Letting a medical lapse to get more useful time out of it.

[Beefitarian]

My medical is up this month. I don't think I'm going to fly in August since work is so crazy that month. How bad an idea is it to wait until I am going to fly again before getting a new one done?

[ahramin]

I wouldn't call it a bad idea. If you don't need it, you don't need it.

I wouldn't call it a good idea either though. What if you suddenly get a chance to go flying? How much money are you saving by extending it a month? $5?

Personally I have always kept everything on my licence current all the time. You never know when you'll want to use it.

[photofly]

I think it's more about the sheer thrill of screwing that $5 out of the government. Opportunities like that don't happen very often.

[ahramin]

You have a way of putting things that make it impossible to argue with you photo.

Carry on Beef.

[spaner]

I would, It's a bad idea.
My only aviation nightmares are based on this. I find myself standing on an ice flow next to the Firefox. The CP calls on the sat link to tell me that I have screwed up royally.
"You have let your medical expire!". (heavy Russian accent) "And now..you can not escape with the Mig thirtyone.!!"
"Noo! What am I going to do now?!!?
"I expect you to die Mr. Gant..." "Goodby Mr. Gant."

I wake up in a cold sweat...crazy right? I've been caught before.

The way to go, is to keep your file in good standing, at all times.

[Beefitarian]

I have not done it yet. I have weeks before it happens.

Thing is I won't lie. I'm livin' the life. Got my sugarma'am, new bottle of 10 year Arbourlour, stomach full of T-Rex from Vern's and Internet.

When it comes to flying opportunities I have to work pretty hard so not a single one has ever snuck up on me.

That is my reason for not doing it currently. I'm pretty sure TC will punish me way beyond anything suitable for the crime.

[spaner]

Ha, ha, ha...I'm just coming out of that myself.
If you can keep gas in the car, you can keep the medical stamped.

TC too, they tend to not like "gaps" in the file. Causes the question of "why?" to come up in relation to your number. Then they start looking around, and doing stuff you wouldn't expect, just because.

Will you have to surrender your booklet? Ahaa, well maybe you should ask before doing new and interesting things.
A pilot without a medical, is not a pilot. So, why are you trying to be not a pilot?

That's the question.

[Beefitarian]

Yup. You're writing most of the "not crazy" things I'm thinking spanner.

So, why are you trying to be not a pilot?

That's the question.

I'll let Kasey sing about it.


Well I better get some sleep. Might have to get up early to get the jump on the other bottle packers around here.

[Colonel Sanders]

A pilot without a medical, is not a pilot

That's a little dramatic. The CFI of the local school -
he died years ago - for 30 years played this trick.

You're over 40. Your Cat 1 medical only lasts for 6
months. What he did was let his medical run out to
the end of the month, and then do his medical on
the first day of the next month.

You only pay for a medical every 7 months instead
of 6 months, which is a 16% discount, which isn't
insignificant.

He did it for 30 years, as a full-time CFI.

[Beefitarian]

Ah, but the rub here is, my last medical was July 11. I was already planning that trick for the extra month.

What I was wondering is how much brighter the red beacon might shine if I try for a second or third extra month?

[trey kule]

I also did the day over trick for years. and I know several others. in fact when an extension was free, a lot of guys got an extension. Cost makes that a bit prohibitive now. And as I dont fly on A cdn license anymore, I renew my cat one sporadically. Never had a problem with TC and any "gaps".

If your not going to do any flying, I wpuld not bother. We are talking a cat 3 and a ppl here
I dont keep up with cat 3 valid dates though, but are they not a few years now?

[LousyFisherman]

Beef,
It makes no difference. I let mine (CAT 3, over 40) lapse for more than 3 months because of work commitments, went in in the morning, flew that afternoon, 3 months later got the bill for $55

HTH
LF

[spaner]

could be...

My experience with the government has been that they will never ask you to surrender an invalid passport.
Transport Canada will never ask you to surrender a valid booklet, they will first invalidate it for you. I am not sure about the pilot invalidating his own.

Let us know how it goes. Hey, I encourage you to do it now, just to see what happens..

[Bobby868]

I let my medical expire for 6 months every year. There is absolutely no TC issue with letting your medical expire.

I'm over 40 and need to renew my medical every 6 months. But I fly floats for only 5 months a year. so I renew it just before the season starts and it lasts for the full season. Then I let it lapse all the way until the next season again.

If I do need to do a bit of (non-commercial flying) I'm still good with my class 3 medical.

[spaner]

tisk, tisk

We're talking expired medical, as in none, no cat 3, gone.

Right at the top.

