Experimenter is a magazine created by EAA for people who build airplanes. We will report on amateur-built aircraft as well as ultralights and other light aircraft.
Issue link: http://experimenter.epubxp.com/i/247918
NEWS FROM HQ Young Pilot Uses EAA Youth Programs to Earn His Ticket ERIC BEETS WAS determined to be a pilot, and the EAA Young Eagles program helped him achieve it. After Eric, EAA 1078480, took a Young Eagles flight on January 15, 2012, the 17-year-old high school student from Burlington, Wisconsin, made the decision that he would become a private pilot. Thanks to his determination and the EAA Young Eagles Flight Plan, Eric passed his checkride on April 5, 2013. Now he's organizing a Young Eagles rally at his home airport next spring. Eric gives EAA 100 percent of the credit for teaching him about aviation. After the Young Eagles flight, he completed the online Sporty's Learn to Fly Course (provided free to Young Eagles), applied for and was granted a scholarship to attend the EAA Air Academy, passed the FAA written exam on his first attempt (the cost of which was reimbursed by EAA), plus was chosen as a recipient of a Gathering of Eagles flight training scholarship. Now he's spreading the word about flight to his friends and the public. "I've already given flights to some of my friends, and I feel it's my duty to help others discover flying like EAA helped me," he said. "I want to help get anyone and everyone interested in aviation, and I thought that telling my story to other parents, kids, pilots, and anyone willing to listen would be a great way to achieve my goal." FAA to Delay Sleep Apnea Policy THE FAA WILL DELAY implementation of its new sleep apnea policy in order to gather additional input from the aviation and medical community. The new policy, which would mandate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) testing and evaluation for pilots with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 and above, was scheduled to go into effect in January. EAA and its Aeromedical Advisory Council objected strenuously to the policy, saying 6 Vol.3 No.1 / January 2014 such testing was not FAA's role, was of questionable medical use relating to pilot fitness, would cause additional financial burdens to pilots, and would overburden an already taxed special issuance system for medical certificates. The FAA is now planning a meeting in early 2014 with aviation and medical stakeholders, including general aviation organizations and aviation medical examiners (AMEs). "We are pleased to see that the FAA will organize a meeting mid- to late January, get all concerned together, and try to hash out a compromise that will address FAA's concerns about sleep apnea with all of our concerns about cost, intrusiveness, and adverse effect on the industry," said Sean Elliott, EAA vice president of Advocacy and Safety. "EAA stands ready to assist and represent the aviation community in any way possible."