Can't pass a medical - thanks for a great time of sharing

A place for you to give us feedback on the site, what's working well, and what other features you'd like to see

Moderators: Rick, Lance Murray

User avatar
Gasser
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 703
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:22 pm
First Name: Jeff
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N415AM
Airports: KADH
Has thanked: 16 times
Been thanked: 44 times

Re: Can't pass a medical - thanks for a great time of sharin

Post by Gasser »

This is awesome news.

As for your next plane, what single turbo aircraft are you looking at that can Cary 1100 pounds plus enough fuel to go anywhere? I can't think of any plane that could do that safely and fly more than a couple laps around the pattern. Just curious???

Keep us updated.
Jeff

PRIVATE PILOT, IFR
2005 DA40 SOLD
2006 SR22, A/C, TKS, AVIDYINE PFD/MFD, IFD 540/440, AXP322 remote ADS-B TRANSPONDER, AMX240 AUDIO PANEL, MLB100 ADS B in.
168 KTAS 9,000' msl @ 13.6 gph LOP. 1005 pound useful load.
User avatar
rwtucker
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 1283
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2013 11:24 pm
First Name: Rob
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N831BA
Airports: KFFZ KEUL
Has thanked: 100 times
Been thanked: 110 times

Re: Can't pass a medical - thanks for a great time of sharin

Post by rwtucker »

Congrats Paul! It is gratifying to see things work as they should and to see what looks like a happy ending.

What kind of aircraft are you thinking about other than the Cirrus? Have you given any thought to one of the six-place Cessnas or Pipers?
User avatar
Gasser
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 703
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:22 pm
First Name: Jeff
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N415AM
Airports: KADH
Has thanked: 16 times
Been thanked: 44 times

Re: Can't pass a medical - thanks for a great time of sharin

Post by Gasser »

No way your gonna fill 5 seats with big guys and 100 pounds of bags in any of those planes and still have room for any fuel. g5 cirrus turbo will only have an 1100 pound useful load. The piper matrix or mirage might work but I'd have to review the load ability. Still think that load for one of those would be too much. Maybe 4 200 pound guys and some bags would work. Nice cabin class plane too. With the mirage you would have pressurization which is very nice.
The smaller 6 seat pipers won't do it. No way. Even a bonanza with turbo and tip tanks would be trouble that heavy. I've seen useful loads in the 1400 pound range for older models with tip tanks. Put 4-500 pounds of fuel in to get some range and you only have 900 left. That heavy they don't climb all that great.

Ok, on edit, piper Mirage with a 350 horsepower turbo only has a useful of 1200 pounds or less depending in options.
The matrix is probably more since it's not pressurized. Useful in matrix is 1400 pounds. That may be your ticket.
Jeff

PRIVATE PILOT, IFR
2005 DA40 SOLD
2006 SR22, A/C, TKS, AVIDYINE PFD/MFD, IFD 540/440, AXP322 remote ADS-B TRANSPONDER, AMX240 AUDIO PANEL, MLB100 ADS B in.
168 KTAS 9,000' msl @ 13.6 gph LOP. 1005 pound useful load.
User avatar
Chris B
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 843
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2012 1:52 am
First Name: Chris
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N171CB
Airports: KRHV
Has thanked: 210 times
Been thanked: 215 times

Re: Can't pass a medical - thanks for a great time of sharin

Post by Chris B »

Gasser wrote:The matrix is probably more since it's not pressurized. Useful in matrix is 1400 pounds. That may be your ticket.
Not for a newly-minted PPL. ;)

Chris
User avatar
Gasser
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 703
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 6:22 pm
First Name: Jeff
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N415AM
Airports: KADH
Has thanked: 16 times
Been thanked: 44 times

Re: Can't pass a medical - thanks for a great time of sharin

Post by Gasser »

Yes, didn't realize he is low time. Might be a nice upgrade in a few years.
A G5 cirrus would be good and could handle the 4 200 pound guy mission. No problem transitioning from the diamond. Landings are not that much different at all. 200 pounds of fuel would take that load only a little over an hour away. Not long. No free lunch in the air.
Unless he really needs the turbo, I'd really consider the NA as you'd get another 70 plus pounds of useful load.
Now, AC...no way I'd give that up. :)