[spaner]

There is a ref, about the surrendering of documents. I'm not the greatest at that.
For a medical, at one time it was surrendered by itself, now with the booklet, that can't be done.
So now, the request to surrender can come from any department, and it's the whole booklet.

[flyinthebug]

I let my medical expire for 6 months every year. There is absolutely no TC issue with letting your medical expire.

I'm over 40 and need to renew my medical every 6 months. But I fly floats for only 5 months a year. so I renew it just before the season starts and it lasts for the full season. Then I let it lapse all the way until the next season again.

If I do need to do a bit of (non-commercial flying) I'm still good with my class 3 medical.

Agreed. I did the exact same thing for the last few years I flew floats. I didn't fly in the winter, so what was the sense of renewing my CAT 1 when it defaults to a CAT 3 until I renew my CAT 1 next spring. I used to renew in April and was good for the 6 months I needed it...then it became a CAT 3 until spring. Never once did TC bat an eye or question me as to why this was occurring. Most float drivers I know (over 40) do this exact same thing.

You would have no issues using this little loop hole Beef.

Fly safe all.

[Meatservo]

Well, Beef, I'll answer your second question first. Kasey Chambers is NOT pretty enough, because of the stud she has poking out of her lower lip. It makes her look like a goat.

OK, on to the next question. Just get your medical done for Gods sake. No-one will care, but it's just going to be another stupid thing that you could have gotten taken care of when it was due, but now you've got to remember to do later, like returning a video to the store or paying your phone bill. Just do it.

[Colonel Sanders]

the request to surrender can come from any department, and it's the whole booklet

Not sure where your threats are coming from.

You actually sign for registered letters from the government?

[beaverbob]

Mountains out of molehills boys. Transport doesn't give a s--t when you get your medical, only cares if you have it valid when you fly. Period, the end.
Bob

[Beefitarian]

Meatservo, making fat PPLs and plain girls with piercings cry since 2013.*

Let us know how it goes. Hey, I encourage you to do it now, just to see what happens..

Yeah it won't be super exciting because I let the last one lapse for a few years.
I got to the point I was worried I wouldn't get it back after sciatica and massive (pun intended) weight gain nearly put me in a side walk rascal.

However, that is really another reason I should do like you and I are thinking. Just keep the thing active and have to renew in September 2015 instead of October or whenever.

You could be right BeaverBob, that was the vibe I got from the lady at transport when I got the blue book and asked lots of questions like Gavin off the Kids in the Hall. We had a house fire and I did not even know if my paper license existed after I literally had to dumpster dive to retrieve it at one point. She wanted to issue me a temp, "In case you go flying." I told her, I don't even have a medical. I'm not certain I can get it back. She shrugged.

If your not going to do any flying, I wpuld not bother. We are talking a cat 3 and a ppl here
I dont keep up with cat 3 valid dates though, but are they not a few years now?

Yeah, middle aged guys get 2 years. My last one was 2011.










* If I keep losing weight eventually the fat PPL jokes are going to be hurtful and disrespectful to the guys that are still actually fat PPLs.

Dang, I had not watched that YouTube for a while, it hits a little too close to home.

[Meatservo]

Do you know what's in wieners? Cow's eyes, and dog's heads, and Beefitarian's paper pilots' licenses and medicals, and of course, WIENER FLAVOUR!

[Beefitarian]

Belly laugh with a tear. Though the tear could be allergy related from over due vacuuming today.

[Beefitarian]

For anyone that cares. I just booked for August 2, 10:30am. Everyone else? Ha made you look!

[J31]

A pilot without a medical, is not a pilot

That's a little dramatic. The CFI of the local school -
he died years ago - for 30 years played this trick.

You're over 40. Your Cat 1 medical only lasts for 6
months. What he did was let his medical run out to
the end of the month, and then do his medical on
the first day of the next month.

You only pay for a medical every 7 months instead
of 6 months, which is a 16% discount, which isn't
insignificant.

He did it for 30 years, as a full-time CFI.

While letting your medical lapse is fine for someone who does not need to fly is one thing. However if you rely on a valid medical to fly commercially or need to fly privately within a few weeks, I suggest it is not wise.

I use to do this and thought I was pretty smart......until, I had a personal experience of a new doctor not wanting to validate my lapsed medical. Sh*t I had to fly the next day and my medical was lapsed! It was a item that Transport Canada had dealt with in the past and they promptly faxed a Letter of Validation upon receiving the doctors report. But it took 3-4 days to get it sorted out and I was not able to fly. Now I always book my medical on the 1-2nd of the month that it is due.

Many things can occur, like a missed appointment or the doctor reschedules your appointment.

Further many companies require proof of a doctors validation before your medical lapses or you get vacation without pay!