BasicMed - Flying without a First, Second, or Third Class Medical Certificate
If you meet BasicMed requirements, you can legally fly without a First, Second, or Third Class Medical Certificate. BasicMed was enacted in 2016 to give pilots the option to fly their airplane for purely recreational or personal purposes, even if they were no longer eligible to renew their medical certificate. If you have never held an FAA medical or have not held an FAA medical within the past 10 years, you will need to get a medical certificate before operating under BasicMed (locate an Aviation Medical Examiner here).
- Additional qualifications under BasicMed are:
- Possess a U.S. driver's license - you must comply and meet any restrictions that may appear on the U.S. driver's license.
- Get a physical exam with a state-licensed physician, and have that physician complete the Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist (CMEC) (found here). Be sure to keep the CMEC.
- Complete the BasicMed online medical education course (found here). Keep the course completion document issued to you by the course provider.
- Aircraft Requirements are:
- Fly an aircraft that is authorized to carry no more than 6 occupants.
- Fly an aircraft with a maximum certificated takeoff weight of no more than 6,000 pounds.
- Operating requirements:
- Fly with no more than five passengers.
- Operate under VFR or IFR, within the United States, at less than 18,000 feet MSL, not exceeding 250 knots.
- Flight cannot be operated for compensation or hire (except as a CFI).
- Recurrent requirements:
- Have a CMEC that shows that your most recent physical examination was within the past 48 months.
- Be sure you are being treated by a physician for medical conditions that may affect the safety of flight. This requires that persons operating under BasicMed need to communicate honestly and openly with their primary care physician about any medical condition that may affect the safety of flight.
- Be sure you have a course completion certificate that was issued by a BasicMed medical training course provider within the past 24 calendar-months.
- Persons exercising the privileges of a commercial pilot or ATP certificate must continue to hold a first or second class medical certificate in accordance with § 61.23(a)(1) and (2).
- Special Issuance Medical Certificates
- For certain conditions, a person wishing to operate under BasicMed must complete the process for obtaining an authorization for special issuance of a medical certificate. The person is required to obtain only one special issuance medical certificate for each condition, then they may operate under BasicMed.
- Persons who have, or are newly diagnosed with, a cardiovascular, neurological, or mental health condition may not use BasicMed until they have been found eligible for special issuance of a medical certificate. Once issued a medical certificate, the person may then use BasicMed if they meet all other requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 (FESSA).
- Medical conditions requiring one special issuance before operating under BasicMed are broken down into 3 categories; mental health disorder, neurological disorder, and cardiovascular condition. Reference AC 68-1A for a more detailed description of these conditions at: https://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/ac_68-1a.pdf
- The process to participate in BasicMed:
- 1) Print out the BasicMed Examination Checklist and bring it to your personal doctor.
- 2) Take the BasicMed online medical course (found here) and print the completion certificate.
- 3) Keep the examination checklist and completion certificate in your logbook