FAA – Medical Assessment

Medical regulation

61.23 : Medical certificates: Requirement and duration.

(a) Operations requiring a medical certificate. Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, a person:

  1. Must hold a first-class medical certificate:
    • (i) When exercising the pilot-in-command privileges of an airline transport pilot certificate;
    • (ii) When exercising the second-in-command privileges of an airline transport pilot certificate in a flag or supplemental operation in part 121 of this chapter that requires three or more pilots; or
    • (iii) When serving as a required pilot flightcrew member in an operation conducted under part 121 of this chapter if the pilot has reached his or her 60th birthday.
  2. Must hold at least a second class medical certificate when exercising:
    • (i) Second-in-command privileges of an airline transport pilot certificate in part 121 of this chapter (other than operations specified in paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of this section); or
    • (ii) Privileges of a commercial pilot certificate; or
  3. Must hold at least a third-class medical certificate
    • (i) When exercising the privileges of a private pilot certificate;
    • (ii) When exercising the privileges of a recreational pilot certificate;
    • (iii) When exercising the privileges of a student pilot certificate;
    • (iv) When exercising the privileges of a flight instructor certificate and acting as the pilot in command;
    • (v) When exercising the privileges of a flight instructor certificate and serving as a required pilot flight crewmember;
    • (vi) When taking a practical test in an aircraft for a recreational pilot, private pilot, commercial pilot, or airline transport pilot certificate, or for a flight instructor certificate; or
    • (vii) When performing the duties as an Examiner in an aircraft when administering a practical test or proficiency check for an airman certificate, rating, or authorization.

(b) Operations not requiring a medical certificate. A person is not required to hold a medical certificate-

  1. When exercising the privileges of a student pilot certificate while seeking-
    • (i) A sport pilot certificate with glider or balloon privileges; or
    • (ii) A pilot certificate with a glider category rating or balloon class rating;
  2. When exercising the privileges of a sport pilot certificate with privileges in a glider or balloon;
  3. When exercising the privileges of a pilot certificate with a glider category rating or balloon class rating in a glider or a balloon, as appropriate;
  4. When exercising the privileges of a flight instructor certificate with-
    • (i) A sport pilot rating in a glider or balloon; or
    • (ii) A glider category rating;
  5. When exercising the privileges of a flight instructor certificate if the person is not acting as pilot in command or serving as a required pilot flight crewmember;
  6. When exercising the privileges of a ground instructor certificate;
  7. When serving as an Examiner or check airman and administering a practical test or proficiency check for an airman certificate, rating, or authorization conducted in a glider, balloon, flight simulator, or flight training device;
  8. When taking a practical test or a proficiency check for a certificate, rating, authorization or operating privilege conducted in a glider, balloon, flight simulator, or flight training device; or
  9. When a military pilot of the U.S. Armed Forces can show evidence of an up-to-date medical examination authorizing pilot flight status issued by the U.S. Armed Forces and–
    • (i) The flight does not require higher than a third-class medical certificate; and
    • (ii) The flight conducted is a domestic flight operation within U.S. airspace.

(d) Duration of a medical certificate.
Use the following table to determine duration for each class of medical certificate:

And on the date of examination for your most recent medical certificate you wereAnd you are conducting an operation
requiring
Then your medical certificate expires, for that operation, at the end of the last day of the
(1) A first-class medical certificate(i) Under age 40an airline transport pilot certificate for pilot-in-command privileges, or for second-in-command privileges in a flag or supplemental operation in part 121 requiring three or more pilots12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(ii) Age 40 or olderan airline transport pilot certificate for pilot-in-command privileges, for second-in-command privileges in a flag or supplemental operation in part 121 requiring three or more pilots, or for a pilot flightcrew member in part 121 operations who has reached his or her 60th birthday.6th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(iii) Any agea commercial pilot certificate or an air traffic control tower operator certificate12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(iv) Under age 40a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver’s license as medical qualification)60th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(v) Age 40 or oldera recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver’s license as medical qualification)24th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(2) A second-class medical certificate(i) Any agean airline transport pilot certificate for second-in-command privileges (other than the operations specified in paragraph (d)(1) of this section), a commercial pilot certificate, or an air traffic control tower operator certificate12th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(ii) Under age 40a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver’s license as medical qualification)60th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(iii) Age 40 or oldera recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver’s license as medical qualification)24th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(3) A third-class medical certificate(i) Under age 40a recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver’s license as medical qualification)60th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.
(ii) Age 40 or oldera recreational pilot certificate, a private pilot certificate, a flight instructor certificate (when acting as pilot in command or a required pilot flight crewmember in operations other than glider or balloon), a student pilot certificate, or a sport pilot certificate (when not using a U.S. driver’s license as medical qualification)24th month after the month of the date of examination

Easy way to remember

Under 40


Over 40

Medical Certification – Get a Medical Certificate

67.405 : Medical examinations: Who may perform?

(a) First-class. Any aviation medical examiner who is specifically designated for the purpose may perform examinations for the first-class medical certificate.

(b) Second- and third-class. Any aviation medical examiner may perform examinations for the second-or third-class medical certificate.

