Sport Pilot Catch 22

The Sport Pilot Catch 22 is a technicality in the FAA rules that can permanently prevent qualified pilots from obtaining or exercising the privileges of the Sport Pilot certificate because of common medical problems. Ironically, this defeats the very purpose for which it was created.

The rule

Pilots must meet certain medical requirements. A pilot wishing to obtain or exercise the privileges of the Sport Pilot certificate must satisfy one of the following conditions:

*The pilot must have a current 3rd class or higher medical clearance

*Or, in lieu of such medical clearance, the pilot must prove that he/she meets the much less stringent medical standards set forth by State Divisions of Motor Vehicles by holding a current US State driver's license PROVIDED they were not rejected for their last FAA medical clearance.

The "catch 22" is that one of the most common reasons for not possessing a current medical clearance is because the pilot has failed an FAA medical exam due to medical conditions that develop later in life, such as heart problems and diabetes, which are not serious enough to lose their state drivers license. Since the condition is likely to exist for the rest of their lives, they are permanently grounded from ever flying an airplane.

An example of the Sport Pilot Catch 22

* A career airline pilot has 20,000 hours of experience as pilot in command. In his 50's, he develops diabetes and loses his medical clearance. He would like to continue flying light sport aircraft, but it would be illegal because his last medical clearance was rejected or revoked. Unless the rule is changed, he is grounded for the rest of his life.

* A 65 year old retiree with the exact same diabetic condition as the pilot in example 1 decides to take up flying and begins training for the Sport Pilot certificate. After completing the 20 hours of training, he successfully obtains his certificate and he uses his state drivers license in lieu of a 3rd class medical clearance. Though he has the same medical problem as the airline pilot in example 1, and 3 orders of magnitude less experience than the first pilot, he can legally pilot a Light Sport Aircraft.

* After flying for a year and logging 200 total hours in Light Sport Aircraft, the now 66 year old pilot in paragraph 2 decides to step up to a Private Pilot rating. As part of the medical requirement, he takes an FAA physical and fails due to his diabetes. Though his condition has not changed since he started flying and his skill level has only gotten better with experience, it is now illegal for him to pilot an aircraft. And since he will always have Diabetes, he is grounded for life.

(Note that diabetes is no longer grounds for denial of FAA medical certification.)

Sources

*AOPA petitions FAA to allow more pilots back in the air [http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2006/060608sport.html]
*Petition for Rulemaking to Amend the Recreational and Sport Pilot Medical Certification Requirements [http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2006/060608sport-letter.pdf]
*Federal Aviation Regulations, FAR Part 61, at GPO Electronic Code of Federal Regulations [http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=40760189a03dfea0b501608f33820a45&rgn=div5&view=text&node=14:2.0.1.1.2&idno=14]

See also

*Light-sport aircraft
*Sport Pilot
*Federal Aviation Regulations
*Catch-22