I recently received the results of my class 2 medical (AESA) and I have been placed an ORL limitation on it (valid only with safety pilot if passengers are carried) due to a chronic medical condition. Note that this is my first medical examination, so it is unlikely that this limitation will get removed. I remark that this is the first medical and that I haven’t, yet, started any training.
As you can imagine, although learning to fly has been my dream for a long time, the limitation is kind of a downer, since I basically won’t be able to share it with my family and friends, unless I find a “safety pilot”. I now have to evaluate whether the cost is worth or not. Is it typical for GA pilots to fly with other pilots? Or is it more common to fly solo? Because I don’t know any general aviation pilots personally, so I don’t know how easy or common is to meet with other pilots simply to fly and how likely it is that I will find some safety pilot to fly with if I want to carry some passengers. Anyone here with an OSL/ORL limitation on their class 2 that wants to share their experience flying recreationally would be welcomed.
Thank you.
I don’t know the condition but don’t bet that there is no way around that limitation. Times change… Also, is there a treatment? For example most heart issues can be fixed.
Whoops – just fixed the meetups forum; thank you for pointing that out 
You can get a huge amount of enjoyment even flying alone. In fact the best way to keep flying in the long term is to meet up with people. And Europe has a lot to offer in terms of locations and scenery. You would be amazed how many people fly alone… but they need to get value from/at the destinations, eventually.
For many people with “time”, flying alone is the only option. Often, one’s spouse is not into flying (often because she has heard too much about crashes ), most people work all year except weekends and defined holidays, etc.
Hi Peter, thanks for answering.
The condition is treated with medication and under control (has been for more than 10 years with the same medication). My heart is OK, I practice sports regularly and live a normal life. Still, the condition is serious, must be regularly controlled and I can understand why they put the limitation on my medical. We will try to remove it in my next medical test, but I prefer to prepare for the event that they won’t, as this is the most likely scenario. I am grateful that they did not put an OSL on my medical, just an ORL.
Most private pilots never fly with real „passengers“, only with other pilots, instructors, or alone. Many don‘t ever get to the point of really being confident carrying non-pilot passengers, sadly.
I understand you would to carry your family and a few friends, but from experience, that group will likely remain very small. For an occasional flight around the area with them, you can take one of the usual four-seaters, a safety pilot/instructor, and 2 passengers (don‘t need to carry a lot of fuel for these flights).
Mitor wrote:
ORL limitation
What are the requirements for that safety pilot? Does she/he have to be fully licensed and current for that type of aircraft? Is he/she PIC or what is the actual requirement? So far “safety pilots” have always been legally just passengers to me. Also in a single PIC aircraft is a second pilot in the right seat not actually a passenger?
I would not be too worried. Serious flying with your family alone would be years of flying experience down the road anyway. I fly for quite some time now but a flight with the children is still a high stress flight. You have to fly and keep everybody happy which is not easy. And our plane nearly flies itself on the autopilot high in the flight levels where the air is calm. Hand flying in the turbulence down low, the family and myself would be done after 20 minutes.
Sebastian_G wrote:
What are the requirements for that safety pilot? Does she/he have to be fully licensed and current for that type of aircraft?
Yes. MED.B.001(d)(4)(i)(A):
…another pilot fully qualified to act as pilot-in-command on the relevant class and type of aircraft is on board the aircraft, the aircraft is fitted with dual controls and the other pilot occupies a seat at the controls;
Is he/she PIC or what is the actual requirement? So far “safety pilots” have always been legally just passengers to me. Also in a single PIC aircraft is a second pilot in the right seat not actually a passenger?
The safety pilot is a passenger as long as the PIC is capable of acting as PIC.
Also AMC2 to MED.B.001, item (b)(16):
The safety pilot, if carried, should be made aware of the type(s) of possible incapacity that the pilot whose medical certificate has been issued with this limitation may suffer and should be prepared to take over the aircraft controls during flight.
This is quite funny… after I got divorced my ex demanded I have another pilot if I was taking the kids up. But she was ok if the safety pilot sat in the back This went on for some years… Cost me a lot of money (thousands).
Airborne_Again wrote:
The safety pilot is a passenger as long as the PIC is capable of acting as PIC.
That I’m not sure about – previously I’ve been told that flying with a safety pilot is the only way for both pilots to log hours on an SPA.
ORL is a medical limitation and does not affect how hours are logged.
You are still PIC even with a safety pilot.
boscomantico wrote:
Most private pilots never fly with real „passengers“, only with other pilots, instructors, or alone. Many don‘t ever get to the point of really being confident carrying non-pilot passengers, sadly.
Sebastian_G wrote:
Serious flying with your family alone would be years of flying experience down the road anyway.
What is this based on? It’s not my experience at all. Pretty much the day after I got my PPL I was taking everyone I knew flying, going on long XC trips, etc. I think everyone’s experience is different, but there’s certainly no reason one must limit himself in this way. I hardly ever fly alone or with another pilot, and it’s been this way since the day I got my license.
Having said that, if flying with another pilot was the only way I could do it, I would participate in club flights, fly-ins, anything I could do to get some time in an airplane. I wouldn’t let it stop me.
