Historically, the medical requirements for pilots have been very stringent, but overall, have not improved the safety of flight. Within the last year, the FAA, under heavy pressure, released proposals regarding the third-class medical. This proposal would have included such heavy restrictions, that it would not positively affect most pilots. Eventually it fell to Congress to step up. "The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation has reviewed the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2, and passed an amendment offered by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), bringing third class medical reform one step closer to reality." (4. Tennyson, 2015)
Congress has a bill on the floor that simplifies the third-class, making it uneccessary for most. Some of the major ways that this bill is improved include: "allowing pilots to fly airplanes up to 6,000 pounds, which includes the vast majority of the light GA fleet. Pilots can fly IFR under the proposed rule, they can carry a reasonable number of passengers, and they can fly fast airplanes, up to 250 knots." (Goyer, 2015) If this bill gets the vote from Congress, then the President will be required to sign the bill, making it legislation. Once the bill is legislation, administrators will write regulations into the FARs, which will fall to the aviation community to follow.
It comes as no surprise that this bill was not put on the table by the FAA, but rather became Congress mandated. "The initial proposal was denied in 2010. The proposed rule was resurrected, but the FAA has been slow-walking the changes–for more than five years. There has been virtually no progress toward doing away with the Third Class Medical certificate." (Congress saw the need to step in and force the issue. This can be good and bad, because with the good, you also have the potential to see the bad, or the silly... "You might get good rules, like the Pilot's Bill of Rights, and you might get silly ones, like the expensive and scientifically insupportable requirement that new airline pilots have 1,500 hours of flight experience." (Goyer, 2015)
I do think that medical reform is necessary, as the restrictions and the requirements put on those who wish to fly can be quite ridiculous. In my personal experience, it seems that if you have anything in your past that the FAA can use against you, they will do so. Easier to just say no than to look a little deeper into a situation. For example: after having spine surgery in 2010, I was on VA (Veteran's Affairs) prescribed pain medication for a long time. The surgery was less than successful, and this seemed an easier solution than to look at the root of the problem. Fast forward three years (2013), and I stopped taking the pain meds. This was my choice. No addiction, I just hate taking medication, and needed to seek alternate ways to manage the pain. Since 2013, I have been fighting with the FAA to obtain a medical. I have met every one of their requirements, but have been unsuccessful in obtaining my certificate. The last seven responses from them have been exactly the same letter, with only the date being changed. The only thing it asks for is my current list of medications, including any pain meds, or the date that I stopped taking them. Oh, after denying me (again) of course. My list of medications have not changed since 2013, and I have not taken any medications that would DQ me, but still I am unable to be cleared medically. Reform is necessary!
References
Goyer, Robert. (May 5, 2015) Medical Reform - Finally! (Flying Magazine) Retreived from http://www.flyingmag.com/blogs/going-direct/medical-reform-finally
Stanely, C. (2015, February 28). The FAA and NTSB vs. Common Sense: Part Deux. Retrieved December 1, 2015, from http://jonathanturley.org/2015/02/28/the-faa-and-ntsb-vs-common-
sense- part-deux/
Tennyson, E. A. (2015, November 18). Committee passes manchin amendment to pilot's bill of rights 2. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Retrieved from http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/November/18/Committee-passes-Manchin-amendment-to-PBR2
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