I posted this on some other forums, but I called Oklahoma City this morning to check on my medical status. ( Going on 40 working days) I was informed that the medical had been issued and I would be receiving it at the end of the week. I was about to loose my patients with them. They live up to their slogan: We're not happy, until your unhappy!

congrats! That has to be a good feeling!

I got sick of dealing with the worry about passing my medical and went the Sport Pilot route. Personally I think medicals are sensless for these small GA aircraft.
Or I guess a guy could get real ballsy and just not worry about getting a medical. But that would be illegal.

skybobb wrote:I posted this on some other forums, but I called Oklahoma City this morning to check on my medical status. ( Going on 40 working days) I was informed that the medical had been issued and I would be receiving it at the end of the week. I was about to loose my patients with them. They live up to their slogan: We're not happy, until your unhappy!

Congrats Skybobb!

Way to go Bobby. I'm on a SI for diabetes. Getting mine was text book. No big deal. Although I didn't feel that way when I was going through it.

Robby

RobBurson wrote:Way to go Bobby. I'm on a SI for diabetes. Getting mine was text book. No big deal. Although I didn't feel that way when I was going through it.

Robby

Thanks Rob, If I didn't enjoy my flying so much I don't think it would be worth the hassel. I am not going to give up easily. Bob

WWhunter wrote:I got sick of dealing with the worry about passing my medical and went the Sport Pilot route. Personally I think medicals are sensless for these small GA aircraft.
Or I guess a guy could get real ballsy and just not worry about getting a medical. But that would be illegal.

I don't know how often these things happen, but I got ramp checked for the first time in my life by the FAA this summer in McCall. I was tying down my plane when two guys walked up and one of them handed me his FAA ID and then asked me to present my pilot's license, photo id, medical certificate, airworthiness certificate, and registration. He jotted me down on his clipboard, then said have a good day and went off to scare the crap out of someone else.

So, my advice would be to make sure you stay legal, because they do check, even at non-towered airports that are used to access the back country!

Ya, I have been flying for 28 years now and have never been checked, but there is always the first time. Bob

skybobb wrote:Ya, I have been flying for 28 years now and have never been checked, but there is always the first time. Bob

The other major concern for staying legal is the liability aspect, as well as the coverage terms of your insurance policy.

skybobb wrote:Ya, I have been flying for 28 years now and have never been checked, but there is always the first time. Bob

Great news !! I know it is difficult to stick with it, but you did and that is a credit to you and your commitment.

I am on an SI for Melanoma and went through the 40 day wait last year. I also thought I would just fly without the medical. But after reading the stories about some of the random consequences, I decided that I would fight with all I could to get my medical.

I don't want to spend the end of my flying days looking over my shoulder and worrying about the FAA.

Thanks for sharing this, people need to know it can be done.

Bob, I understand your apprehension and what you went through. I just did my annual nuclear stress test and am meeting with my AME for the annual renewal of my medical. I'm on a SI due to a minor (if there is such a thing) MI. The annual test is real spendy but it sure beats not flying.

Man, I must be the biggest, ugliest dirt bag on this site. I used to get ramp checked about twice a month.

Once, I went to Cold Bay (2 and one half mile PAST the end of the earth) on a detail from Fairbanks, and landed and got ramped by a FSDO guy, who was obviously really lost.

Fortunately, none of my ramp checks were any kind of big deal.

Well, there was that one......

MTV

WWhunter wrote:Or I guess a guy could get real ballsy and just not worry about getting a medical. But that would be illegal.

Gotta be real careful there. Getting caught without a valid medical is pretty a much a slap on the hand "Don't do that" kinda thing from the Feds, and your insurance company telling you to pound salt if you're involved in some kind of incident. There's no fine or criminal penalty involved, just certificate action. So what... If you want to fly, go fly. Just stay in the boondocks.

But... Where you get in BIG trouble, is if you lie on a medical application or to your AME, and sign the papers. Then you're looking at perjury and falsification of a federal document. Got you by the short hairs then, and the fines and court costs can be huge, and maybe even looking at jail time.

Gump

Thought I read somewhere it was a 1000.00 dollar fine for no med, or annual or bfr.

When I first moved up here in 1980, I met a guy who has since died, who was a pilot in the French Air Corps in WWI. He was born just before the turn of that century. He learned to fly a plane before he learned to drive a car.

He had an old tail drager of some sort, Tailorcraft I think. No medical, no bfr, no insurance. Kind of a crusty guy with more stories thatn you can count. He just flew all over Northern California and Southern Oregon when he pleased but never arround any big cities. He said, what is there to worry about, I am way old, only have an old pickup and rent a little shack in Montague. He said the only thing he had of value was his dog.

He could land almost anywhere. I started my flying after he died. In the end he was all gimped up and I wish I could have flown him arround a bit.

I have a bit more to protect, well maybe not, did not check the stocks today.

Tim

Tito wrote:Thought I read somewhere it was a 1000.00 dollar fine for no med, or annual or bfr.

I don't think so, but if it is true, so what.

They gotta catch you first is the main thing, and a $1,000 fine is way cheaper than all the hoops, lab tests, radioactive scans, ekg's, and all the other horseshit they make you do to get and keep a SI medical.

Gump

don't think so, but if it is true, so what.

I was just thinking thats cheaper than a annual. Go 3 years and dont get caught your 2 grand ahead.

BTW, what happen to the guy that flew the wreck out of Big Creek?

Tito wrote:Thought I read somewhere it was a 1000.00 dollar fine for no med, or annual or bfr.

I think it was last year where I read in the newspaper that someone involved in accident in the lower 48 was found out to have falsified his medical app. He was fined $10,000 and got a year or two in the gray bar hotel to think about it.....sounds like a felony to me....

The fine and jail time is for the falsified application and perjury, not for just flying without a valid medical. Big, big difference legally.

Gump

Tito wrote:BTW, what happen to the guy that flew the wreck out of Big Creek?

I've been corresponding with him weekly from his cell at Pelican Bay.