Sunday, January 29, 2017

Male Pilot logic... Flawless




This a conversation between a man and his wife. Please note that she asks five or six questions which he answered quite simply,
but then she is speechless after answering only one question. l bet this happens more often than not to most husbands out there:
Woman: Do you drink beer?                             

Man: Yes
Woman: How many beers a day?
Man: Usually about three
Woman: How much do you pay per beer?
Man: $5.00 which includes a tip (this is where it gets scary!)
Woman: And how long have you been drinking?
Man: About 20 years, I suppose
Woman: So a beer costs $5 and you have three beers a day which puts your spending each month at $450. In one year, it would be approximately $5400 correct?
Man: Correct
Woman: If in 1 year you spend $5400, not accounting for inflation, the past 20 years puts your spending at $108,000 correct?
Man: Correct
Woman: Do you know that if you didn’t drink so much beer, that money could have been put in a step-up interest savings account
and after accounting for compound interest for the past 20 years, you could have now bought an airplane?

Man: Do you drink beer?
Woman: No.
Man: Where is your airplane?

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Soup-Off date set for February 4 at 6:00pm

I have been hesitant in scheduling the Soup-off because we have been waiting the arrival of our first grandchild. Well, he arrived about 2 weeks early Saturday morning at 0328. So, the Soup-off will be held at our hangar Saturday, February 4 at 6:00pm. This has been a fun fellowship in the past and money raised during voting will help feed hungry children in our community. Dig out that favorite recipe for soup or chili and make a pot. If you don't cook soup and would rather bring bread, crackers, dessert, soft drinks, etc that would be fine. We will furnish bottled water and some tea. Looking forward to seeing you.

Thanks,
Mike and Jean Moore

Whiteplains 2017 HOA Meeting.





Video of this years Whiteplains Home Owners Meeting on 1-17-2017 in case you missed it.

Friday, January 20, 2017

AOPA update on BasicMed

PILOTS SEE BASICMED AS ‘A BIG DEAL’

No topic has commanded the attention of the general aviation community like third class medical reform. Following the FAA’s announcement of the new BasicMed rule that will provide many with an alternative to obtaining a medical certificate, members of the GA community shared reactions ranging from enthusiastic expressions of support to reawakened hopes of returning to the sky.
BasicMed sparks excitement
Excited pilots are swamping AOPA's Pilot Information Center with calls and questions about BasicMed, the new alternative medical certification...
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On Jan. 10, the FAA released BasicMed, under which pilots who have held a valid medical certificate any time in the decade prior to July 15, 2016, may not need to take another FAA medical exam. The 10-year lookback period applies to both regular and special issuance medicals.
Before flying under BasicMed, pilots must get a physical exam by a state-licensed physician, complete an associated checklist, and then take an online aeromedical course. It is important that pilots take those steps in that order because the exam information will need to be transmitted upon successful completion of the aeromedical course. AOPA encourages pilots to review the regulation and the advisory circular for an overview of privileges and limitations.
The online course must be taken every two years, and pilots must visit their personal physician at least every four years.
Eligible pilots who have completed the requirements will be able to pilot aircraft with up to six occupants, and weighing to 6,000 pounds, day or night, IFR or VFR, to 18,000 feet msl and 250 knots,  not for compensation or hire, within the United States unless authorized by the country in which the flight is conducted.
Across AOPA’s media channels and in contacts with the AOPA Pilot Information Center, pilots weighed in on the new rule.
“Good. I just may get back into flying,” a pilot posted on AOPA’s Facebook page.
“I have been out of the left seat too long, time to go back and get my PIC status,” wrote another.
Emails to the AOPA Pilot Information Center largely reflected the optimism the new rule has generated among GA pilots—and revealed what some have been doing in the meantime.
“Interesting. I shouldn't have any problem with a medical but this sounds more workable. I know they have been working on it. I have been flying anyway without renewal on the simulator,” wrote one pilot, appending a smiling-faced emoticon to the message.
“You have done a stellar job in getting this through the FAA mill. Thank you,” wrote a member in a message representative of many AOPA received.
Another pilot shared a poignant reaction: “I have not flown in a long time but I've never given up hope of going back into the air.”
Responses ranged from the exuberant—“Woohoo, I don't have to go renew next year!” and “This is great news! Fits my flying situation perfectly. Thanks @AOPA!”—to the strictly laudatory: “Congratulations to everyone involved in making this dream a reality.”
Tweets of gratitude were sent out for the determined advocacy that brought about reform: “Without Mark Baker and @AOPA never would have happened. Thank you.”
And in an echo of immortal words spoken from the moon, a Twitter user exhorted continued progress, tweeting, “FAA ruling on 3rd class med - one less hurdle for pilots. Now to make flying cheaper.”
Members of Congress who have long stood in GA’s corner, working to bring about pilots’ rights legislation, less-costly aircraft certification, and now, medical reform, expressed satisfaction that the rule measured up to their expectations.
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a member of the Senate General Aviation Caucus and a certificated flight instructor with more than 11,000 flight hours, praised the FAA’s announcement. Third class medical reform was a key provision in Inhofe’s legislation, the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2.
“The implementation of BasicMed is a huge win for the general aviation community,” he said. “The rule will cut bureaucratic red tape and will encourage pilots to disclose and treat medical conditions that may affect their ability to fly. Further, the new rule will ease the medical certification process for pilots while increasing their knowledge of risk and requiring treatment of recognized conditions. I look forward to FAA’s swift approval of AOPA’s online medical education course ‘Fit to Fly’ and look forward to working with the agency throughout its implementation process.”
Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), a pilot and co-chair of the House General Aviation Caucus, issued a statement calling Jan. 10 “a great day for pilots all across the country. Many of us have been fighting for third class medical reform for well over five years, hoping to streamline and simplify the medical certification requirements for pilots. To have accomplished that goal today—after half a decade of work—is truly a testament to the grassroots support for third class medical reform from our community, and to the continual advocacy of the House General Aviation Caucus and our GA industry leaders."
Rep. Todd Rokita (R-Ind.), a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, noted that “the updated FAA third class medical rule closely follows Congressional intent, with the comprehensive medical examination written exactly as we laid out in the law. This is a true win for the general aviation community. We have fought for years against these burdensome regulations, and I am pleased to see a third class medical reform rule that does away with unnecessary government red tape to keep the skies safe and accessible for all aviators.”
In a phone interview, Florida pilot Don Stiver, retired from a career flying military aircraft and the defense industry, said the convenience of working with his personal doctor on his continued fitness to fly would keep him in the cockpit of the Van’s Aircraft RV-8 he built “a minimum once a week” from the Merritt Island Airport. Having received an FAA medical examination “literally every year for the past 50 years,” Stiver appreciated the reduced cost the BasicMed rule afforded him, now that he flies strictly for recreation.
Stiver said he and others were still a bit stunned that BasicMed had arrived.
“Everybody’s quite surprised frankly that it has come to fruition," he said. "That’s a big deal for everybody.”

