being sued, etc. does change things.
 
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