Sleep Apnea Rule

[Av8r3400]

Click on the link below to support the EAA in their attempt to rein in the out of control FAA and their unnecessary rule-making.

http://govt.eaa.org/12706/support-hr-3578/

This rule is being jammed down our throats bypassing the normal processes. Another solution by the federal government looking for a problem!

Help me spread this around!

[Av8r3400]

Quote from letter this petition generates to your representatives:

The FAA recently indicated that it is planning sweeping changes to the airman medical certification process, and that it plans to implement these changes without any input from the flying public, aviation associations, industry stakeholders, or Congress. Specifically, the FAA is mandating that airmen with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over a given threshold, even if they have not exhibited symptoms or been previously diagnosed, must undergo expensive and burdensome diagnostic evaluation for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). This sudden transition to prophylactic and preventative medicine comes without public review, cost/benefit analysis, or a NPRM.

[Danzer1]

Larry,

Would you consider making this thread a sticky until the "policy" is quashed. This is to important to be buried. It can kill GA!

For those who have not researched:

This is being done as a "policy" change therefore avoiding the normal FAA rule making process which would include stakeholders input. As this stand we have no say unless we get our lawmakers involved to force a change.

This potentially affects all except sport pilots - if not quashed - we all may have to become sport pilots!

The "policy" is based on 1 or 2 commercial incidents, but affects all 600,000 licensed pilots.

There has not been a case found yet (that I know of) either incident or accident where a GA pilot was found at fault with OSA as a contributing factor.

An OSA evaluation costs between $1,000 and $5,000 per night - add that to your medical!

I have never heard of anyone ever passing an OSA evaluation - it (generally) requires 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. How many of you get that at home? Never mind in an unfamiliar, foreign bed in a sleep center, knowing you are being watched and "evaluated" all night. It never happens!

This has to be resolved. Everyone needs to help. See Larry's posts below on how!

Greg