An FAA Medical Certificate is more than a little piece of paper you keep in your flight bag or clip inside your pilot’s logbook — in fact, it’s best described as the other half of your FAA Pilot Certificate. Just as you cannot take to the air as a Private Pilot without a valid pilot’s license, you can’t fly without a current Medical, which confirms that you have no disqualifying health conditions that would prevent you from flying as Pilot in Command. A Medical also serves as the basis of your own self-certification of health, which all pilots are required to affirm before every flight.

To obtain a medical certificate you must be examined by an FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). As the airman you should follow these steps to apply for and obtain your medical certificate:

MedXPress Registration

FAA medical examinations are now even easier with the MedXPress system. MedXPress was created in 2007 so that pilots could complete an electronic FAA Form 8500-8 prior to visiting an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME). That’s right — no more forms to fill out once you arrive! Pilots are now required to complete an electronic 8500-8 prior to visiting any AME for an examination.
To login or register with MedXPress, complete the initial portion of the application.

https://medxpress.faa.gov/medxpress/medcert.exe

Schedule an appointment with the AME of your choosing.

Check here your AME:

https://www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator/

At your scheduled appointment, the AME will complete your medical examination and the remainder of the FAA application form. If you meet the required medical standards, the AME will issue you a medical certificate.

What does it cost to get a medical certificate?

The FAA does not set fees for the performance of the medical exam and issuance of the medical certificate. Aviation Medical Examiners are allowed to charge the applicant appropriately, as long as it is not more than the usual fee for similar examinations for other purposes. If you are concerned about the cost of the exam, please discuss this with the doctor you are thinking about seeing. The FAA has no additional fees above what the physician charges.

What do they check ?

 

 

Certificate Class

Pilot Type

First-Class

 

Airline Transport

Second-Class

 

Commercial

Third-Class

 

Private

DISTANT VISION20/20 or
better in each eye separately, with or without correction.
20/40 or better in each
eye separately, with or without correction.
NEAR VISION20/40 or
better in each eye separately (Snellen equivalent), with or without correction, as
measured at 16 inches.
INTERMEDIATE
VISION
20/40 or
better in each eye separately (Snellen equivalent), with or without correction at age 50
and over, as measured at 32 inches.
No requirement.
COLOR VISIONAbility to
perceive those colors necessary for safe performance of airmen duties.
HEARING
Demonstrate hearing of an average conversational voice in a quiet room,
using both ears at 6 feet, with the back turned to the examiner OR pass one
of the audiometric tests below or:

PULSE

Not disqualifying per se. Used
to determine cardiac system status and responsiveness.

BLOOD PRESSURE

No specified values stated in
the standards. Current guideline maximum is 155/95.
AUDIOLOGY

Audiometric speech discrimination test: (Score
at least 70% discrimination in one ear) or:


Pure tone audiometric test: Unaided,
with thresholds no worse than:

                                            
500Hz 1,000Hz 2,000Hz 3,000Hz


                     
Better Ear        
35Db     30Db     30Db     40Db

                     
Worst Ear        
35Db     50Db     50Db     60Db

EAR, NOSE, THROATNo ear disease
or condition manifested by, or that may reasonably be expected to be manifested by,
vertigo or a disturbance of speech or equilibrium.
ELECTRO-CARDIOGRAMAt age 35 & annually
after age 40.
Not routinely
required.
MENTAL
No diagnosis of psychosis, or
bipolar disorder, or severe personality disorders.
SUBSTANCE DEPENDENCE &
SUBSTANCE ABUSE
A diagnosis or medical
history of
substance dependence is disqualifying
unless there is established clinical evidence, satisfactory to the Federal
Air Surgeon, of recovery, including sustained total abstinence from the
substance(s) for not less than the preceding 2 years. A history of

substance abuse within the preceding 2 years is
disqualifying. Substance includes alcohol and other drugs (i.e., PCP,
sedatives and hynoptics, anxiolytics, marijuana, cocaine, opioids,
amphetamines, hallucinogens, and other psychoactive drugs or chemicals).
DISQUALIFYING
CONDITIONS

 

Airman with these
conditions may still be eligible for “Special Issuance” of a medical
certificate.


Unless otherwise directed by the
FAA, the Examiner must deny or defer if the applicant has a history of: (1)
Diabetes mellitus requiring hypoglycemic medication; (2) Angina pectoris;
(3) Coronary heart disease that has been treated or, if untreated, that has
been symptomatic or clinically significant; (4) Myocardial infarction; (5)
Cardiac valve replacement; (6) Permanent cardiac pacemaker; (7) Heart
replacement; (8) Psychosis; (9) Bipolar disorder; (10) Personality disorder
that is severe enough to have repeatedly manifested itself by overt acts;
(11) Substance dependence; (12) Substance abuse; (13) Epilepsy; (14)
Disturbance of consciousness and without satisfactory explanation of cause,
and (15) Transient loss of control of nervous system function(s) without
satisfactory explanation of cause.

More about First medial class

Subpart B—First-Class Airman Medical Certificate

More about Second medial class

Subpart C—Second-Class Airman Medical Certificate

More about third medial class

Subpart D—Third-Class Airman Medical Certificate

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