What can I do while I wait for my SI?

[Avdog]

I'm a medically grounded ATP and CFI going through the long process of getting an SI. I'm trying to think of ways to stay somewhat proficient, or even just a way to be in the cockpit as a "pilot monitoring" role, while not being a required crewmember. I know some people who own various types of planes ranging from SEP's to single pilot jets, could I sit right seat in them without a medical?

Any other suggestions?

Thank you all in advance.

 

[bbchien]

I wish there was an answer. The loss of currency is NOT in favor of aviation safety.
The loss of DPEs isn't in favor of avaition safety.
Nor is the loss of DMEs.....

Sigh.

 

[AvNavCom]

I know some people who own various types of planes ranging from SEP's to single pilot jets, could I sit right seat in them without a medical?

As long as you're not acting in any capacity that requires a medical certificate (e.g., as a required crewmember or as a CFI) and your (and your physician's) assessment of your medical condition is that it doesn't pose a threat to yourself or safety of flight, then I don't see any reason you can't sit in a right seat as a passenger. Numerous people routinely fly right-seat who have never darkened an AME's doorway, so there's no reason you can't fly as a passenger and keep your head in the game.

You don't give details as to what "grounded" means, but if your medical was otherwise good and you are just deferred pending SI issuance, you should be able to fly under BasicMed (including instructing as a CFI). This assumes, of course, that your condition is not one of the BasicMed SI-required conditions and that you otherwise meet BasicMed standards (i.e., your medical wasn't revoked or denied). Over to you to do that homework appropriately to figure out what you're qualified for.

 

[RussR]

It's pretty simple - you can do anything that does not require you to act as PIC (or SIC). Which means, you can do anything a non-pilot passenger can do. As long as the pilot is fully qualified, you can sit right seat, or sit left seat even. Fly the plane, fly the radios. It's no different from the pilot giving somebody a ride.

The difference is, you probably have useful advice that you can provide. Probably a thousand hours of my CFI time was spent doing things I didn't even need to be a CFI or have a medical to do, like avionics checkouts or refresher flights or helping a commercial student practice.

So there's quite a bit you can do, even as a CFI. You can actually exercise the privileges of your CFI cert without a medical as long as you're not a required crewmember. (Just be careful you know what the limitations are.)

 

[Avdog]

Thank you all for your responses.

I self grounded myself after some life events that caused me to need therapy, and I ended up getting on an SSRI. So I haven't applied for a medical since then (so no official deferral/denial), but I am obviously not eligible for a medical now, nor can I exercise the privileges of the one I have. My SSRI is one of the approved ones, so eventually I'll go down that route and get all the appropriate testing done. I would just love to do whaetever I can to get some flying done while I wait, as I know it'll take a long time.

But it sounds like I can sit right seat in an acquaintance's single pilot jet...?

 

[AvNavCom]

Thank you all for your responses.

I self grounded myself after some life events that caused me to need therapy, and I ended up getting on an SSRI. So I haven't applied for a medical since then (so no official deferral/denial), but I am obviously not eligible for a medical now, nor can I exercise the privileges of the one I have. My SSRI is one of the approved ones, so eventually I'll go down that route and get all the appropriate testing done. I would just love to do whaetever I can to get some flying done while I wait, as I know it'll take a long time.

But it sounds like I can sit right seat in an acquaintance's single pilot jet...?

Based on this, you qualify for BasicMed. Go educate yourself on that, get the physical examination done, and take the online course. After that, you can work as a CFI, fly PIC in any aircraft that meets the BasicMed standards, and fly in anything else as long as you're not a required crewmember. There's a ton of flying you can be doing now. Better yet, you can keep doing that flying while you get all of your ducks in a row for an SI submission and the subsequent adjudication process. Good luck!

 

[Gilbert Buettner]

As long as you're not acting in any capacity that requires a medical certificate (e.g., as a required crewmember or as a CFI)

As Russ stated earlier, a CFI does not need to have a medical certificate in order to instruct, provided the other pilot is qualified and acting as PIC. Therefore, you can give flight reviews as long as the other pilot has not allowed their flight review to expire.

 

[AvNavCom]

As Russ stated earlier, a CFI does not need to have a medical certificate in order to instruct, provided the other pilot is qualified and acting as PIC. Therefore, you can give flight reviews as long as the other pilot has not allowed their flight review to expire.

Right, but under BasicMed he can act as a CFI in any capacity, irrespective of the other pilot's qualifications.

 

[Lindberg]

Thank you all for your responses.

I self grounded myself after some life events that caused me to need therapy, and I ended up getting on an SSRI. So I haven't applied for a medical since then (so no official deferral/denial), but I am obviously not eligible for a medical now, nor can I exercise the privileges of the one I have.

Why not? And why not just do basic med? If you're not flying for a living or in commercial ops, you can be PIC and even CFI with basic med.

 

[RussR]

But it sounds like I can sit right seat in an acquaintance's single pilot jet...?

I don't understand why you'd think you couldn't. Your acquaintance's non-pilot spouse can sit in the right seat. Their 5-year old kid can sit there. Any random passenger can sit there. What makes you think anyone who happens to have a pilot certificate couldn't?

 

[midlifeflyer]

But it sounds like I can sit right seat in an acquaintance's single pilot jet...?

Some of your replies to the responses indicates a bit of over-thinking something pretty basic.

So long as your role does not involve being pilot in command or a required (by the FAA) crewmember, you can do pretty much anything and it does not matter which seat you are in unless the aircraft has a limitation requiring the pilot in command to be in the left seat,

Some of the things you can do:

Be the sole person hands-on flying so long as the pilot in command allows it (and the aircraft doesn't require two pilots).​

Receive instruction.​

Give instruction, even a flight review, to a pilot who is capable, willing, and current to act as PIC.​

Be a passenger.​

Some of the things you can't do:

Be the second pilot in an aircraft that requires more than one pilot.​

Be a safety pilot.​

Give instruction to a pilot who is under the hood.​

Give a flight review to a non-current pilot.​

Train someone for the HP, complex, or tailwheel endorsement.​

Notice that there is one and only one thing differentiating those two lists. Your status as PIC or required (by the FAA) crew.

 

[brcase]

Things I could do....
Commercial Pilot Training
CFI Pilot Training
Flight Review for pilots who's FR's hadn't expired yet.
Tow pilot Checkouts
Fly my glider
Fly Light Sport Aircraft
Training in Light Sport Aircraft.
Training in Gliders
Provide an IPC in instrument conditions as long as pilot is still current.

I wish they would update the rules to allow for providing instrument instruction in VFR conditions.

Brian