Dereg The Medical

Sport pilots don’t have to have an FAA medical certificate to serve as pilot in command (PIC) of a machine meeting the light sport aircraft (LSA) definition. Instead, they must only carry a valid driver’s license. Since the sport pilot and LSA rules went into effect in 2004—10 years ago—the affected aircraft have not been falling out of the sky because their operators aren’t physically fit. We call that a success.

Key Takeaways:

• The existing sport pilot rule, allowing pilots to use a driver's license instead of an FAA medical certificate for light sport aircraft, has been successful and safe since its 2004 implementation.
• General aviation organizations, including EAA and AOPA, are advocating to extend this medical exemption to a broader range of GA operations, citing an "equivalent safety" record demonstrated by sport pilots.
• This advocacy has led to the introduction of H.R. 3708, the General Aviation Pilot Protection Act of 2013, which proposes allowing a driver's license for non-commercial, VFR flights in aircraft up to six seats and 6000 lbs.
• The article argues that eliminating the medical certificate requirement for these operations would deregulate general aviation, benefit aging pilots, and have no measurable negative impact on safety.

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