Anyway, the good news is he's gonna have options as of the great medical news. Hopefully it will be over soon.
Jeff

PRIVATE PILOT, IFR
2005 DA40 SOLD
2006 SR22, A/C, TKS, AVIDYINE PFD/MFD, IFD 540/440, AXP322 remote ADS-B TRANSPONDER, AMX240 AUDIO PANEL, MLB100 ADS B in.
168 KTAS 9,000' msl @ 13.6 gph LOP. 1005 pound useful load.
User avatar
rwtucker
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 1283
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2013 11:24 pm
First Name: Rob
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N831BA
Airports: KFFZ KEUL
Has thanked: 100 times
Been thanked: 110 times

Re: Can't pass a medical - thanks for a great time of sharin

Post by rwtucker »

So far, the conversation here is on the new machines. I was also thinking about something inexpensive. Useful on a PA28-300 is 1,612. If you load 60 gallons of fuel (enough for most bladders at 13.5-15 GPH; it runs LOP well), you get 1,252 payload, five or six seats, and baggage space that makes DA40/42 drivers envious. Take off a few more pounds for updated equipment and you are still well above 1,100. Cruise speeds are comparable to the DA40 and the aircraft's high wing dihedral make it stable and forgiving. I flew one for a bit after I trained in a Warrior. The transition was easy. You can pick one of these up in good shape for $100K or less. That margin pays for a lot of fuel. I'm not so big on the Lance version because of the retractable gear configuration, but it is faster.
User avatar
Kai
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 1355
Joined: Tue Jun 15, 2010 6:14 pm
First Name: Kai
Aircraft Type: DA40F
Aircraft Registration: XXXX
Airports: VTCY
Has thanked: 127 times
Been thanked: 99 times

Re: Can't pass a medical - thanks for a great time of sharin

Post by Kai »

OK, we are going far off topic. Let me close this thread for right now. PM me if there is an important update to the initial thread.
DA40F - N405FP/HS-KAI (sold)
User avatar
PapaSierra
2 Diamonds Member
2 Diamonds Member
Posts: 49
Joined: Sat May 03, 2014 2:12 am
First Name: Paul
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N14PS
Airports: KSUA
Has thanked: 45 times
Been thanked: 5 times

Re: Can't pass a medical - thanks for a great time of sharin

Post by PapaSierra »

Well, this is my last update to this thread (thanks Kai for opening it back up for this post):

The FAA finally - after 3 submissions of reports and test data - has denied my medical. I have chosen to accept this final judgement and sell my DA40. Yes I can work hard to improve my health, and I have and am, but apparently not to their satisfaction. Frankly the fight I would have to make and then each year do all over again, just doesn't seem to justify the joy - especially when I have a lot of other fun things in my life.

The truly sad part is that if I hadn't bought a "certified" aircraft and instead bought an Icon A5 or some other LSA I would not have had to go through all this and could have received a license to fly. Sadly, because I've applied for and subsequently been denied my medical I am not permitted to fly any type of aircraft as PIC. This is a pathetic double-edged sword and I throw up my hands. Their motto "we're not happy until you're not happy" has finally proved true.

Sorry for my bitter tone... at least this long wait is over (April to November).

Happy flying everyone. Every time I hear a plane in the sky I will still look up...
Paul Papa Sierra Shirley
N14PS 2010 DA40.1100
WAAS, TAWS-B, SVT, Jepp ChartView, SafeTaxi,
GFC700 w/VNAV, GTX33 Mode S, & Avidyne TAS600 Active Traffic
User avatar
rwtucker
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 1283
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2013 11:24 pm
First Name: Rob
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N831BA
Airports: KFFZ KEUL
Has thanked: 100 times
Been thanked: 110 times

Re: Can't pass a medical - thanks for a great time of sharin

Post by rwtucker »

I am very sorry to hear this Paul. The "logic hole" in the LSA medical requirements needs to be fixed but it doesn't seem to trouble the FAA, at least officially. I know a few older PPTs who dropped to LSA, either because they believed they would fail their next medical and therefore did not take it, or they failed an unofficial "practice" medical. I'm not sure what the best solution is but the LSA safety record (even given how hard some of those little @$% are to land) stands as a form of evidence that the Class III medical is not contributing to safety in the case of most single engine GA.
Post Reply