Don’t Denigrate LSA
Thanks, Warbird Owners!
Your Ma Y 2012 edition contained comments that need to be challenged with
respect to the third-class medical exemption request.
I quote, “The requested exemption would help to mitigate the increased risk
inherent in transitioning to unfamiliar and sometimes distinctly different aircraft,
which is the only alternative currently available to the FAA’s third-class medical.”
It is impossible not to take that comment as a direct attack on both light-
sport aircraft (LSA) and gliders, blanketing both as representing an “increased
risk.” In the same way that many people have criticized the FAA for not provid-
ing statistics proving the added claimed safety from the existence of the
third-class medical, you also fail to provide anything other than opinion as to
how the total inherent risk might be increased.
Yes, it is probably arguable that any aircraft transition leads to some degree,
however small, of increased risk, but you have to play that off against the person
moving from a much older aircraft to a modern aircraft with up-to-date avionics,
parachute options, lower total momentum in the event of an accident, lower stall
speeds, etc., all of which are positive attributes of LSA and gliders. Promoting the
exemption can be done on its own merits without denigrating LSA or glider pilots.
Phil Solomon, EAA 813524, Martinsville, Virginia
i’ve been doing MY morning ritual of checking out
planes on eBay, Barnstormers … [and] EAA is always
one of the sites I visit. This morning the photo of the
B- 29 FIFI with its escorts of P-51s really hit home,
especially with the efforts to ground the warbirds in
the last few weeks. As a (pilot) son of a P- 40 and
P- 47 fighter pilot, warbirds have a special place in
my heart.
The amount of effort in time and money neces-
sary to fly and maintain warbirds has to be
astronomical, and yet it is expended daily just for
the love of the airplanes and respect for our great
nation’s history and “can do” attitude and ability. I
give a huge “thank you” with all that is within me to
all of the owners, pilots, and mechanics for all they
do to keep this segment of aviation flying and avail-
able to the rest of us.
