Comment period on medical petition extended

The period for pilots to comment on the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and Experimental Aircraft Association medical petition has been extended to Sept. 14.

More than 14,000 pilots have already commented on the petition, but AOPA and EAA officials asked the FAA to extend the comment period to allow more pilots to voice their support.

The petition asks for an exemption to the FAA’s medical requirements that would allow pilots to fly fixed-gear aircraft of 180 horsepower or less, with four seats or fewer and up to one passenger, without a medical certificate. Pilots would be limited to day VFR recreational operations and would be required to complete a free online course about medical conditions, as well as self-assess their fitness before each flight. Like the Sport Pilot rule, this would allow pilots who fly for fun to carry their driver’s license in place of a third class medical.

Officials with AOPA and EAA estimate that the exemption would affect more than 39,000 pilots each year and between up to 114,333 single-engine piston airplanes.

AOPA and EAA officials recommend that comments in support of the request should describe how pilots evaluate their fitness for flight between medical exams, as well as explain how reducing the burden of a third class medical certificate would help keep more pilots flying. Both organizations have tips on their websites for filing comments.

You can submit your comments and review previously submitted comments at the Regulations.gov website by searching Docket FAA-2012-0350.

For more information: AOPA.org, EAA.org

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