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If the third-class medical is indeed abandoned, what will the LSA impact be? I'm thinking some LSA manufacturers will fold, and some larger manufacturers will follow Cessna in discontinuing their LS line. Will used light sport prices decrease? Will used non-LS prices increase?

As for Van's, maybe the RV-12 will survive, but on the used market they seem to bring as much as a -7 or a -9, and they don't go anywhere near as fast. The detachable wings and the auto gas have advantages, but I think the primary motivator for sales is still the light sport classification, and I see that becoming moot if third class goes away.

Prestwich brings up a couple of good points, but after ALPA (airline pilot's association)declared their opposition to the 3rd class medical falling under light sport rules, I think nothing will change, at least for the foreseeable future.

I just don't see the third class medical going away for two reasons. First, it makes too much sense to eliminate it, and second, we are dealing with the FAA/government. Any questions??

One last comment from me on the subject; I learned a long time ago, "in life, don't worry about those things that you have zero control over." And besides, those of us who are building RV-12s are most likely in our "senior years" because of the "no-medical required" feature of the light-sport category. And I cannot speak for anyone else, but the resale value of my completed RV-12 is the farthest thing from my mind. It will most likely outlive me, and I'll let my widow worry about its resale value!

Given the intense lobbying efforts currently underway, I still think 3rd class reform is imminent. ALPA is the only opposition, and they're losing the fight, partially because many of their own members don't agree with their official stand. I just don't see how reform could fail to have a major impact on LSA.

Many plane owners of every stripe don't worry much about resale value, but a -7 or a -9 doesn't cost any more to build (or buy used) than a -12, but will cruise 70 mph faster. If medical reform does go through, it will be the cost of LSA that will kill it, I think. The certificated LSAs are all well over $100,000, and as Cessna learned, few customers want to pay that much money for less airplane, just so they can skip the doctor.

One BIG plus in RV-12's favor is that it is the only RV model that Van's Aircraft builds, as an S-LSA. $127,000 will buy you a brand-new factory built airplane. Has anyone checked the price of a brand-new Cessna 172 lately... about twice the price of the RV-12. Sure, it has 2 extra seats, but it is really only a 3-seater when you fill the tanks... and it goes only slightly faster than the RV-12. Granted, the RV-12 is almost as expensive to build as a -7 0r -9, but it is still a bargain, in my opinion. I took a test flight in the demo RV-12 up at Van's, and it is one fun-to-fly airplane! (but then, I'm sure the -7 and -9 are also!)

You are probably correct that if the third-class medical goes the way of the light-sport that several, if not many light-sport kit manufacturers will probably go out of business. That said, I very highly doubt Vans will be one of them. Vans is the leader in aluminum airplane kits and their operation is rather large. I don't foresee them discontinuing the -12, heck, they still make RV-3 kits! One thing going for the RV-12 is the fact that Van's builds the -12 as an S-LSA. That is the only Van's model that you can buy, factory-built!

Third Class Medical reform is not all that it was cracked up to be. My third class medical was due to expire on May 1st (coincidentally the same day as BasicMed was to begin). After making an appointment 3 months before my medical was to expire, with the same Medical Examiner that has done my 2nd/3rd class exam for the past 20 years, for a Basic Med exam, she called me the day before the exam to inform me that she would not be participating in Basic Med exams. She explained that her malpractice insurance would not cover her for Basic Med exams. Go figure. As it turned out, I kept my May 1st appointment and she performed a standard Class 3 exam, which I passed with no problem. I was a little worried about passing the eye exam, but I passed with no problem. Just thought the malpractice insurance twist was interesting. Thought the rest of you might want to know.

CaptainWacoal wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 23, 2015 12:08 pm

One last comment from me on the subject; I learned a long time ago, "in life, don't worry about those things that you have zero control over." And besides, those of us who are building RV-12s are most likely in our Carton déménagement standard "senior years" because of the "no-medical required" feature of the light-sport category. And I cannot speak for anyone else, but the resale value of my completed RV-12 is the farthest thing from my mind. It will most likely outlive me, and I'll let my widow worry about its resale value!

But in the end, there will surely be an end to all of this.