Saturday, January 14, 2017

More Information on BasicMed Medial

AOPA DETAILS BASICMED RULE

NEW THIRD CLASS MEDICAL REFORM RULE TAKES EFFECT MAY 1

As news of the third class medical reform final rule was released Jan. 10, pilots flooded social media and online forums with a flurry of excitement, and started contacting AOPA’s Pilot Information Center for more details pertaining to their specific flying situation.
Medical burden lifted
General aviation got a huge lift Jan. 10 when the FAA released the third class medical reform final rule: Learn about BasicMed, the new alternat...
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“Much of the general aviation community is ecstatic about BasicMed,” AOPA President Mark Baker said of the new alternative to medical certification. “May 1 can’t get here soon enough!”
Pilots will be able to fly under BasicMed starting May 1, and many want to know how they can prepare in advance to take full advantage of the benefits of the rule the first day. Before flying under BasicMed, pilots must get a physical exam by a state-licensed physician, have the associated checklist completed, and then complete the online aeromedical course. It is important that pilots take those steps in that order because the exam information will need to be transmitted upon successful completion of the aeromedical course. AOPA encourages pilots to review the regulation and the advisory circular that were released so that they can get an overview of the privileges and limitations of BasicMed.
“We want to make it as easy as possible to understand and comply with BasicMed, so we’ve also created a wealth of Fit to Fly resources for pilots and physicians that further explain the rules,” Baker said.
AOPA created an interactive online quiz to help pilots determine whether they can participate in BasicMed as well as an expansive FAQ page. But many pilots have contacted AOPA with the same questions. Here are answers to the most common questions the association has received since the Jan. 10 announcement.

I want to fly under BasicMed on May 1, but how does my current medical certification factor into that?

