FAA Broadens BasicMed Certification Standard

New rule now allows pilots to fly aircraft with a takeoff weight of 12,500 pounds with up to six passengers.

Friday, November 15, 2024 at 10:55 AM ET

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To be eligible for BasicMed, a pilot must have held an FAA medical certificate as of July 14, 2006, and hold a U.S. driver's license. They must also undergo a physical exam from a state-licensed physician using FAA's Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist every 48 calendar months. [Credit: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 has expanded BasicMed rules, allowing pilots to operate larger aircraft and carry more passengers.
Key changes include increasing the maximum aircraft takeoff weight from 6,000 to 12,500 pounds and raising the allowable number of passengers from five to six.
The update also permits pilot examiners to conduct flight checks in BasicMed-eligible aircraft and allows BasicMed pilots to act as safety pilots without being the pilot in command.
Pilots using BasicMed must still adhere to limitations such as not flying for compensation or hire, staying below 18,000 feet altitude, and not exceeding 250 knots, in addition to ongoing medical certification requirements.

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Pilots under BasicMed can now fly larger aircraft, thanks to an update published in the 410-page FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 that went into effect this week.

The FAA released the following details of the update Friday:

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.