terrykohler
Well Known Member
While I still seem to run into the occasional pilot who thinks that Basic Med is some sort of government plot to dump costs and liability onto the private sector, I?ve come to the conclusion that for many pilots like me, it?s a godsend.
For the better part of the past 45 years, I?ve carried a second class medical. I?ve never worked in the aircraft industry or as a professional pilot, but for about a 20 year period, my then-employer had me and a Cessna Turbo 210 added to the company?s aviation department insurance (also covered were a Citation and its full time crew). In addition to the coverage, they also had me doing recurrent training, which I discovered was also a good thing.
Along the way, just for kicks, I picked up commercial and flight instructor tickets, both of which are little used. Even after I exited that business, I held onto a second class medical (I bought the 210 from the company when I left). Within a couple of years, I discovered that the 210 was REALLY expensive to operate without the ability to expense its use. The 210 was sold and I found a path back into aviation thru the experimental world. Along with launching N323TP in early 2004, I also converted my medical into Third Class.
While I was typically having a thorough physical done every year to that point, once I converted to the Third Class I found myself limiting the information I put on the FAA forms to the bare essentials, and doing the same with the AME. Don?t look for anything, just cover what you have to, and give me a new ticket. Apparently, this worked fine for my flying, but it didn?t really address any issues with my overall health. Turns out that ignorance was not a good game plan.
At the continued insistence of my eldest daughter, a physician in the Navy (no Leah, you can?t give Dad a physical) as well as my hospital-employed wife, by about 2010, I caved in and found a REALLY good personal physician. Back to open discussion, full blood work, EKG and poking/prodding every year. In spite of this, my information flow to the FAA remained on a need-to-know basis.
Armageddon came a few years ago during a routine physical when my doc informed me that my stress test had been bought to the attention of a cardiologist. The following day, I had a stent implanted in my LAD.
The ?fun? with the FAA and my medical began almost immediately. Wait 6 months, submit blood work, EKG, nuclear stress test, cardiologist?s letter, etc. and wait? and wait. Overall, I missed the better part of a year?s flying (a two week government shutdown added three months to the backlog). Oh yeah, and my new S.I. was dated back to the time of application, not time of receipt. Once everything was squared, I found that by submitting a detailed packet each year (about 40 pages, including table of contents and all test tracings), a new Special Issuance was secured in short order.
Fast forward to this year, when my AME informed me that a full FAA review was again in order and would require up to about 3 months for a new S.I. Certificate to be issued. Unfortunately, I had been operating under the assumption that the shelf life of all of my medical tests was 60 days, so under the best of circumstances, I?d be grounded once again and then have about a 10 month certificate before having to do it all over again.
BASIC MED to the rescue. I contacted my family doc, sent him all the FAA paperwork to review, took the online AOPA review, got the physical done, and was issued a certificate good for 4 YEARS.
THE REALLY GOOD NEWS HERE - I?m still getting a very thorough physical every year (including full cardio workup). More importantly, the guy that controls my flying privileges knows ALL of my medical issues and history, as he should. Hopefully, continuing to be proactive with my health rather than reactive, will keep me flying longer and living longer. I don?t know if that was intended with the introduction of Basic Med, but it sure works for me.
Terry, CFI
RV9A N323TP
For the better part of the past 45 years, I?ve carried a second class medical. I?ve never worked in the aircraft industry or as a professional pilot, but for about a 20 year period, my then-employer had me and a Cessna Turbo 210 added to the company?s aviation department insurance (also covered were a Citation and its full time crew). In addition to the coverage, they also had me doing recurrent training, which I discovered was also a good thing.
Along the way, just for kicks, I picked up commercial and flight instructor tickets, both of which are little used. Even after I exited that business, I held onto a second class medical (I bought the 210 from the company when I left). Within a couple of years, I discovered that the 210 was REALLY expensive to operate without the ability to expense its use. The 210 was sold and I found a path back into aviation thru the experimental world. Along with launching N323TP in early 2004, I also converted my medical into Third Class.
While I was typically having a thorough physical done every year to that point, once I converted to the Third Class I found myself limiting the information I put on the FAA forms to the bare essentials, and doing the same with the AME. Don?t look for anything, just cover what you have to, and give me a new ticket. Apparently, this worked fine for my flying, but it didn?t really address any issues with my overall health. Turns out that ignorance was not a good game plan.
At the continued insistence of my eldest daughter, a physician in the Navy (no Leah, you can?t give Dad a physical) as well as my hospital-employed wife, by about 2010, I caved in and found a REALLY good personal physician. Back to open discussion, full blood work, EKG and poking/prodding every year. In spite of this, my information flow to the FAA remained on a need-to-know basis.
Armageddon came a few years ago during a routine physical when my doc informed me that my stress test had been bought to the attention of a cardiologist. The following day, I had a stent implanted in my LAD.
The ?fun? with the FAA and my medical began almost immediately. Wait 6 months, submit blood work, EKG, nuclear stress test, cardiologist?s letter, etc. and wait? and wait. Overall, I missed the better part of a year?s flying (a two week government shutdown added three months to the backlog). Oh yeah, and my new S.I. was dated back to the time of application, not time of receipt. Once everything was squared, I found that by submitting a detailed packet each year (about 40 pages, including table of contents and all test tracings), a new Special Issuance was secured in short order.
Fast forward to this year, when my AME informed me that a full FAA review was again in order and would require up to about 3 months for a new S.I. Certificate to be issued. Unfortunately, I had been operating under the assumption that the shelf life of all of my medical tests was 60 days, so under the best of circumstances, I?d be grounded once again and then have about a 10 month certificate before having to do it all over again.
BASIC MED to the rescue. I contacted my family doc, sent him all the FAA paperwork to review, took the online AOPA review, got the physical done, and was issued a certificate good for 4 YEARS.
THE REALLY GOOD NEWS HERE - I?m still getting a very thorough physical every year (including full cardio workup). More importantly, the guy that controls my flying privileges knows ALL of my medical issues and history, as he should. Hopefully, continuing to be proactive with my health rather than reactive, will keep me flying longer and living longer. I don?t know if that was intended with the introduction of Basic Med, but it sure works for me.
Terry, CFI
RV9A N323TP