Under BasicMed, pilots who have held a valid medical certificate any time in the decade prior to July 15, 2016, may not need to take another FAA medical exam. The 10-year lookback period applies to both regular and special issuance medicals.
In the final rule, the FAA explained that pilots whose medicals have expired should check the expiration of their most recent medical certificate to determine if they fall within the lookback period. The lookback applies to the expiration date of the medical certificate, which is determined using the “Date of Examination” on the certificate and the duration periods listed in 14 CFR 61.23(d). For those who had a regular medical certificate, the expiration date depends on their age—age 40 or over, or under 40—at the time of the exam. (Expiration dates are listed on special issuance certificates.)
“Persons age 40 or over on the date of their examination would meet the 10-year period described in FESSA if their examination was on or after July 15, 2004. This date is based on the two-year validity period for third class medical certificates issued to persons age 40 or over. Persons under age 40 on the date of their examination would meet the 10-year period described in FESSA if their examination was on or after July 15, 2003. This date is based on the three-year validity period for third class medical certificates issued to persons under 40 years of age that was in effect prior to 2008,” the rule states.
Pilots whose most recent medical certificate was revoked, suspended, or withdrawn or whose most recent application for a medical certificate was denied will need to obtain a new medical certificate (regular or special issuance) before they can operate under the reforms. Individuals who have never held an FAA issued medical certificate, such as new student pilots, will need to obtain an FAA issued medical certificate (regular or special issuance) one time only.

My medical expires before May 1. What should I do?

If your medical certificate expires before May 1 and in the meantime you wish to continue flying as pilot in command under recreational or higher certification levels, you must hold a current and valid medical certificate in order to continue exercising those privileges. Sport pilot privileges and light sport aircraft are still options for a driver’s license medical.
Pilots also have the option to let their medical certificate expire and not fly as pilot in command between the expiration of their medical certificate and the start of BasicMed on May 1. Pilots who opt to do this might consider flying with an instructor to keep their flying skills sharp during this period.

My medical certificate expires after May 1. Does that affect my ability to fly under BasicMed?

Pilots whose medical is still valid as of May 1 may opt to fly under BasicMed or their valid medical certificate. If pilots opt to fly under BasicMed, they will need to comply with the operating limitations listed in the rule. They also would need to have a physical exam, complete the associated checklists (and keep the paperwork in their logbook or a digital reproduction that can be shown upon request), and take an approved online aeromedical education course—all prior to flying under BasicMed.

I just got my medical certificate. Will that satisfy the requirements of BasicMed?

No, because BasicMed requires an exam by a state-licensed physician performed in accordance with the new rules, and the completion of the medical examination checklist. So, pilots’ third, second, or first class medical exams will not meet the requirement for the physical exam. Pilots could either fly under their current and valid medical, or take the steps outlined above to fly under BasicMed.

If I want to fly under BasicMed May 1, when do I need to go see my physician, complete the doctor’s checklist, and take the aeromedical course?

Pilots will need to complete the physical exam, associated checklists, and online medical education course before operating under BasicMed privileges. AOPA is working with the FAA to make the medical education course and physical exam checklist form available as soon as possible. 

Can a physician’s assistant perform my physical and complete the checklist?

The statute, final rule, and advisory circular are all very specific that the exam must be performed by a “state-licensed physician.”  Furthermore, section 7.3 of the advisory circular explains:
“The FAA relies on the determination of each state (as well as each territory and possession of the United States) as to which persons it will license as physicians. If the person holds a license as a physician issued by any state, territory, or possession, then they meet the requirement as a state-licensed physician. The FAA notes that all states license medical doctors (M.D.) and doctors of osteopathic medicine (D.O.) as physicians; although Federal and some state laws may permit the licensure of other persons, such as doctors of dental surgery (D.D.S.), as physicians. While the FAA expects that these specialists (e.g., D.D.S., dentist, podiatrist, etc.) who do not also hold an M.D. or D.O. would not have the breadth of training for a BasicMed medical examination, the FAA will rely on each state-licensed physician to determine whether he or she is qualified to conduct the medical examination.”
AOPA does not believe that a physician’s assistant would be recognized as a state-licensed physician.

Can my aviation medical examiner do the physical exam for BasicMed?

Aviation medical examiners are required to be state-licensed physicians, so pilots could continue to visit their AME for the physical exam required by BasicMed.

When will the online aeromedical course and doctor’s checklist be available?

The FAA is currently reviewing the AOPA Air Safety Institute’s online aeromedical education course. AOPA and the FAA are working together to bring the course online and ensure it meets all of the BasicMed medical education course requirements. AOPA will notify pilots as soon as the course is available. The FAA will hopefully release the doctor’s checklist as soon as possible as well.

Can I fly internationally (namely to Mexico or Canada) under BasicMed?

According to the rule (based on the legislation Congress created), flights under BasicMed “must be geographically limited to operations within the United States” unless pilots receive authorization from the country in which they will be flying.  AOPA recommends calling its Pilot Information Center (800/USA-AOPA) or the country’s aviation authority to see what is needed to fly in that country.

Can I flight instruct under BasicMed?

