Story ID: 
Update on 3rd-class Medical Disappoints AirVenture Pilots
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: The Meet the Administrator forum at EAA AirVenture 2015 offered no relief for pilots seeking to fly without a third-class medical certificate.
Word Count: 588
At the Meet the Administrator forum held during EAA AirVenture 2015 in Oshkosh, Wis., FAA Administrator Michael Huerta summarized progress—and lack thereof—on a number of programs, including the much-discussed proposal to eliminate the requirement for some pilots to hold third-class medical certificates. An FAA proposal to change these rules is still held up at the Department of Transportation, and there is no indication as to when it might be released for public comment. Last year the FAA promised that the notice of proposed rulemaking would be issued by the end of the year.

At the forum, Huerta began by summarizing the long history of medical examination of pilots, beginning with the first medical test on a pair of balloonists who suffered a strange new malady after climbing to 29,000 feet in 1862. Oddly, Huerta seemed to associate those pilots’ experience with reasons modern pilots might still need medical oversight by the FAA: “As you might expect,” he said, “they weren’t feeling very well when they came back down. So that’s why we consider this whole question of medical certification is so important, and particularly the third-class medical certificate and what we are doing about that.” Although nothing is known about the FAA proposal, an effort is under way in Congress to allow certain pilots to fly without third-class medical certification. This would include pilots who fly airplanes weighing fewer than 6,000 pounds with up to six seats, in non-commercial operations.

As for the proposal, he added, “You remember that I addressed the matter last year and told you that we were developing a notice of proposed rulemaking. And I told you that I was beginning the coordination process with the rest of the administration. And although we’re working on it, unfortunately there’s not yet a specific proposal out there to change the requirements.”

Huerta cited factors that have impeded progress, such as having to deal with other interested parties, including the White House and Office of Management and Budget in addition to the DOT, “all of whom need to be on board with us making the proposal to go out and to seek public comment on it.

“I know that this is extremely frustrating for all of you here,” he said. “This is an extremely important issue. And it is one that there is a lot of interest in, not only within the executive branch but also Congress. We’ve been working closely with Congress on this issue and the activities that are going on there. And I think what we all want is a lasting policy that will stand the test of time. We want a standard, as painful as this is, that is not going to require yet another debate or another process for years to come.”

Another issue that Huerta cited is something that happens anytime there is a rule change. “[We’re] trying to foresee where there might be unforeseen circumstances and come up with ways to mitigate them and to forestall those.”

Huerta’s only advice to the disappointed audience of AirVenture attendees was that they contact their legislators. “This is where you need to step forward and weigh in with your ideas, your thoughts and your opinions on the issue, and I know this community has not been shy about doing that. But it’s also important to recognize that there are other perspectives out there as well, and we need to keep that conversation going.”