Third-Class Medical Reform Passed AOPA and EAA put on a full-court press for this one in 2016, and the associations' efforts finally paid off over the summer. Congress directed the FAA to eliminate third-class medical requirements for most private pilots by July 15, 2017, using data from sport pilots to back up the contention that there's no safety detriment in allowing pilots to skip the visit to their aviation medical examiner every two years. Once the new rules go into effect, private pilots will take an online medical factors course every two years and visit their personal physician every four. The change is expected to remove barriers to the cockpit for many thousands of pilots with minor medical issues and continue to reap benefits for general aviation for decades to come.