Readback: January 2018

I agree with your November Remarks that we should not give up on a drivers license medical, and you agree that for many of us, especially those with special issuances, BasicMed is a real improvement.My biggest bellyache is the safety pilot issue. AOPAs lobbyist, with whom Ive discussed it, says that even the FAA realizes how silly it is to say you need a third class medical to be second in command, but not to be PIC. Its possible the FAA will decide they can loosen that rule and still be within the law.

Editorial Staff

Sunday, December 17, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The BasicMed safety pilot rule is criticized as illogical and advocates hope for a "driver's license medical" for private operations or expanded BasicMed limits.
Learning to safely *use* an aircraft's avionics, especially autopilots, with a qualified flight instructor is paramount, rather than just understanding their internal workings.
Pilots can manage multiple approaches by disabling crossfill on dual navigators and are advised to load an Initial Approach Fix (IAF) instead of using "vectors to final."
Assigned turns after takeoff generally begin at 400 feet above the airport, superseding conflicting Standard Instrument Departure (SID) instructions unless specific altitude restrictions are given.

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BasicMed: No Safety Pilot

I agree with your November Remarks that we should not give up on a “driver’s license medical,” and you agree that for many of us, especially those with special issuances, BasicMed is a real improvement.

My biggest bellyache is the safety pilot issue. AOPA’s lobbyist, with whom I’ve discussed it, says that even the FAA realizes how silly it is to say you need a third class medical to be second in command, but not to be PIC. It’s possible the FAA will decide they can loosen that rule and still be within the law.