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FAA & BMI: MUCH AD0-doo about nothing
- Thread starter N4843W
- Start date
Re: FAA & BMI: MUCH AD0-doo about nothing
A friend of mine airplane is grounded. He sent in the paperwork but due to the backlog it has not been processed.
Folks can spin it anyway they want to suit their idea of acceptance but the fact is planes are grounded and just because AOPA is not getting calls means nothing. In fact, why would anyone call the AOPA to get their certificate.
A friend of mine airplane is grounded. He sent in the paperwork but due to the backlog it has not been processed.
Folks can spin it anyway they want to suit their idea of acceptance but the fact is planes are grounded and just because AOPA is not getting calls means nothing. In fact, why would anyone call the AOPA to get their certificate.
Georgetown, DE
- Aircraft Year
- 1975
- Aircraft Type
- 112-390
- Reg Number
- N1410J
- Serial Number
- 410
Re: FAA & BMI: MUCH AD0-doo about nothing
"He showed me the memo from the Feds that said they are to stand down on this temporarily but they will be resuming the push later. According to my union and my AME who heard it on a FAA AME conference call in October, the FAA wishes to test down to a BMI of 25 eventually."
This would be truly frightening. I can imagine this affecting the majority of pilots, certainly those over 40. Wow!
"He showed me the memo from the Feds that said they are to stand down on this temporarily but they will be resuming the push later. According to my union and my AME who heard it on a FAA AME conference call in October, the FAA wishes to test down to a BMI of 25 eventually."
This would be truly frightening. I can imagine this affecting the majority of pilots, certainly those over 40. Wow!
MSBradley
New member
Waterford, MI
- Aircraft Year
- 1976
- Aircraft Type
- 114
- Reg Number
- N4732W
- Serial Number
- 14062
Re: FAA & BMI: MUCH AD0-doo about nothing
Our relationship with the FAA reminds me of a story I once heard about a frustrated airline captain who thought he was getting too many punitive vectors:
"Am I here because you're there, or is it the other way around?"
I personally know of one poor former pilot who was unreasonably denied his medical because of a years-ago medical episode (I can't remember the details) and had to sell his nice turbo Saratoga and get out of aviation. Very sad and unnecessary.
Like it or not, our aviation endeavors are viewed as fat-cat luxury by the great unwashed (no reference to BMI). That makes it political. We are relatively few and the majority would care not if none of us could fly our little gas-guzzling, lead-fuel burning, annoying-when-they-fly-over-MY-house airplanes.
I say: no quarter can be given in the fight to retain our right (privilege? permission?) to fly. Sorry if my sarcasm gets the best of me sometimes, but my business depends upon my ability to get where I'm going and my little spam-can is the only way I can easily do it.
The threat of being cut off by some bureaucrat because they decided for me that I am an unsafe pilot rankles a little.
Our relationship with the FAA reminds me of a story I once heard about a frustrated airline captain who thought he was getting too many punitive vectors:
"Am I here because you're there, or is it the other way around?"
I personally know of one poor former pilot who was unreasonably denied his medical because of a years-ago medical episode (I can't remember the details) and had to sell his nice turbo Saratoga and get out of aviation. Very sad and unnecessary.
Like it or not, our aviation endeavors are viewed as fat-cat luxury by the great unwashed (no reference to BMI). That makes it political. We are relatively few and the majority would care not if none of us could fly our little gas-guzzling, lead-fuel burning, annoying-when-they-fly-over-MY-house airplanes.
I say: no quarter can be given in the fight to retain our right (privilege? permission?) to fly. Sorry if my sarcasm gets the best of me sometimes, but my business depends upon my ability to get where I'm going and my little spam-can is the only way I can easily do it.
The threat of being cut off by some bureaucrat because they decided for me that I am an unsafe pilot rankles a little.
TKutchera
New member
Tucson, AZ
- Aircraft Year
- 1978
- Aircraft Type
- 114
- Reg Number
- N114SM
- Serial Number
- 14442
Re: FAA & BMI: MUCH AD0-doo about nothing
Heres an update from ALPA regarding some legislation forcing the Feds to use the NRPM about sleep apnea.
Tim
ALPA Applauds Sleep Apnea Legislation Approval by U.S. House: Calls on Senate to Pass Bipartisan Legislation Swiftly
WASHINGTON—The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) issued the following statement in support of legislation that today passed the U.S. House of Representatives, which requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to follow the appropriate rulemaking process in order to make any changes to medical certification for pilots and air traffic controllers with regard to sleep apnea.
“ALPA applauds the United States House of Representatives for passing bipartisan legislation [H.R. 3578] that ensures that any FAA policy changes to a pilot’s medical certificate related to sleep apnea will go through a proper rulemaking process that includes input from industry stakeholders. We appreciate Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA) for their leadership in shepherding this bill quickly through the House. Now that the bill has been passed by the House with overwhelming support, we call on the Senate for similar approval. Today’s action by the House brings the industry one step closer to maintaining a fair and reasonable approach to medical screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).
“The FAA had proposed to require that Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI) for each pilot and air traffic controller, requiring that applicants with a BMI of 40 or more be evaluated by a physician who is a board certified sleep specialist. ALPA believes that this single-criteria approach should be replaced by one which takes into account the pilot’s medical history, and one which provides ample time for a pilot who suffers from OSA to address it before putting his or her medical certificate at risk.
“A medical certificate for a commercial airline pilot is their livelihood, and any actions taken to change or alter the requirements to acquire or retain one needs to be thoroughly discussed in advance with leading industry stakeholders including ALPA.”
Heres an update from ALPA regarding some legislation forcing the Feds to use the NRPM about sleep apnea.
Tim
ALPA Applauds Sleep Apnea Legislation Approval by U.S. House: Calls on Senate to Pass Bipartisan Legislation Swiftly
WASHINGTON—The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) issued the following statement in support of legislation that today passed the U.S. House of Representatives, which requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to follow the appropriate rulemaking process in order to make any changes to medical certification for pilots and air traffic controllers with regard to sleep apnea.
“ALPA applauds the United States House of Representatives for passing bipartisan legislation [H.R. 3578] that ensures that any FAA policy changes to a pilot’s medical certificate related to sleep apnea will go through a proper rulemaking process that includes input from industry stakeholders. We appreciate Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA) for their leadership in shepherding this bill quickly through the House. Now that the bill has been passed by the House with overwhelming support, we call on the Senate for similar approval. Today’s action by the House brings the industry one step closer to maintaining a fair and reasonable approach to medical screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).
“The FAA had proposed to require that Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI) for each pilot and air traffic controller, requiring that applicants with a BMI of 40 or more be evaluated by a physician who is a board certified sleep specialist. ALPA believes that this single-criteria approach should be replaced by one which takes into account the pilot’s medical history, and one which provides ample time for a pilot who suffers from OSA to address it before putting his or her medical certificate at risk.
“A medical certificate for a commercial airline pilot is their livelihood, and any actions taken to change or alter the requirements to acquire or retain one needs to be thoroughly discussed in advance with leading industry stakeholders including ALPA.”