Whats your back-up plan? (lose medical)

[B-J-J Fighter]

Back Up

I would get a job in Fed Law Enforcement. I dont want to sit behind a desk and push paper ever, hopefully I wont ever have to. I taught a DEA and an ATF agent how to fly and there job seemed like it would be really fun to me. My 1st chioce would be USMS.

 

[bobbysamd]

Re: Loss of Medical

I recently had my 1st class medical application denied. I have been a Private Pilot since 92' and recently got my Inst. Comm. Multi. all fixed wing. I passed my two CFI writtens and got all the way thru to my CFI maneuvers and then lost my medical. I have one last chance to write in to appeal. But it does not look good. It still has not sunk in, but I am afraid that when I get my first of 3 5inch thick student loan payment books, reality will set in. Any ideas or help would be great. Please no "do you want fries with that" advice. That's funny the first 2,000 times you hear it but when you are in the "meat grinder", which I am, it's not funny.

No, it is not funny at all.

Try speaking with an AOPA counselor if you are a member.

www.leftseat.com is an excellent FAA medical website.

 

[uavchaser]

hey JediNein

you need a 2nd class medical to fly UAVs (company policy) so you can scratch that off the list. pretty ridiculous i think though especially since it is a 2 pilot operation with an FE.

 

[Flightjock30]

Someone said you can do a lot outside of flying with an Aeronautical Science degree. That is not true! An Aeronautical Science degree is a fancy word for a degree as a professional pilot. You are pretty much limited to what you can do with that if you lose your medical. Word of advice: If you go to an aviation college do not get a degree in aeronautical science. You will be saying "would you like fries with that?" if you lose your medical and have one.

 

[JediNein]

UAVs

Uavchaser, which company? If you can't say, which location? Do you know the medical requirements for the Exdrone or Global Hawk operators?

Eyelevelflyer, is this a temporary condition, one that will improve, a permanent condition that will get worse, or a permanent condition that is stable? Has your medical been deferred or denied? There are such things as special issuances for medicals. There are demonstrated ability letters available. If deferred, did your AME call the regional flight surgeon instead of shipping everything to OKC? Have you asked your AME specifically if you can continue flying on your current medical until the FAA responds to your current application? Can you get that CFI BEFORE the medical expires? If not, will your examiner mind acting as PIC for the checkride?

A call to the Virtual Flight Surgeons is in order. Not even AOPA can match VFS' services. They will put you in contact with an expert as soon as you call (or have them call you). Can they help you, what is their estimate of the cost, have they worked on this particular condition before, what is their timeframe, and what is their success rate? www.aviationmedicine.com

If you love flying, don't give up the fight.

While you are fighting, with a CFI certificate, you can instruct:
Commercial applicants
CFI applicants (after 200 hours dual given + 2 years)
Aircraft checkouts (insurance and flight school)
Advanced avionics (GPS, TCAD, Wx RADAR, and so on)
Recurrency for legally current pilots (nothing about proficient)

Get the CFII: (Also AGI and IGI)
Instrument training in IMC
The simulator series

MEI:
The same as the CFI, except the student must be current in that aircraft

In the Civil Air Patrol you can rack up the time aloft as:
A Scanner
An observer
a Check Pilot
a Tow Pilot trainer
We have several folks that just enjoy getting aloft and if the pilot allows them to fly, that's fine, but they do have other duties, so the pilot becomes the scanner while the scanner flies.

Many pilots have been in the same situation. It is far easier to regain a medical than to get the initial one without a long background of several years of flying safely. When the medical is finally approved, you'll find a much greater appreciation of every minute aloft.

If you can keep your head in the game during the tines when you sit on the ground, it's much easier to come back. Get the mechanic certificates. Airplanes require test flights occasionally after repairs. It's how I have 1.7 in a King Air. I didn't log the MD-80 test flight in the pilot logbook, but it's in my airframe logbook. Go apprentice at the avionics shop. People pay big bucks to learn their GPS, or their entirely new radio stack. The folks that pay the big dollars on the radio have already spent the big dollars on the airplane. They're pristine!

I don't recommend driving the lav truck, that's no way to stay in aviation.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

 

[Clearsky]

If you still want to stay in aviation and have an aviation management or similiar degree you could go into consulting. I know a person that lost his medical and is an airport planner. They design the runways, terminals, roads, taxiways, location of the baggage screening machines etc. It seems like interesting work.

 

[Timebuilder]

Eyelevel-

I think you can find that you can instruct as long as you are not required to act as PIC. This only applies, of course, if you can take the checkride for the CFI. I'm not certain, but I think that ride always requires at least a third class medical. Until then, you CAN give ground instruction if you have the written test done and are issued a ground instructor certificate. You might want to consider a teaching degree, as I am for possible backup use.

Other than that, I'll track down an agent in New York for voice over work. My unpredictable schedule makes that too difficult to do right now.

 

[uavchaser]

Hey JediNein,

My company (chase planes) contracts for General Atomics, Aeronautical Systems in El Mirage, Ca. We fly the only attack UAVs (predators). I'm not sure on the requirments for Global Hawk but you wont get to blow anything up with one of those since they are only for survelance. The only explosions you will see out of that UAV will be when it crashes and youre flying

 

[FlightTraker]

While building my time, I became an Aircraft Dispatcher. The pay is decent, and you still are considered a crewmember by the FAA. If you get with a decent sized company, it is an OK job. You still have duty time, jumpseat privilidges, and get to sleep in your own bed every night. Most regionals start dispatchers around $30,000 these days.....so you don't have to starve like I am now as a pilot.



FlightTraker