BasicMed is here
Resources are ready for you
Medical reform has long been a top priority for AOPA members, and with your help we’ve finally reached the point where pilots can put it to use in the left seat. BasicMed is an enormous improvement that will reduce unnecessary regulations and save hundreds of thousands of pilots—and the FAA—millions of dollars.
Compared to earlier reform efforts, BasicMed allows pilots to fly more aircraft in more conditions—and it includes flight instructors. Under BasicMed, pilots can fly aircraft with a maximum certificated takeoff weight of 6,000 pounds while carrying up to five passengers in addition to the pilot in command, at altitudes up to 18,000 feet msl and at an indicated airspeed of up to 250 knots. Pilots also will be able to operate in IFR conditions if appropriately rated.
No matter if you are an active pilot or if you’ve been away from the left seat for a while, AOPA is ready with the resources and expertise to help you understand and fly under BasicMed (see “Membership News and Notes,” page 100).
To help pilots take full advantage of BasicMed, AOPA has launched a suite of online resources called Fit to Fly, which is dedicated to helping aviators as well as physicians understand the new rule.
From the free AOPA medical self-assessment course to a guide designed to help physicians understand and perform the required examination, Fit to Fly has information and answers to all your questions about the reforms we fought so hard to achieve. Put another way, if you want to know all about BasicMed and how to use it, start with Fit to Fly.
Fit to Fly has a wealth of information and answers to all your questions about the reforms that we fought so hard to achieve.To qualify, pilots must have a U.S. driver’s license and have held a valid medical certificate, regular or special issuance, in the 10 years prior to July 15, 2016. Pilots whose most recent medical certificate was revoked, suspended, or withdrawn—or whose most recent application for a medical certificate was denied—will need to obtain a new medical certificate before operating under BasicMed. And if you have never held an FAA medical certificate, you will need to get one from an AME only once. AOPA has also developed an online selector tool available in our Fit to Fly resources to help you determine if you may qualify for BasicMed.
To take advantage of BasicMed, we encourage qualified pilots first to complete the pilot information and medical history portion of the FAA’s Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist, then to schedule an exam with a state-licensed physician who will complete the form. Following the exam, complete the free online AOPA medical self-assessment course, print the certificate, and keep it in your logbook along with the Medical Examination Checklist. Pilots must undergo the physical exam every 48 months and complete the free online course every 24 calendar months. Finally, make sure to meet the flight review and other proficiency requirements before getting back in the air.
AOPA’s online medical course is free, it will take about an hour to complete, and you can save your progress to return later if you’d prefer to not finish it in one sitting. Additionally, if you do not pass the course on your first try, you can review the course materials and take it as many times as needed to receive the minimum score of 80 percent.
If you’ve been away from flying for a while, don’t worry. Find an instructor, or ask AOPA to help you find one, and sign up for a Rusty Pilots seminar. The program has already put 3,500 lapsed pilots back in the left seat, and we are hosting seminars across the country that are free for members. You can learn more online.
If you have any further questions or issues, you can speak directly with AOPA’s experts in the Pilot Information Center by calling 888-462-3976 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time, or emailing [email protected]. We’ll also have our experts at EAA AirVenture as well as the three remaining AOPA Fly-Ins this year, which will be held September 8 to 9 at University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport (OUN), October 6 to 7 at Groton Airport (GON) in Connecticut, and October 27 to 28 at Peter O. Knight Airport (TPF) in Tampa, Florida.
BasicMed is here. AOPA’s Fit to Fly resources are ready for you and your doctor right now. Let’s get in the air.
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