New FAA Basis Med Rules

[Ebbie 2003]

For the past few years as an "older" FAA PPL I have been following with great interest the developments in connection with PPL's and Class 3 medicals.

I even went to the trouble of contacting AOPA and spoke with some of their guys - specifically asking how it would impact those of use whose primary license is FAA. I was told "don't worry we have it covered. They just didn't seem that interested. Then it passes and the FAA issue their rules.

The problem is that the standard is not to be able to meet the medical requirement to hold a US drivers license - but actually to have one. So I thought OK go do a driving test and get one.

Now the big problem - you can only get a US drivers license if you are a US citizen or a US permanent resident.

So those of US who are not do not get the benefit of these great liberalisation of the medical rules.

I live in Barbados and fly throughout the Eastern Caribbean primarily - the informal advice I had from our local CAA was - if the US licence is good and you meet their requirements (no matter what they are) we would be happy.

So a bit of a let down; in the UK there are to be similar rules (indeed I believe there are already for some activities) anyone else have thoughts on the issue.

Got to feel sorry for those in the US who fly but don't drive - or maybe there isn't such a beastie:)

It may seem like a whinge - but the whole point was the pointlessness of the medical for PPL's and the cost - well when one has to fly thousands of miles to get to an FME and get every test under the sun just to be sure the medical from someone from a remote location is measured in multiple thousands of dollars:(

The reforms are good though - but for the want of a few words in the rules (meeting the standard for rather than having a drivers licence) it cold have included a lot more people.

[md 600 driver]

Hi
I believe you can only use your USA driving licence in the USA if your out of the USA you can only use your class 3 or above

[Mark 1]

It's true that the medical exemption renders the licence to be 'sub-ICAO' so you lose the international recognition to exercise the privileges elsewhere.

If your local CAA accepts an FAA certificate for the privilege to fly aircraft on their registry, it would seem reasonable to assume that they also dictate the medical requirements to exercise that privilege.

As things stand, if you fly internationally then a Class 3 or higher would still be required.

You don't actually need to be a permanent resident to obtain a US driver's licence, someone resident on a non-immigrant visa would also be qualified, though that doesn't help in your case either.

[Victorian]

I also corresponded with US AOPA about this issue and found, as in the case of other issues affecting non-nationals such as renters insurance, that they could not have been less interested.

It's a pity, because one unintended consequence will be widespread and completely unintentional uninsured flying by foreign visitors who believe that 'having a driving license' is sufficient. There's almost no chance that FBO's and checkout instructors in the US will even be aware of the issue.

The reply that I got from AOPA basically said that they'd had enough trouble getting this far and would not rock the boat now over something as trivial as uninsured visiting pilots, even if a proportion are AOPA members.

As a side note, the rules for obtaining a US driving license do vary from state to state and its possible that there are places where a visitor can legally obtain one based on an accommodation address.

[Ebbie 2003]

On the sib-ICAO thing - the Caribbean CAA's (there are several) all look ready to accept the BasicMed thing (I believe Canada too).

So for my purposes it would have been great.

On the comment about insurance.

I have a US registered airplane in the US, I fly on a US licence - can I get it insured - nope.

The insurance I have when don here works everywhere - except the US.

I wanted to insure it on the ground in the US, not for flying - the agents actually laughed at me.

My insurance (out of Nevis - no idea if it will pay in there is ever an incident) covers me to depart the US by the shortest route, once in the Caribbean my 3rd Party and hull insurance kicks in.

AOPA again, not interested - I am guessing with Pres. Trump and the America First thing (unfortunate that America First was the slogan of the US Nazis in the 1930's!) that the FU attitude will become a badge of pride.

[Ebbie 2003]

I have checked all the states including Hawaii and Alaska - nope no licence unless one is a US citizen and or legally resident in the US.

By legally resident I mean other than a short term visitor.

Should be said that few if any states require insurance.

Few - I think none - of the airplane renters in the US cover one on their insurance flying solo - hence the "renters insurance" from Avemco and others - I have never rented in the US (solo) without the renter proffering the forms and an "if you decline and have an incident........"

[Victorian]

On drivers licenses, no doubt you are right, a pity.

On renters insurance, this only seems to be available to non residents by the ruse of using an accommodation address. This solution is enthusiastically put forward by at least one of the brokers and when you receive the paperwork there will be no mention of your actual, foreign, address. I wonder how valid that is?

In any case, the renters insurance only appears to cover the owner's deductible, not the hull value. That's why it's only $150 pa, rather than say 1% of $100,000 or $1000 pa for the sake of argument.

However even more risky is the use of 'courtesy cars' which probably have no cover in favour of the driver at all and have a big 3rd party exposure, unlike an aeroplane which is unlikely to hit anyone when it crashes. And insurance for this type of risk seems impossible for foreigners.

Apologies for thread drift. But I do think all of the above issues should have been addressed by US AOPA, since they have a significant foreign membership.

Edited to add that I'm under the impression that there are several people living in California who have US drivers licenses despite having no immigration status at all. Perhaps we pilots need to enter the country by climbing over the fence first?