----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
Folks
-
One
important issue that we have to remember is that a medical certificate has never
(in recent history, at least) been required for glider or balloon pilots in the
U.S. Our FAA has always been more lenient about medical issues than most
countries have been. Medicals are required for glider pilots in Europe,
for instance.
When
you do a study of the number of accidents caused by medical problems, the figure
is approximately 1/10th of 1 percent - a number so small as to be statistically
insignificant. The number is the SAME for powered aircraft, where a
medical has been required, and for gliders, where it is not.
Then,
go one step further - you can make a very valid argument that the glider pilot
population has many in it who are less healthy than the power pilot community,
and cannot pass a medical, hence, they took up glider flying to at least still
fly something. Our glider club, one of the largest in the nation, has many
such members. Yet, that % of medically related accidents is the
same.
Also,
the soaring community is much older than power pilots. I would venture to
say that the average age in our glider club is at least 60, maybe a few years
older. We have many in their 70s, and a few in their 80s, still flying
gliders and doing so safely.
I have
a friend who was a member of the consensus standards committee for the sport
pilot rule. He told me that the whole idea behind the performance and
weight limits for sport aircraft was to manage the kinetic energy of such
aircraft, and keep the inevitable accidents from being major (except to the poor
soul involved).
Hence,
everyone knows that there will be accidents - there always are. But unless
the historical numbers just don't play out, very few of them will have anything
to do with the pilot's medical history.
As a
glider pilot, and power pilot for many decades, I don't think a Coupe, Champ, or
Cub type airplane is any more demanding to fly than a high performance sailplane
- so the numbers ought to be the same.
Just
my perspective on the issue. I'm certainly not advocating that a pilot fly
anything when he shouldn't. But, I doubt if the lack of a medical, itself,
will have a major effect. What I fear more is the pilot who isn't
proficient, or well trained.
Jerry
E.
-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Burkhead [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2005 9:45 PM
To: Coupe-List
Subject: RE: [COUPERS-FLYIN] more sport pilot----[Please read http://ercoupers.com/disclaimer.htm before following any advice in this forum.]----
JM,
As with all liberal rules, it’ll depend on the quality and honesty of the users. If too many of us crash due to medical problems, the driver’s license “medical” will be history.
Ed Burkhead
http://edburkhead.com
ed -at- edburkheadQQQ.com (change -at- and remove the QQQ)
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