Question about Old 3rd Class Medicals

[WhiskeyTango]

I think I may have screwed the proverbial pooch.

I logged about 18 hours 10 years ago and a few more a few years later. I had my old medicals in my logbook but threw them out when I recently got my new one.

I was reading some stuff about check rides on Usenet and now I have to ask...Since these ~24 hours of training came under my old medicals am I no longer allowed to claim them toward my PPL since I don't have the medicals? If so, does anyone know if I can retrieve proof of the old certificates from FAA?

Given the period since my first instruction, I'm probably going to run close to 50 hours anyway, but another $1,000+ of training is still 1,000 bucks any way you cut it.

Anyone know the reg on this? I don't have my FARs handy.

 

[bobbysamd]

Flight Training v. Medicals

I don't believe you screwed any pooch. You need your combination medical and student pilot certificate to solo. You don't need a medical to receive dual. You don't have to keep your old medicals. There's no expiration for flight time. As long as it was signed off by an authorized CFI, it'll still count toward your Private.

In any event, go to the FAA's web site, www.faa.gov , and follow the links to the page on how to order your medical file.

Hope that helps.

 

[WhiskeyTango]

Thanks. I looked at the link.

Point of clarification: The solo hours which I logged under the old medical certifcates will also still be valid or will I need to follow the procedure to get the old certificates? I'll post when I figure it out.

 

[bobbysamd]

Flight time

Flight time doesn't perish. Your old solo hours still count. Solo endorsements perish and must be renewed. It is now up to your current instructor the conditions under which you solo.

 

[A Squared]

THere is no requirement that I am aware of to keep old medical certificates....if there is, a whole bunch of us are in deep trouble. Presumably, you had a medical at the time you logged the flight time.

If anyone questioned whether I had a current medical 10 years ago, my response would be:

1) Ask them what reasons they had to believe I didn't have a medical.

2) Tell them if they were that interested, they could go request my medical records from the FAA themselves, I have better things to do.

3) Politely suggest that if they were losing sleep over whether or not I had a medical 10 years ago as a student pilot, they might be in need of a new hobby.

regards

 

[WhiskeyTango]

Ok, thanks.

Goes to show you can't believe everything you read, on Usenet particularly.

 

[A Squared]

I'd be interested to see what you read. Can you post a copy or provide a link?

 

[bobbysamd]

Misinformation

Who's filling your head with this malarkey? You don't need to keep your old medicals. As you progess through your training and career, you will pass by plenty of ticket-punchers who will verify that you have current medicals, e.g. pilot examiners. No current and appropriate medical, no flight test. When it comes job-hunting time, potential employers will be interested only that you have a current medical appropriate to your pilot and instructor certificates.

 

[WhiskeyTango]

The newsgroup was rec.aviation.student. I don't recall what the thread subject was right now, but it was pretty clear that the individual was saying that you would lose previous solo student hours if you had logged them under a destroyed certificate. I just read it last night.

Anyway, I see now that you can retrieve old certs from the FAA, so he was clearly talking out his bunger.


Received a call from my instructor tonight. He wanted to re-schedule or at least stay in touch for Wednesday as he will be toting some big wigs to Chicago. He told me that the airport business manager said I had reached my limit on my account, hehe. Can't blame them, they don't know me from Adam as far as credit goes, but I'm surprised I hit my limit flying twice per week for a month.