|
Thanks Bill,
It's a crazy world!
I'm moving to LS Category and RAA ( Aust) has nominated me
as an Instructor - Instructor to what/ of what I don't know. It may be
because I hold a PPL and have made enquiries in regard to the proposed new
LSC.
The only thing they have been able to tell me so far is
that, it's similar to the US - LSA but not the same as the current
Australian legislation doesn't allow it to be exactly the
same.
The weight is the same, there's no speed limit, the stall
is the same but I notice they mentioned that the stall speed had to be in
landing configuration (here in Aust).
I can get the stall speed in the Vision to meet the regs
but may need to use leading edge slots, which pushes the nose way-up and landing
in that configuration limits forward visibility. I'm yet to determine if that
meets proper landing configuration - I suspect it doesn't!
I'm keen to get into LSC as I've had trouble in the past
getting my medical approval due to treatment of my PTSD, attributed to my
Service in Vietnam. So I guess I'm one of those 'social leaches' who has
been forced into early retirement and doesn't deserve to fly
anyway!
George (down under)
According the the LSA rules over here, if you have
*lost* your medical, you do not qualify for LSA rules, however if you let it
expire, and move to LSA, that is okay. Peculiar, but okay.
Bill Schertz
KIS Cruiser # 4045
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2005 2:13
AM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: FAA - we're
here to help you
Mike,
We must have different rules down here!
If you lose your medical, you can still drive your car
and you only need a Car licence for Light Sport category
- to my knowledge. Although it's not due to be implemented here in
Australia until September, there could be some guidelines as you
indicate.
I know people with blood pressure and Diabetes lose
their medical - but doesn't stop them from driving their cars.
George ( down under)
IF you LOSE your medical, you can NOT indeed drive
your car and still fly a sport/light. If your medical is revoked you are
through flying anything but 103 ultralights. This is going to get a LOT of
guys fried. If you have a know diagnosed illness that would preclude you
getting a medical, you CANNOT fly a sport/light even if you have a drivers
lisence. If you have a medical and fly with a know deficiency, it is the
same as NOT having a medical, even if you do not see a doctor. Fair or
not, that's the rules and those who try to skirt the rules and get caught
are going to be in a hell of a mess. Mike C.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2005 7:09
PM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Re: FAA -
we're here to help you
Kevin,
Being on a Disability pension don't stop you
flying a plane. It may make it harder to get a medical clearance and you
won't get a clearance if your on Medication, such as mind bending drugs
e.g. Pilots with past Depression and Bipolar can get Medicals -
Paranoid Schizophrenia is only controlled by mind bending drugs, so
that one's a NO NO!
One must be upfront with the details however -
some have suggested that it's easier to lie than get a medical with past
medical conditions. I notice a lot of chaps losing their medicals for
Diabetes and Blood Pressure etc.
However you can still drive a car and fly Light
Sport Category.
George ( down under)
Saw this in today's _New York Times_.
July 20,
2005
U.S. Says 46 Pilots Lied to Obtain Their Licenses
By
CAROLYN MARSHALL
SAN FRANCISCO, July 19 - Prosecutors in Northern
California have
charged 46 pilots with lying to federal authorities
to obtain airplane
licenses, in most cases not disclosing
debilitating illnesses that
should have kept them
grounded.
The pilots, who were indicted this week by grand
juries in the eastern
and northern federal districts of California,
were identified during
an 18-month criminal air traffic safety
investigation by the
Department of Transportation and the Social
Security Administration
that looked into licensed pilots who were
also receiving disability
benefits and payments from the
government.
The investigation, initiated in July 2003, included
a review of more
than 40,000 pilot licenses issued in Northern
California to determine
whether there had been any misuse or abuse
of Social Security numbers.
The authorities reviewed licenses held
by both commercial and private
pilots and found that some license
applicants claimed to be medically
fit to fly an airplane yet were
simultaneously receiving disability
benefits.
"The fraud and
falsification allegedly committed by these individuals
is extremely
serious and adversely affects the public interest in air
safety,"
said Nicholas Sabatini, an associate administrator with the
Federal
Aviation Administration.
Charles H. Lee Jr., an assistant
inspector general for investigations
at the Department of
Transportation, said the reviewers first focused
their
investigation on 48 pilots, most of whom were receiving
disability
payments for illnesses like paranoid schizophrenia,
bipolar
disorder and disabling heart conditions.
One case,
Mr. Lee said, even involved someone who exhibited severe
suicidal
tendencies.
"To get their certificates, these people had to lie
or falsify
paperwork," Mr. Lee said. "The F.A.A. has rules and
regulations
regarding medical conditions and deemed that all 48 had
medical
disabilities that would have disqualified them from holding
pilot
certificates."
Two cases were dropped, Mr. Lee said,
one because the pilot died. He
declined to comment about whether
similar investigations were under
way in other states.
Of
the 46 pilots that Mr. Lee said were charged, 7 held
commercial
pilot certificates that would have allowed them to fly
as well as
carry cargo; another 4 pilots held air transportation
pilot
certificates which would let them transport
passengers.
Of the remaining indicted pilots, 28 had private
pilot licenses, and 7
had student licenses.
A charge of
lying to the federal authorities carries a penalty of up
to five
years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A charge of falsifying
records
carries a penalty of up to one year in prison and a
$100,000
fine.
According to court documents, the pilots who
were indicted failed to
provide accurate medical history forms, as
required by the F.A.A., in
some cases lying about a previous
illness or claiming that there had
been no previous medical
diagnosis or treatment for conditions that
the pilots knew they
had.
Laura Brown, a spokeswoman for the F.A.A., said that
pilots could
obtain a license only after they submit oral and
written tests and
current medical certificates. Those certificates
can be issued only by
an aviation medical examiner registered with
the agency. Certain
medical conditions would disqualify an
applicant from receiving a
license.
"The reason we have
disqualifying conditions is to ensure that pilots
are not a danger
to others, in the air or on the ground," Ms. Brown
said.
Ms.
Brown said that the pilots were charged with either making
false
statements to a federal official or delivering to a federal
official a
false written record. She added that 14 of the pilots
held active
pilot licenses, which were immediately
revoked.
The remaining pilots had licenses that had either
lapsed or were
missing current information, which would not prevent
them from flying
a private plane.
"It's similar to when
people go out and drive cars without a license,
or drive cars when
intoxicated," Ms. Brown said. "It's illegal but
they do
it."
At least one of the indicted pilots appeared in Federal
District Court
in Sacramento on Tuesday. The remaining pilots will
be arraigned
individually in the coming weeks.
|