Membership: BasicMed Primer for Students

Getting a one-time medical certificate

September 1, 2017 By Gary Crump

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TIPS FROM THE PIC

Stepping up

Multiengine add-on

Q: I have a private pilot airplane single-engine land certificate. I am considering obtaining my private pilot airplane multiengine land certificate next. Do I have to fly another 40 hours and fly more cross-country flights in a multiengine airplane before taking the checkride?

A: There is no minimum time requirement. FAR 61.63, “Additional aircraft ratings (other than for ratings at the airline transport pilot certification level),” covers this topic. There is a distinction between adding an additional category to an existing pilot certificate, such as airplane or rotorcraft, versus adding an additional class, such as multiengine land or gyroplane. Adding an airplane multiengine land class rating to an existing airplane single engine land certificate falls under FAR 61.63 paragraph (c), which says that a person “Need not meet the specified training time requirements prescribed by this part that apply to the pilot certificate for the aircraft class rating sought; unless the person only holds a lighter-than-air category rating with a balloon class rating and is seeking an airship class rating, then that person must receive the specified training time requirements and possess the appropriate aeronautical experience.”

Simply train with an instructor until all of the required aeronautical areas and areas of operation are covered satisfactorily, at which time you'll receive an endorsement for the checkride. Depending on what certificates you currently hold, there is usually no knowledge exam required. AOPA’s Ratings and Endorsements subject report, covers multiengine as well as instrument training; tailwheel, high-performance, and complex endorsements; and more.

Questions? Call the Pilot Information Center at 800-872-2672.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS. The annual meeting of the members of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association will be held at 9 a.m. on Thursday, September 7, 2017, at the headquarters of AOPA, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland, 21701, located on the Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK), for the purpose of receiving reports and transacting such other business as may properly come before the meeting, specifically including the election of trustees. If you are not able to attend, but would like to appoint your voting proxy, please go online (www.aopa.org/myaccount) or call 800-872-2672. —Kenneth M. Mead, Secretary

BasicMed is an alternate medical certification pathway that became effective May 1, 2017, and allows pilots to self-assess their medical fitness to fly without the need for a current FAA-issued medical certificate. If you have held a medical certificate that was valid any time after July 15, 2006, and your most recent medical was not denied, suspended, or revoked, you may qualify for BasicMed and can skip the medical certificate issuance process altogether. Once you meet the requirements for BasicMed, participation involves visiting your state-licensed physician every 48 calendar months, when that doctor will affirm the absence of any medical condition that could interfere with the safe operation of an aircraft, and taking a free, online medical education course every 24 calendar months. Find details and resources for pilots online (www.aopa.org/fittofly).

How can a new student pilot qualify for BasicMed? For student pilots who have never held an FAA medical certificate, BasicMed requires you to make contact with the FAA via a third class medical application and exam, and be issued a medical certificate once before pursuing the other requirements to exercise BasicMed privileges.

How do I get a medical certificate? The FAA application for airman medical certification is an online form that will be completed prior to visiting an FAA aviation medical examiner (AME) for the physical exam. Once you have completed the form and submit it to the FAA, you will be able to print out the form that will include a confirmation number at the bottom. You’ll provide that number to the AME who will input the number to retrieve your electronic medical application from the FAA system. Once the exam is complete and you are found qualified and eligible for the medical, the examiner will issue your paper medical certificate and you are ready to solo.

How will the AME determine whether to issue me a medical certificate in the office? The AME will review the application form you completed prior to the exam and note any medical conditions, medications, and visits to health care providers that you indicated on the application form. Some medical conditions will raise questions, even if the condition happened or was treated long ago. The application asks you to report any medical condition that happened in your life, so that’s a long look back into your past.

What about medications? The FAA considers some medications unacceptable for flying, sometimes because of the potential adverse side effects that accompany the medication, but also because of the underlying medical condition that the medication is treating. If you were on a medication previously but are no longer taking it, that medication doesn’t need to be reported on the application.

What about routine visits, checkups, and other doctor’s visits? Visits to health professionals in the past three years are reportable on the application. Routine wellness visits or visits to your family physician for minor illnesses such as sinus infections or flu can be reported as such; the FAA isn’t concerned about those types of interactions, but if you report seeing a specialist such as a cardiologist or neurologist for a heart or nervous system issue, the AME and the FAA will need to see more detailed information.

What if I receive a deferral? If for any reason the AME doesn’t feel comfortable issuing the medical to you, the application will go to the FAA as a deferral and the FAA will contact you directly for more information. Deferrals translate to lengthy delays, so don’t wait until you’re ready to solo to schedule a flight physical. Getting the medical out of the way should be one of the first priorities so your training won’t be disrupted.

If you have questions about medical certification, contact the AOPA Pilot Information Center at 800-872-2672 or [email protected].

Gary Crump

Gary is the Director of AOPA’s Pilot Information Center Medical Certification Section and has spent the last 32 years assisting AOPA members. He is also a former Operating Room Technician, Professional Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician, and has been a pilot since 1973.

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