"Skinny Girl"

The big day of truth arrived last Wednesday. The day for me to go to Annapolis and take my FAA Airman Medical exam. In the seven weeks leading up to the exam I had been amassing the required documents to satisfy the "special issuance" that is required if you have health issues that would be otherwise disqualifying. So my medical certificate is more a paper trail, then a Doc giving me a physical. It's way too complicated for one blog post. With light sport flying in an airplane under 1320 lbs gross, you don't need a medical certificate. Just your pilot's license and your driver's license. There is one big "catch" to light sport. You can not fly under those rules if you have been "denied" an FAA Medical Certificate. The irony of it all is this: Joe Bloe who has just learned to fly under light sport rules has never had and never will have an Airman Medical Certificate. So he's always good to go. But LloydLou who has flown 23K hours, but flunks a medical, is grounded for life, even in the light sport category! They trust a guy who may have a half dozen undiagnosed health problems (like diabetes) and is a brand new pilot. But they will not trust LloydLou to fly with his driver's license even though he's been in the FAA system his whole life and monitored all of his health problems and continues to do so. Basically, I'm being prohibited from flying under light sport rules because I am a pilot. If I were not a pilot, all would be fine. It sounds odd, but that's the "catch 22" that I am in. So if I want to fly under light sport rules for the rest of my life, I must quit "regular" flying while I still have a medical and can let it "expire". So I must be FAA healthy when I quit flying. But why quit when you are still healthy? It's like the guy who won't fix his leaking roof because it's raining. "Well, why don't you fix it while it isn't raining?" ....... "It don't leak then." Here's a little list of some (not all) of the things that went wrong in the seven weeks before my medical: 1. my cardiologist was leaving his position so I was starting up with a new guy. 2. my insurance had changed due to a merger which had caused some problems with the cardio visits and for weeks even after the insurance was all straightened out I was told I "have no insurance". 3. the new cardiologist didn't work out, and that set me back 3 weeks. 4. I had to be mindful of "time" on the calender because due to the special issuance I could not have the medical exam after July 31st or I must start all over with everything. A minimum of 4 months being grounded. 5. even after the cardio part was done there was a major typo in the letter I needed, so I drove a 100 mile round trip just to expedite that repair. 6. My family Doc gave me a lab slip for the tests I needed. But not without warning me that we might have to up my medication. I tried to explain to him that I couldn't change my medication, or I would have to start all over with the special issuance. He implied that he could write the letter I need if I promise to come in on three month intervals instead of once a year. 7. At the Lab Corp in Easton on June 30, I get my blood drawn. When I leave, after I get out to the car I remember I wanted my own copy of the lab results, as is my right under federal law. So I go back in and the stone faced overworked lady tells me "No, you can't have it because you have to tell us before the test that you want your own copy" My voice is cracking from frustration and rage and I whisper, "but I was just in here 90 seconds ago don't you remember me?" No. It's too late. The form must be signed before the test. 8. When I go back to my family Doc I find out that he has a dislocated artificial hip and must go into the hospital. He can neither see me nor write me a letter in the 10 days or so I have left. 9. When I contact a friend and mentor who can help me get a new letter from an amazingly qualified M.D. I find that that Doctor is in Tahiti. 10. I go to Accurate Optical in Easton where I've had my required eye check for the last 3 years. I make an appointment. The soonest available is in ten days. Fine. I make the appointment. Fearing trouble, I get out my insurance card and explain that my insurance has been changed. The receptionist tells me that they will call me one day before my appointment and if there is any insurance problem they will let me know then. I ask if they could check the insurance today or tomorrow instead of nine days from now. She said no. This is the only way they do it. Sure enough, they call me the day before my appointment and tell me they don't take my new insurance. Ten days lost. I went to their competitor and started over. 11. Even if I get a new 3rd class medical, it's only good for one year, not two. This again, is due to the special issuance. There were many other problems like these listed. Some bigger, some smaller. Some I can't share. Some that are too complicated to explain here. So last Wednesday arrived. I passed the medical! While in Annapolis I celebrated by having lunch with my friend "Click". When he had to run, I looked up my good buddy Steve and his pal Reno and hung out at his dry dock and chatted while he painted on the hull of his sailboat. A really pretty night on the river. I drove home at a reasonable hour and went to bed too excited to sleep. Because I had discovered a new favorite drink for diabetics called "skinny girl". And I was going to the Regatta time trials in Cambridge with wife in the morning, and I had passed my FAA 3rd Class Airman Medical. ....GAI... ::::+::::