BasicMed expansion

Under the new law signed May 16, pilots may now use BasicMed privileges to fly aircraft weighing up to 12,500 pounds and certified to carry up to seven occupants. The previous aircraft weight limitation was 6,000 pounds, with certification for up to six occupants.

BasicMed was created by a 2016 law following years of advocacy by AOPA seeking to reduce the needless bureaucracy and expense of traditional medical certification. The FAA regulations that implemented the program took effect in May 2017. Since then, BasicMed has been recognized by Mexico, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and various U.S. territories. AOPA continues to work to expand acceptance of BasicMed to Canada.

Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said, “BasicMed has been a success, and its improvement and expansion was a high priority of mine when writing the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. As a professional pilot, I know our aviation sector would not be where it is today without a strong general aviation community. That’s why I worked relentlessly with AOPA’s Mark Baker to ensure that the new aviation law included the first-ever section, or title, dedicated to GA. Mark and I share the goal of allowing more pilots the freedom to fly, and the expansion of BasicMed—a cornerstone of the FAA law’s GA title—will do just that. I am grateful to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for their strong partnership in developing the GA title and for their work in helping get this law across the finish line.”

“AOPA is proud to have played a significant role in making BasicMed a reality for pilots in 2016,” said Baker. “The expansion of BasicMed reflects the positive safety review by the FAA and the program’s use by thousands of pilots. Chairman Sam Graves skillfully moved the FAA bill through Congress by working across the aisle and put forward a great bill for general aviation.”

In required reports to Congress since 2017, the FAA has concluded that BasicMed has no impact on safety, with no difference found between the safety records of pilots flying under BasicMed compared to pilots flying with third class medical certificates.

As more time and hours accumulate, the case for removing the remaining limitations on BasicMed operations and aircraft grows stronger. Two significant operational limitations remain: Pilots flying under BasicMed must remain at or below 18,000 feet, and not exceed 250 knots indicated airspeed.

As more pilots participate in BasicMed and hours and years accumulate, the case for keeping the remaining limitations will crumble, or at least be far less persuasive.

BasicMed allows a pilot to be examined by either an aviation medical examiner or his or her own state-licensed physician every 48 months. The program also requires pilots to take an online medical education course every 24 months. AOPA administers an FAA-approved online course, which can be found within AOPA’s comprehensive BasicMed microsite.

The FAA reauthorization also expanded the use of BasicMed to designated pilot examiners. This provision became effective the day the bill was signed into law, May 16. The statutory language states that “notwithstanding” current regulations to the contrary, “an examiner may administer a practical test or proficiency check if such examiner meets the medical qualification requirements under” FAR Part 68, the regulation governing BasicMed. The law gives the FAA three years to issue a final rule updating Part 61 to reflect this, but again empowered pilots using BasicMed to serve as DPEs without delay.