From: raveling@Unify.com (Paul Raveling)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation.soaring,rec.aviation.student
Subject: Re: Glider medicals (was Re: medical certificate)
Date: 6 Oct 92 19:38:56 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Unify Corporation (Sacramento)

In article <BvIByt.2xo@taligent.com>, cep@taligent.com (Christophe Pettus) writes:
> 
> While it is true that you are not required to obtain a medical
> certificate before you can get a glider rating, you are required to
> sign a self-certification that you have no condition that would make
> you unable to perform you duties as PIC of a glider.  Any known
> condition that would result in the denial of a third class medical
> certificate would probably make you unable to sign that
> self-certification.

	There are a couple classes of issues here that make it reasonable
	to self-certify when the FAA under its current standards would
	forever deny issuance of a medical certificate.  I'm an example
	of the two sets of issues that I'm thinking of.

	One is that the FAA routinely denies medicals because of clinical
	history that may be irrelevant to  a pilot's current medical
	situation.  Unfortunately the judgement of whether past history
	is relevant often is best confirmed from hindsight.

	  In my case it was a clinical history of nocturnal epilepsy,
	  and the FAA is EXTREMELY concerned about any sign of problems
	  with the brain.  From 1975 through '77 I went through the appeals
	  for an exemption from the relevant section of Part 67 and lost.
	  This was despite (a) deliberately taking a 2nd class medical
	  exam instead of 3rd class, and passing with flying colors;
	  (b) getting fresh neurological exams, including EEG's with photic
	  stimulation, that showed no problem; and (c) having had no problem
	  since age 17 (I was 31 in 1975, 33 by the time the appeal process
	  ended). My only medical problem was what I reported on the
	  application form about past history.

	The second issue is whether a given medical problem affects
	flying.  At times over the years I've looked into my own past
	problem, nocturnal epilepsy, and it appears that medicine is beginning
	to accept the notion that it's a sleep disorder.  Personally, I
	never had a seizure at any time except while asleep.


	Obviously a licensing agency concerned with public safety should
	be conservative, and will tend to make mistakes on the side of
	safety rather than risk.  I've met and heard of a fair number
	of pilots for whom reasonable and well-informed judgement should
	conclude that they do in fact have no physical condition that
	would make them incapable of safely flying a glider.  Occasional
	sampling of accident statistics seems to confirm that self-certified
	glider pilots are at no greater risk for medical reasons than
	FAA-certified pilots are.

	Anyone thinking of self-certifying in order to fly sailplanes
	should approach the choice responsibly.  The consequences of
	an in-flight medical emergency can be a very high risk of death
	or serious injury to the pilot, always the first person to reach
	the scene of the accident.  The same risk applies to passengers
	and even to people on the ground, and the risk is very real.
	To assess this risk, learn as much as possible about the
	medical condition would be disqualifying for a 3rd Class Medical
	Certificate.  Evaluate what medical science knows, what it doesn't
	know, and what your personal experience is; living in your own
	body for a few decades can contribute information that no doc
	in Oklahoma City would be aware of.

	If the result of that deliberation is that you can realistically
	say that you are medically fit to fly, the letter of the
	regulations allow it for gliders.  My advice would be to go for it,
	especially since soaring is one of the two most fun ways to fly.


------------------
Paul Raveling
Raveling@Unify.com