AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2017 - 102

NEWS & NOTES
TIPS FROM PIC

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
ASK JIM

Flying out
of the country

AOPA web resources
B Y K AT H Y D O N D Z I L A
EIGHTY-THOUSAND PAGES. That's the size of AOPA's website, filled with aviation

BY J I M P I N EG A R , V I C E P R E S I D E N T A N D
D I R EC TO R O F AO PA I N S U R A N C E S E RV I C E S

information. AOPA has made it easier than ever to find what you're looking for,
with improved navigation and a responsive search engine. Six tabs sort information into these main categories: Go Fly, News and Media, Training and Safety,
Advocacy, Community, and Membership. Go Fly includes sections on all aspects
of flying-from medical certification to flight planning to aircraft ownership.
News and Media has a few categories, but don't be fooled; each is packed with
resources and easy access to AOPA's magazines, newsletters, and AOPA Live videos, including extensive archives. The Training and Safety section holds a wealth
of AOPA Air Safety Institute publications and courses, the schedule for AOPA's
popular webinars, and information hand-tailored for pilots across every stage of
accomplishment: students, lapsed pilots, active pilots, CFIs, and career pilots. The
Advocacy section highlights AOPA's government-related efforts. For answers to
questions on third-class medical reform, look here (www.aopa.org/3CM-FAQ).
The Community section has the 2017 AOPA Fly-in schedule, a running list of aviation events across the country, and resources for local flying clubs. And finally,
the Membership tab is where you can read about your AOPA benefits, products,
or drool over the AOPA 172 Sweepstakes aircraft. Still stuck? Give AOPA a call at
800-USA-AOPA (872-2672). We'll be glad to help you, click by click.

PILOT PROTECTION SERVICES

Q: What should one know regarding insurance
when planning to fly to Canada or Mexico?
A: The first place I would start is to review the
"covered territory" in your policy. Ensure that it
at least covers where you are planning on flying.
Second, you will need to be certain that your
coverages meet the requirements of each country. AOPA has prepared thorough guidelines for
Canada and Mexico online (www.aopa.org/
go-fly/destinations/international-travel). This
resource covers much more than just the insurance requirements, so I highly recommend you
review it to help ensure all the necessary items
are considered (i.e., radio license, placards,
DHS decals, et cetera.). Safe flying!
Have questions? Email askjim@aopa.org

Managing the paper chase
A few rules of thumb to follow when dealing
with the FAA
IF YOU HAVE SPOKEN with a specialist at AOPA about a medical certification issue, you may have heard the importance of providing
good documentation to the FAA to support your application for a
medical. Having a medical application deferred is a bummer, and
the delay that can happen after the deferral is a huge frustration,
expense, and inconvenience.
There are a few rules of thumb we routinely espouse when you
call AOPA after having been notified by the FAA.
The first and most important caveat is don't ignore letters from
the FAA. Eventually that letter may contain your medical certificate. In the interim, though, the FAA is probably asking you for
some additional medical information needed to determine if you are
qualified for the medical for which you applied. "Adequate documentation" is, admittedly, a relative term, but in most cases, the FAA
letter will state exactly what it needs from you to determine your
eligibility for a medical certificate. Provide the FAA only what it is
asking for-nothing more and nothing less. If you provide less, the
agency will just keep coming back asking for the documentation.

102 | AOPA PILOT February 2017

BY GARY CRUMP

Pilot Protection Services

Equally bad is giving the agency more than it asks for, especially if
you aren't paying attention to what you are sending.
The FAA asks for specific information that is important from a
regulatory certification standpoint, even though your treating physician may say, "They don't need that. You just had a little stent put
in your coronary artery, for crying out loud!" There are aeromedically significant reasons the FAA asks for something, so don't try to
second-guess the reasons.
Another tip: Take responsibility for sending any requested information yourself to the FAA. Don't trust anyone else-your family
doctor's office, the health care facility where you were treated, or
even your AME-to send records for you to the FAA.
Finally, be patient. This is a complex and bureaucratic process
and that means it isn't always efficient. You will eventually hear
something back from the FAA. I promise.
GARY CRUMP is the director of medical certification for AOPA's

Pilot Protection Services (www.aopa.org/pps).

http://www.aopa.org/go-fly/destinations/international-travel http://www.aopa.org/go-fly/destinations/international-travel http://www.aopa.org/3CM-FAQ http://www.aopa.org/pps

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2017