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William wrote:
Hartmut
We have no choice here but to split (and re-split) hairs if we do not wish to risk violations from unreasonable inspectors or giving our insurance carriers an easy way to avoid the financial responsibilities they purportedly accept in exchange for our premiums.
In the U.S. (and under its legal system) these "split hairs" determine whether or not a particular Ercoupe airframe is legal to operate in our new Sport Pilot category. I agree these distinctions may be of less significance elsewhere.
Regards,
William R. Bayne
<____|-(o)-|____>
(Copyright 2004)
We have no choice here but to split (and re-split) hairs if we do not wish to risk violations from unreasonable inspectors or giving our insurance carriers an easy way to avoid the financial responsibilities they purportedly accept in exchange for our premiums.
In the U.S. (and under its legal system) these "split hairs" determine whether or not a particular Ercoupe airframe is legal to operate in our new Sport Pilot category. I agree these distinctions may be of less significance elsewhere.
Regards,
William R. Bayne
<____|-(o)-|____>
(Copyright 2004)
My reply:
Simply said. In regards of GA, it is worse
elsewhere than in the US.
We can be happy that the Ercoupe made it into the
sport pilot definition in the US.
That would not have happened in
Europe.
To allow flying without a medical is just
unthinkable in Germany. They came out with a new law last year her, requiring
everyone who wants to fly to pass a so second class medical. This applies
even glider pilots. As you might have realized, GA pilots are often older folks,
making it hard to pass any medical exam. My brother reported that over the last
year one after the other plane got sold on his airport because the folks just
could not pass the exam. Those exams are not only raising the bar very
high but also cost a lot of money. As much as you pay for an
annual.
And if that is not enough we had a law passed here
to deal with security issues in aviation. Years after 9/11 , Germany decided
that they have to do something fast. So they changed the law in a way that the
airforce can now shoot airplanes out of the sky that are violating airspace . In
addition they require now anybody who wants to have access to airport areas
other than the normal public areas, to pass a security check by the German
equivalents of the FBI,CIA, local police and all criminal and traffic
violation databases plus they can ask your physician and also check your
wife in search for anything that could raise security concerns. They also judge
your political opinion and since someone has to pay for all that nonsense , they
make the pilots pay.
This check has to be repeated every year and adds a
few hundred bucks to your path of flying.
In a case that anyone of the involved bureaucrats
finds some evidence, you are declared a security risk, probably grounded for the
rest of your life and I am not sure whether you will ever fly again, even
the airlines with a mark like that.
For now, non of the problems arise for me. I fly a
US registered plane with an US license. I can fly and land at places my brother
can not, although it is his country and he paid twice as much as I did for the
license.
There are so many more ridiculous rules here, it's
a farce.
I can only hope that my stay is short in Germany
and that I can escape this nonsense in time.
Hartmut
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