Yes. The FAA has stated that “flight instructors meeting the requirements of this rule may act as PIC while giving flight training without holding a medical certificate, regardless of whether the person receiving flight training holds a medical certificate.” The FAA considers the flight instructor who is acting as PIC to be “receiving compensation for his or her flight instruction” under instructor privileges but is “exercising private pilot privileges while acting as PIC of the flight.”
AOPA offers answers to a host of member questions on its Fit to Fly FAQ page. Members are encouraged to contact AOPA’s Pilot Information Center (800/USA-AOPA) if they wish to discuss their specific situation one-on-one with an aviation specialist.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

FAA Issues GA Medical Rule




FAA Issues New GA Medical Rule




The FAA third-class medical, which GA advocates have long lobbied against as a nuisance to pilots that does little to advance safety, has been replaced with a new option called BasicMed, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta announced on Tuesday. “The BasicMed rule will keep our pilots safe but will simplify our regulations and keep general aviation flying affordable,” Huerta said. Starting on May 1, pilots will have the option to maintain their 3rd class medical, or opt to use the BasicMed rule. Under BasicMed, a pilot will be required to complete an online medical education course every two years, undergo a medical exam every four years, and comply with aircraft and operating restrictions. The medical exam will include a four-page FAA form to be completed by your doctor and kept available by the pilot for FAA inspection. Your regular doctor can complete the form, and they don’t need to deal with the FAA at all.


The aircraft and operating restrictions under BasicMed include: pilots cannot operate an aircraft weighing more than 6,000 pounds and cannot have more than six people on board. IFR operations are allowed, but pilots must fly at less than 18,000 MSL and no faster than 250 knots. Pilots using BasicMed also cannot fly for compensation or hire. To qualify for BasicMed, pilots also must have held a medical that was valid any time after July 15, 2006. New student pilots must obtain a medical certificate, but then they can operate under BasicMed to keep it current. Pilots using BasicMed also must “make certain health attestations,” the FAA said, and agree to a National Driver Register check. General aviation advocacy groups are taking a close look at the FAA announcement, but so far reaction is upbeat.


"BasicMed is the best thing to happen to general aviation in decades," said AOPA President Mark Baker. "By putting medical decisions in the hands of pilots and their doctors, instead of the FAA, these reforms will improve safety while reducing burdensome and ineffective bureaucracy that has thwarted participation in general aviation." AOPA staffers are working to carefully analyze the rule and provide free online courses that will meet the FAA education requirement. EAA also welcomed the announcement. “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for, as the provisions of aeromedical reform become something that pilots can now use,” said Jack Pelton, EAA chairman. “EAA and AOPA worked to make this a reality in July, and since then the most popular question from our members has been, ‘When will the rule come out?’ We now have the text and will work to educate members, pilots, and physicians about the specifics in the regulation.”


FAA Issues New GA Medical Rule By Mary Grady The FAA third-class medical, which GA advocates have long lobbied against as a nuisance to pilots that does little to advance safety, has been replaced with a new option called BasicMed, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta announced on Tuesday. “The BasicMed rule will keep our pilots safe but will simplify our regulations and keep general aviation flying affordable,” Huerta said. Starting on May 1, pilots will have the option to maintain their 3rd class medical, or opt to use the BasicMed rule. Under BasicMed, a pilot will be required to complete an online medical education course every two years, undergo a medical exam every four years, and comply with aircraft and operating restrictions. The medical exam will include a four-page FAA form to be completed by your doctor and kept available by the pilot for FAA inspection. Your regular doctor can complete the form, and they don’t need to deal with the FAA at all. The aircraft and operating restrictions under BasicMed include: pilots cannot operate an aircraft weighing more than 6,000 pounds and cannot have more than six people on board. IFR operations are allowed, but pilots must fly at less than 18,000 MSL and no faster than 250 knots. Pilots using BasicMed also cannot fly for compensation or hire. To qualify for BasicMed, pilots also must have held a medical that was valid any time after July 15, 2006. New student pilots must obtain a medical certificate, but then they can operate under BasicMed to keep it current. Pilots using BasicMed also must “make certain health attestations,” the FAA said, and agree to a National Driver Register check. General aviation advocacy groups are taking a close look at the FAA announcement, but so far reaction is upbeat. "BasicMed is the best thing to happen to general aviation in decades," said AOPA President Mark Baker. "By putting medical decisions in the hands of pilots and their doctors, instead of the FAA, these reforms will improve safety while reducing burdensome and ineffective bureaucracy that has thwarted participation in general aviation." AOPA staffers are working to carefully analyze the rule and provide free online courses that will meet the FAA education requirement. EAA also welcomed the announcement. “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for, as the provisions of aeromedical reform become something that pilots can now use,” said Jack Pelton, EAA chairman. “EAA and AOPA worked to make this a reality in July, and since then the most popular question from our members has been, ‘When will the rule come out?’ We now have the text and will work to educate members, pilots, and physicians about the specifics in the regulation.”