

This is mainly because the Class 1 medical certificate is what you will need if you wish to take to the skies in a professional capacity. When it comes to medical certificates, Class 1 comes out on top. The cost of these certificates also ranges from relatively low to high, with the stricter ones generally costing a higher amount of money. The validity period of these different licences varies, and so does the level of stringency when it comes to assessing your health. To make sure what type of certificate you need, you’ll have to narrow down what exactly it is that you wish to do when it comes to aviation, and then schedule a pilot medical check-up accordingly. ĭifferent types of medical certificates are required for varying types of licences.

Faa medical durations how to#
It is best to rule out the obvious causes of disqualification before investing the time and money into learning how to fly. If you are someone who suffers from breathing difficulties or has issues when it comes to colour vision, aviation may not be for you. It’s always best to get a thorough check-up before you begin your aviation journey to make sure any health issues don’t end up becoming roadblocks for you down the line. That’s where medical certificates come in. In order to step into the world of aviation, you must first ensure that you are physically fit to do so. While theoretical and practical exams are a great way to assess your knowledge and skills when it comes to flying, another very important part of the process is ensuring that you are in the right physical state to take off. The main aim of the licence is to ensure that you will not be a danger to others or yourself while piloting an aircraft because aviation is a risky business. A pilot licence is necessary for you to obtain if you wish to fulfil your dreams of flying across the sky. Have questions? Give AOPA’s medical staff a call at 800/USA-AOPA (872-2672).To become a pilot, loving the skies just isn’t enough. Because of this relationship, AOPA and the FAA have been able to advance and streamline the medical certification process for pilots. To address members’ medical concerns, AOPA periodically meets in person with the FAA’s Aerospace Medical Certification staff in Oklahoma City, Okla., and the federal air surgeon in Washington, D.C. The FAA does not intend to reissue certificates to airmen who applied before the new certificates become available.ĪOPA’s medical certification staff handles about 20,000 pilot medical inquiries each year. If you get your first or third class medical the day before you turn 40, it will still be valid for one year or five years, respectively.īecause medical certificates that have already been issued and those being issued within the next month won’t reflect the new regulatory language, pilots should print this card that shows the new duration rules and carry it with their medical at all times. So, what if you turn 40 during this new one- or five-year window? That won’t impact the duration of your medical. After one year, it will revert to a third class medical. Pilots under 40 who have first class medicals won’t need to renew theirs for one year after the original date of issuance.

Now your medical is valid again and will remain valid until Sept. 30, 2007, and could not act as pilot in command.

Under the current rules, you haven’t had a medical since Sept. 20, 2004, (and you were under the age of 40 at that time) but have not renewed it. Let’s say you got your third class medical on Sept. In other words, the medical won’t expire until the last day of July 2010.īut what if you had let your medical expire? If you are under age 40, and the certificate was issued less than five years ago, it is now valid until the last day of the month, five years from its original issuance date. “AOPA supported the FAA’s move that makes it easier and more affordable for younger pilots to fly.”Ĭurrent and expired medical certificates are grandfathered under this rule.įor example, a pilot under age 40 who has a third class medical that would have expired at the end of July 2008 under the three-year limit is now good for another two years. “This is welcome news for the GA industry,” said AOPA President Phil Boyer. On July 24, the FAA will extend the duration of third class medicals from 36 calendar months to 60 calendar months (five years) and first class medicals from six calendar months to 12 calendar months for pilots under age 40. Pilots under age 40 can save a trip to the AME.
