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I’ve seen a few people mentioning medical certifications, but nobody has mentioned that 8 years ago the FAA passed a system called BasicMed which allows pilots

by parsimo2010 2y ago

I’ve seen a few people mentioning medical certifications, but nobody has mentioned that 8 years ago the FAA passed a system called BasicMed which allows pilots to continue flying without getting a medical examination as long as they meet certain conditions. The plane must not exceed 6,000 lbs and must carry less than six passengers. You also can’t have failed your last medical exam. The plane he crashed had a maximum takeoff weight of 5,500 lbs and only carried two people. As long as he flew below 18,000 ft and 250 knots, he was legal (I’m not saying anything about whether he was healthy enough to fly). In all likelihood he hadn’t had a physical in 8 years. He still would have had to have passed one in his eighties, but he probably hadn’t had an FAA exam in a while. Source: I’m a private pilot and my dad in his 60s is as well, he flies on BasicMed because he hates going to the doc. Edit: someone actually had mentioned BasicMed a few minutes before I started typing, but I’ll leave my comment up.

tjohns 2y ago
You still need to get a physical (and sign off) from your primary doc every few years under BasicMed. Just not a full FAA flight physical. If someone has not had a documented physical at all in 8 years, they're not legal to fly. This is also a matter of public record, you can look up exactly what medical class he's operating under and when his last physical exam was on the FAA website. There no need to speculate. Edit: I just looked it up. He had his last BasicMed physical from his primary doc last year, so he was current.
- ominous_prime 2y ago
  The FAA only knows when you last took the BasicMed quiz and attested that you will follow the rules. Getting a physical, storing the form signed by the doctor, and maintaining a valid drivers license are up to the individual.
  - tjohns 2y ago
    When you take the BasicMed class, you also have to report when your last physical was. Your physical date is public record is transmitted to the FAA and is part of your Airman Registry record. Yes, you could lie... but the documentation for the physical is part of your logbook and subject to audit. If I were a CFI, I would be checking that before signing off anyone's BFR. You can't really get away with this for long.
ColinWright 2y ago
Speaking with several astronauts, including Jim Lovell, Gen Tom Stafford, and TK Mattingly, my memory of those conversations is that all Apollo-era astronauts had and continue to have complete physicals from NASA every year. If that's the case he would probably have had feedback, even if the results aren't publicly available. My memory may be faulty ... I offer this in case someone knows better.

tjohns 2y ago

You still need to get a physical (and sign off) from your primary doc every few years under BasicMed. Just not a full FAA flight physical. If someone has not had a documented physical at all in 8 years, they're not legal to fly. This is also a matter of public record, you can look up exactly what medical class he's operating under and when his last physical exam was on the FAA website. There no need to speculate. Edit: I just looked it up. He had his last BasicMed physical from his primary doc last year, so he was current.

ominous_prime 2y ago
The FAA only knows when you last took the BasicMed quiz and attested that you will follow the rules. Getting a physical, storing the form signed by the doctor, and maintaining a valid drivers license are up to the individual.
- tjohns 2y ago
  When you take the BasicMed class, you also have to report when your last physical was. Your physical date is public record is transmitted to the FAA and is part of your Airman Registry record. Yes, you could lie... but the documentation for the physical is part of your logbook and subject to audit. If I were a CFI, I would be checking that before signing off anyone's BFR. You can't really get away with this for long.

ColinWright 2y ago

Speaking with several astronauts, including Jim Lovell, Gen Tom Stafford, and TK Mattingly, my memory of those conversations is that all Apollo-era astronauts had and continue to have complete physicals from NASA every year. If that's the case he would probably have had feedback, even if the results aren't publicly available. My memory may be faulty ... I offer this in case someone knows better.