The guide covers MedXPress, Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) examinations, Conditions AMEs Can Issue (CACI), special issuance authorizations, deferrals, denials, appeals, and BasicMed.
Medical
FAA Unveils New Tool to Help Pilots Make Decisions About Medications
The FAA has launched MedGuide, an interactive online resource designed to help pilots and air traffic controllers evaluate prescription and over-the-counter medications. The new tool simplifies fitness-for-flight decisions, clarifies required wait periods, and aims to close longstanding aviation medical clearance gaps.
FAA Offers Free Pilot Hypoxia Training at Fort Meade
Pilots can experience simulated oxygen deprivation at Fort Meade Executive Airport from Oct. 21-24, 2026, to identify personal physiological warning signs during high-altitude flights.
Aviation Coalition Backs Regulatory Relief for Diabetic Pilots
A new notice of proposed rulemaking aims to remove special issuance hurdles for aviators managing their condition with non-insulin medications.
New FAA Video Addresses Pilot Mental Health Concerns
In a new Pilot Minute video, FAA Air Surgeon Susan Northrup addresses common misconceptions about pilot mental health. Emphasizing education and early intervention, she explains how many pilots fly safely with treated conditions and encourages aviators to seek help early in their careers.
BasicMed at Last: What It Took
After a seven-year ordeal, pilot Scott Savell finally is able to fly under BasicMed, but it took getting special attention for that to happen.
FAA shortens anti-depressant wait times
The FAA recently updated several medical policies, including those related to antidepressants, diabetes, migraines, and vaccines.
Medical updates reduce no-fly limits for eye surgeries, some medications
One of the most notable changes is a reduction in the required observation period for cataract surgery, according to officials with the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). Previously, pilots had to wait up to two years before medical recertification was allowed, but under the new rules, this wait time has been reduced to just three months.
Canada urged to accept BasicMed
More than 90,000 pilots have qualified to fly under BasicMed privileges since the program’s inception in 2017, according to AOPA officials.