Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!jarthur!usc!cs.utexas.edu!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!261!1000.0!John.Lynch
From: John.Lynch@p0.f1000.n261.z1.fidonet.org (John Lynch)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: disABLED pilots
Message-ID: <12800@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 17 Jul 90 19:36:45 GMT
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Index Number: 9197

To W.K. (Bill) Gorman,
 
Bill can you rach me on the National Disability Conference.  If so, 
I guess we can discuss disabled pilots here, unless the conference 
echo moderator has a problem with it.(Speak up Mr. Moderator if there 
is a problem, I am not usually on this echo, and thus unfamiliar 
with the policies.)
Finding a good instructor can ge critical for you.  If it takes you 
a few minutes longer to get into and out of the plane, plus some 
time to hook up your hand controls, he may feel that you are demanding 
more of his time then it is worth to him.  Dump him and get another 
instructor.  I would suggest that you sit around the FBO and talknto 
the instructors to get their feelings and let them understand your 
needs.  Talk to the owner or manager of the FBO, Fixed
Based Operator, and finjd out his policies.  There is a need for 
new pilots, so he should be willing to meet your needs.
As far as the medical is concerned, you need to go to a FAA authorized 
doctor and get a third class physical.  You will most likely flunk 
it, depending on your disability.  At that point contact the local 
FAA office and find out the address to send for a request for waiver 
of disability form Oklohoma City.  They wil probable send you a physical 
that allows for instruction and solo flight.  When you go for your 
liscense, the FAA check pilot will then give you a new medical and 
a waiver of disablility for use when you get your next medical.  
Don't loose it.  But you will not need the physical to flynwith an 
instructor, so you may want to try flying with anninstructor, and 
talking to the FAA about obtaining the waiver before you actually 
go for the physical.
Well, that is a start.  Let me know your physical problem, and I 
can probable give you some more advice and addresses.
About myself.  If flew B-52s in the Air Force, and became a paraplegic 
from a motor cycle accident.  I started flying again about 2 years 
later.  Since I all ready had a commercial liscense, I just need 
a medical.  But I needed to demonstrate to the FAAthat the disablity 
didn't affect my ability to fly the plane.  I needed about 12 hours 
of instruction to get back up to flying speed, get use to flying 
small planes again,  after flying 488,000 lb. planes in the AF.  
and get use to the hand controls.  Heck it took me an hour just to 
get comfortable taxing again at a small airpoir with narrow taxi 
ways going up and down hills.  but I know paras , quads, and triple
amputees who have learned to fly.  So go for it.  Drop me another 
note and lets discuss some more.  If this echo isn't good, drop me 
a letter at 15103 Priceville Rd., Sparks, Md 21152.
Regards, John 

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