BasicMed Changes

BasicMed was a big win for GA, but it wasn’t perfect. Gradually, some of those shortcomings are being addressed. Here’s the latest.

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Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at 05:00 AM ET

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The Cessna 207 can now be flown under BasicMed.

Key Takeaways:

BasicMed, an alternative pilot medical certification established in 2016, has recently undergone significant updates, primarily through the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.
Key operational expansions include increasing the maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) for eligible aircraft from 6,000 to 12,500 pounds and raising passenger capacity to six (seven certificated seats), alongside a 2022 regulatory change allowing BasicMed pilots to act as safety pilots.
Medical requirements were standardized, making the comprehensive medical exam due every 48 calendar months, and the Act introduced provisions allowing Designated Pilot Examiners (DPEs) to conduct check rides and mandating the removal of expiration dates from flight instructor certificates.

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BasicMed is an alternative way for pilots not holding an FAA Medical Certificate to fly aircraft, provided that the pilots and aircraft meet certain requirements. It came into existence through legislation as part of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of July 2016. The FAA then implemented it through regulation in May 2017. According to AOPA, “nearly 80,000 pilots have qualified to fly safely under BasicMed since its inception in 2017.”

Since then, there have been a few changes to BasicMed. Let’s review the changes since BasicMed’s inception, most of which came from the 1000-plus-page short title, “FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024,” that was signed into law on May 16, 2024, where Section 828 of that Act included changes to BasicMed.