No More Medicals?

The FAA has released the medical requirements for the Pilots Bill of Rights 2 (PBOR2) and quite frankly, I think it is a home run for general aviation, pilots, and the AOPA who fostered it through Congress. The new program is called BasicMed that is technically the FAAs implementation of medical requirements in the PBOR2 portion of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 known (of course) as FESSA. The final rule from the FAA, released January 10, 2017, and effective May 1, 2017, can be found on the FAA web site, FAA.gov.

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Wednesday, February 08, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

BasicMed, implemented by the FAA in May 2017, provides a new alternative medical certification for general aviation pilots, designed to ease the burden of traditional FAA medicals for those operating under specific limits (e.g., aircraft under 6,000 lbs, 6 passengers or fewer, below FL180, domestic, recreational use).
To qualify, pilots must have held an FAA medical certificate on or after July 15, 2006 (or obtain an initial one from an AME if not), possess a valid driver's license, and consent to a National Driver Register check.
Maintaining BasicMed requires an aeromedical education course every 24 months and a physical exam by a state-licensed physician every four years, with documentation kept by the pilot and significantly streamlined requirements for many medical conditions previously requiring Special Issuances.
The traditional Third Class Medical still exists for pilots flying outside BasicMed's operational limits, but for those within BasicMed's scope, the rule reduces the need for costly FAA-mandated tests and reports, relying more on personal physician oversight.

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The FAA has released the medical requirements for the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 (PBOR2) and quite frankly, I think it is a home run for general aviation, pilots, and the AOPA who fostered it through Congress. The new program is called BasicMed that is technically the FAA’s implementation of medical requirements in the PBOR2 portion of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 known (of course) as FESSA.

The final rule from the FAA, released January 10, 2017, and effective May 1, 2017, can be found on the FAA web site, FAA.gov. It truly reflects the spirit and intent of the PBOR2. The rule is 77 pages long to implement a 10-page law, reminding us that this is one government body responding to mandates from another.