The FAA issued Jan. 10, 2017, a final rule that allows general aviation pilots to fly without holding an FAA medical certificate as long as they meet certain requirements outlined in Congressional legislation.
“The United States has the world’s most robust general aviation community, and we’re committed to continuing to make it safer and more efficient to become a private pilot,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “The BasicMed rule will keep our pilots safe, but will simplify our regulations and keep general aviation flying affordable.”
Until now, the FAA has required private, recreational, and student pilots, as well as flight instructors, to hold a third class medical certificate. They are required to complete an online application and undergo a physical examination with an FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner. A medical certificate is valid for five years for pilots under age 40 and two years for pilots age 40 and over.
The new rule takes effect May 1. On that date, pilots may take advantage of the regulatory relief in the BasicMed rule or opt to continue to use their FAA medical certificate, FAA officials note.
Under BasicMed, a pilot will be required to complete a medical education course, undergo a medical examination every four years, and comply with aircraft and operating restrictions.
For example, pilots using BasicMed cannot operate an aircraft with more than six people onboard and the aircraft must not weigh more than 6,000 pounds.
A pilot flying under the BasicMed rule must:
- Possess a valid driver’s license;
- Have held a medical certificate at any time after July 15, 2006;
- Have not had the most recently held medical certificate revoked, suspended, or withdrawn;
- Have not had the most recent application for airman medical certification completed and denied;
- Have taken a medical education course within the past 24 calendar months;
- Have completed a comprehensive medical examination with a physician within the past 48 months;
- Be under the care of a physician for certain medical conditions;
- Have been found eligible for special issuance of a medical certificate for certain specified mental health, neurological, or cardiovascular conditions, when applicable;
- Consent to a National Driver Register check;
- Fly only certain small aircraft, at a limited altitude and speed, and only within the United States; and
- Not fly for compensation or hire.
The July 15, 2016 FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 directed the FAA to issue or revise regulations by Jan. 10, 2017, to ensure that an individual may operate as pilot in command of a certain aircraft without having to undergo the medical certification process under Part 67 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, if the pilot and aircraft meet certain prescribed conditions outlined in the Act.
The FAA is working with nonprofit organizations and the not-for-profit general aviation groups to develop online medical courses that meet the requirements of the the new rule, FAA officials noted.
“•Have held a medical certificate at any time after July 15, 2006;”
So new pilots need to get a 3rd class medical anyway? They make all of this sound like you can use your drivers license instead of the medical exam.
Ha!
Correct. New pilots need to fly under LSA rules if they don’t want/can’t get a medical. But, like for pilots who haven’t had a medical in the past 10 years, they will need a medical certificate to exercise private pilot privileges. They will not have to renew the medical ever, however; after the medical expires, operate to your heart’s content under BasicMed.
But if the AME finds something wrong and denies the medical certificate, and a special issuance isn’t available, then the pilot will not be able to fly under LSA rules either. So there is a risk that an attempt to fly under BasicMed will ground you permanently. Therefore, one should really know about any FAA-deniable issues before trying to get a medical. I would want to start with a complete annual physical with myregular doc, before going to an AME. Any medical history of disqualifying conditions might also stop you cold. For example, if you’ve had cancer and it’s not been in documentable remission for at least 3 years, you won’t be able to get a medical, and if your medical is then denied, you can’t fly LSA either. Same with some heart conditons, history of blackouts or strokes, and mental health issues. When in doubt, call AOPA’s Aeromedical Advisory service for advice, and to get a checklist that would guide your AME as to what to look for that might render you unable to get a medical.
Are you kidding me? Have you looked at the requirements for the physician? Look at what he has to do a clinical examination of. For instance the anus? Really? When was the last time you had a 3rd class and your doctor examined your butt? And what family doctor is going to have an eye chart and hearing testing machine? The requirements for the doctor are the same as if any AME certified to do 3rd class medicals. And the cost of your doctor doing a “comprehensive” physical exam will be much more than the $100 3rd class and most insurance companies won’t cover it. This is the FAA lawyers, once again, screwing up something that was supposed to be simple. Call or write your congressman and complain, it’s the only thing the FAA bureaucrats understand.
>The requirements for the doctor are the same as if any AME certified to do 3rd class medicals.
I disagree. Reading the A/C, https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_68-1.pdf, see page 30 for the Dr.’s checklist: the doctor is only checking Yes/No to 21 “abnormalities.” It doesn’t tell the doc the standards or limits for a Yes/No answer.
I like that the FAA won’t receive any documents from the Dr….you just put the completed form in your logbook and you’re good to go.
This will return me to active flying and instruction. I can’t wait. MY THANKS TO AOPA AND EAA for their hard work on this issue. I will belong to EAA for life now, as a thank you.
It will be interesting to see if a doctor will just check yes to the vision thing. This puts quite a responsibility on the doctor saying the pilot can see close, intermediate and far with no testing. But if it works and gets more guys flying I’m all for it.
I still think the butt exam is a bit much 🙂
I am very grateful to EAA and AOPA for continuing to press for this, and the Congress for passing the required legislation. I swore 3+ years ago that I would buy a plane the day after the exemption took effect. May 10, 2017, baby!
I have been a pilot since I was 18, CFII since 20. Now 54. Have owned several airplanes in partnerships. Teach mountain flying, LSA and instrument flying. Have been active as an LSA pilot since I “put away” my Class II certificate in 2011 after being diagnosed with cancer, but have become bored with LSA flying. Since my diagnosis, I had one year where I flew over 200 hours, which is good for me. But as for my cancer affecting my flights? No effects noticed. Told my AME and my oncologist about the FAA requiring me to be cancer free for three years in order to get a medical. They both thought it was ridiculous. “It’s not like a heart attack. It’s a disease of months and years, not minutes.”
Now, it sounds like it won’t matter. Yes, I will self-evaluate, as I have been doing for years. I don’t fly when I’ve just undergone cancer treatment. I watch for early signs of nausea and control it with meds before I fly. But my brain and reflexes are what they used to be. I make fewer mistakes when i fly than most of the Class-III medical holders I teach or give BFRs to. The Light Sport Certificate has proved that a Class III medical serves no purpose whatsoever.
Anyone know of an unlisted 182P for sale? I either want one that’s pretty much run out and I do the upgrades, or one that has been at least partially upgraded in recent years. I will probably put $30,000 in avionics in it…helping GA.
More regulatory country fertilizer to muddie the waters. I got sick and tired of trying to comply with this or that and finally turned my slip in. I’m afraid more will follow
The new medical reforms are a joke and belie the original intent.
Very close to a perfect rule.
One suggestion for improvement since it is going to take a little while for the Physician community (and their Insurers) to catch up and enable this.
Recommend the FAA tweak the Rule and allow grandfathering of an existing active FAA Medical to fulfill the requirement for a BasicMed medical exam. For example, a pilot with a June 2015 3rd Class Med should be allowed to complete the online course and NDR Consent and continue to fly under BasicMed till June 2019.