That lawsuit and the “ expert “ witnesses who didn’t know aircraft basics or even know the FAA published an off airport manual made me lose what faith I had left. A pilot or mechanic born since WW II, and not even an expert witness, should know what a flap is. I wonder if I was disqualified from that ASI job I applied for years ago because I was overqualified! Don’t you (now) need an ATP or an A&P (IA preferred) to be an ASI? I realize there are unique requirements for avionics ASIs but am not familiar with their requirements.

Honestly, I expected them to throw their best at Trent. If that was their best, I hate to see what the worst is!

Maybe next time I should say the PHAK is the sound I make when throwing up because of turbulence.

…and after that comment I am likely to get a 709 letter in the mail and may need to retain you! They may force the ride in a tail wheel aircraft with no flaps!

Disclaimer - All of the ASIs that have ramped me, flown with me when I had my school, interviewed me or my attorney or my partner, or otherwise have interacted with me have been stellar! The only exception was 1 maintenance ASI over 121 operations in Savannah in 2001 who said he hated pilots. He, ironically, had told me I should apply for what was the ASI role back in 2001 when I was liquidating my operations in June.

The ramp checks at HEF and JYO were great. Though telling them I did not have a medical made them happy until the CFI/PIC walked out. One ASI knew I don’t have a medical and sent out a newer ASI for fun, I believe.

You never saw a problem so that proves there is no problem.
Got it.
Except for the thousands and thousands of pilots for whom it did cause a problem.
I personally know several pilots that won't seek medical help for a minor condition because of the FAA's medical decision making.

The likelihood of him a flying the line for two decades and never seeing FAA medical BS is super remote, almost as odd as flying the line 135 for two decades and not ending up with a ATP or some additional ratings

UNLESS he actually just meant he wrenched on pt135 planes, which doesn’t require a medical in the first place

It is possible. If a CFI had been working for ATP, or a collegiate program, they likely never saw those issues.

All ATPs picked up two of my commercial multi students when I closed operations. Yes, I had refunded everything owed back to the students or allowed them to fly the block off before leasing back the aircraft in TX.

Back then, All ATPs (now just ATP) required the medicals, tests, and fees paid before the student stepped into the schoolhouse or into a plane. They were one of the best run schools that I have ever seen. I visited their Jacksonville operations and have nothing but good things to say. They were also priced less than ERAU at the time!


Sometimes, I worked with the kids who had medical issues and a few adults with heart problems. We had 4 or 5 good AMEs in the area. They would not pencil whip a medical but would definitely do a consult and help the pilot get the right resources (cardiologist, hematologist) or tell them to walk away (usua. Now Savannah has an amazing HIMS AME but he wasn’t an AME 20 years ago when I ran the flying club.

That having been said, the CFIs focused on flying. I handled administrative stuff. Several of the schools would have the owner doing this and not the line instructors.

There is more a young student or instructor doesn’t know than does know

Being a student turned CFI at a puppy mill is miles away from apparently being a 135 pilot for two decades

They still have dozens of letters that I don’t - CFI, CFII, MEI, AGI, ATP!

My goal was just to get them in the flying club or into the school. Sometimes there is bad news and no way around it. The CFI’s goal was to teach.

The irony is that someone can attempt suicide and have a medical within six months, but up to 14% of children are medically disqualified because of ADHD! With nearly a decade and a half of experience prescribing these drugs, Yefe still says they don’t have enough data. However, this is been discussed at length in several other threads.

Conversation with my old faa medical examiner:

Doc: No doctor visits in the last 3 years? Not even the dentist?
Patient: Nope
Doc: You look pretty healthy, so I believe that.

A conversation with my current faa medical examiner:

Doc: any medical issues in the last few years?
Patient with cast on left hand: None.
Doc: What about that cast on your hand?
Patient: I just had surgery and a few pins put in my hand, but it was after I submitted my medical paperwork.
Doc: Can you still fly with that cast?
Patient: Yes
Doc: Okay [proceeds to vision test]

Meanwhile, I know a guy that had a benign brain tumor removed and accurately answered all questions on his next faa medical questionare. As a preventative, post-op measure, the neurosurgeon prescribed an anti-seizure medication that the patient never filled, nor took, and has never had a seizure in his life. No complications from the procedure and he's 3 years into trying to restore his 3rd class medical due to the anti-seizure prescription.

The unfortunate lesson is that honesty is costly in the faa medical process.

And yet the FAAs own study says

“were not significantly different between the BasicMed and third-class groups.”

So if they are too “unhealthy” to fly how come they are just as safe as FAA medical holders?

Your argument doesn’t hold water, even according to the FAA who no doubt wish it did lol

How long ago were you an active CFI?

The ADD/ADHD thing is a real problem. Lots of kids, especially energetic boys got those labels and the corespondent drugs (Ritalin) over the past 20 years. Both are tantamount a permanent no to ever getting a third class medical.

James is right. I want to be able to get a first class medical someday (planning a semi retirement gig at the regionals) and so I consider very carefully before I seek treatment for any condition.

For instance my brother had colon cancer last year. As a close relative I should get screened with a colonoscopy, but before I did I went ahead and early renewed my third class so I would have five years to go through any tests or treatment if they found anything and I sought out a practitioner (my wife is medical in that field) who was known for leaning towards writing “clean” reports. That way when that report does eventually get sent to OKC it will not have anything on it they could latch onto to question the conclusions. I had actually decided not to get screened at all, but my wife asked me to go ahead and do it so I did.

Our state (MN) just created a whole new department to regulate legal weed.

Public Servant may have been a thing at one point in time, but that ship has sailed and sunk. Public employment comes with good salaries, excellent health care and retirement plans. bureaucracy perpetuates its own grown.

A few months ago I was blasted in another thread because I dared to ask a BT FAA employee for actual data regarding a statement he made about ASI's being "busy and backed up". I got no data aside from "full inbox".

I work with many FAA ASIs through the FAAST program and organizations I volunteer with. Good people who know aviation and are dedicated to aviation safety. That level of expertise and passion for aviation clearly does not perpetuate the the halls of the FAA.

When you visit the MSP FSDO you are reminded how they look at the public. The Visitor spots are in the very last row of the parking lot, employees park in front. Who is the customer and who is serving whom?

That’s a good observation, every place I have worked the closest parking spots were for customers only, and if you parked in one ether you were in and out quick to pickup/drop off something, or you got a talking to

The likelihood of him a flying the line for two decades and never seeing FAA medical BS is super remote, almost as odd as flying the line 135 for two decades and not ending up with a ATP or some additional ratings

UNLESS he actually just meant he wrenched on pt135 planes, which doesn’t require a medical in the first place

No worries, sometimes things get lost in text where you dot have the voice inflections, that was not a insult

I know these days people are more and more sensitive, I understand that shift in our culture and I do try to keep that in mind

That post was a observation / question

Working as a line pilot for two decades it would be very rare to not know someone who got put through the FAA medical grinder, it would also be odd outside of the helicopter or float world to work as a line pilot that long and not end up as a ATP (EAS contracts, insurance rates, Argus stuff, larger planes, etc)

Working as a mechanic however, where you and your fellow mechanics don’t NEED a medical to put food on the table, and many have never even had a medical, not hearing much about FAA medical nonsense would make sense

James,
Thanks for the clarification, I appreciate it.
I probably need to work on growing a thicker skin.
I enjoy reading BT and hearing all the different viewpoints.
It's next to impossible to change someone's opinion here on BT but we need to hear the other side, even if its only for a sanity check.
Thanks again,