THIRD CLASS MEDICAL REFORM...A DISASTER????

AOPA and the EAA have worked on 3rd class medical reform for several years. This week the Bill finally passed in Committee in the Senate and is now forwarded to the floor for a full vote of the Senate. If passed the Bill will move to the House for approval and when approved move to the President for his signature.

The Bill states that anyone who has had a medical in the past 10 years after the Bill becomes law will no longer be required to take a 3rd class medical to fly any airplane: has 6 or fewer seats; fly's under 250 knots; less than 18,000 feet; weighs less than 6000 pounds; day and night; VFR and IFR. Any new pilot or someone who has not had a medical within 10 years after the Bill becomes law, will have to take a one time medical from an AME. If the FAA does nothing, the Bill becomes Law after one year of being signed by the President.

The new requirements to fly without a 3rd class medical are to see a physician at least once every 4 years and take a free online course every 2 years. These requirements were added after the Bill looked like it would not pass in Committee to go to the full Senate for a vote. This is not the same as self certification that glider and light sport pilots have. Sometimes you have to give up something to get a lot more. I think this is the best deal pilots could have gotten to get the Bill to the full Senate.

One item that was added at the last minute is a deal breaker in my opinion. I had never seen or heard of the below listed medical sheet until the Bill passed the Committee. It must have been added at the last minute.

I talked to several doctors this morning and they were all of the opinion, that as a GP, they could not sign off several items on this list. They stated to sign off on spine, a MRI would be needed; for vascular system a whole workup would be needed, Anus would require a recent colonoscopy exam, Psychiatric would need to an appointment with a psychologist and so on. No pun intended, but this just does not fly!

If the above stands as written, in my opinion, it would just be a lot easier to obtain a new 3rd class medical. Most of the items are not required for a 3rd class medical. Somebody worked really hard to sabotage this Bill, and that is a real shame. I hope that I can be proven wrong, but I seriously doubt it.