I'm not normally a one issue voter, but this is a really big deal to me. I haven't always been an airline pilot. At some point in the future I will opt not be an airline pilot. I have every intention to always be a GA pilot.
As the FAA inacts more and more rules with regard to medical certification it becomes increasingly more expensive to maintain any class of medical certificate. It's an easy decision at this time in my life to spend whatever is necessary to maintain my 6-figure income.
However... When I retire and am flying only GA, I question whether I can justify a multi-thousand dollar sleep study so that I can fly my Cherokee to breakfast twice a week. I have no intention to fly when I'm unhealthy or a hazard to others, but the expense of proving my medical status to the satisfaction of the FAA frequently exceeds the costs of the treatment/remedy itself.
Furthermore, I have a first hand account of how ineffective the 3rd class medical is in predicting the longevity of the airman. My mom's fiancé (age 67 and the picture of health) wanted to take flying lessons. I was working with him and he was making good progress towards soloing so I sent him in for a medical. He passed with flying colors. No waivers. No special issuance. He died less than a week later of a heart attack.
Anecdotal accounts are probably straying from the real topic. ALPA has no business poking its nose into this issue. Claiming a safety concern on behalf of its members is specious at best. There are FAR far greater safety threats to the ALPA membership each and every day. ALPA should address the shortcomings of Part 117, threats of exporting pilot jobs, the general failure of CBA negotiations under the Railway Labor Act, the dwindling quality of life for professional pilots and the stresses this promotes, etc.
ALPA: You've got bigger fish to fry. Keep your eye on the real target and stop inventing crisis to avoid dealing with your REAL, legitimate responsibilities.
Your impending membership drive at Frontier will suffer as a result of your adversarial stance towards general aviation.
Last edited by OpenClimb; 08-02-2015 at 08:00 PM.
Reason: Still finding typos