FAA MEDICALS
Explore FAA medical certificates, BasicMed, Special Issuance, common health questions, vision and hearing standards, and the practical decisions pilots face before and after an aviation medical exam.
FAA MEDICALS
If you have a medical condition that does not meet the FAA’s normal medical standards, does that mean your dream of becoming a pilot is over? Not necessarily. Some pilots and aspiring pilots who do not qualify for an unrestricted FAA medical certificate may still be able to obtain medical certification through something known as […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
One of the first questions many aspiring pilots ask is, “Do I need a medical certificate before I can start flight training?” That question sounds simple, but it usually leads to several others: The confusion begins with the names. A third-class medical is an actual FAA medical certificate issued through the federal airman medical-certification system. […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Tinnitus in and of itself, is not a medically disqualifying condition for pilots. Having said that, the FAA does recognize tinnitus as a condition of potential concern with respect to a pilot’s ability to safely operate an aircraft. Particularly when it comes to radio communications, cockpit communications, and situational awareness, the FAA does require that […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Did you know that approximately 40% of adults in the United States will experience vertigo at some point in their lives? I know that I have, and it sure isn’t pleasant! This common condition, characterized by dizziness and a spinning sensation, can have significant implications for individuals in various professions. One such profession is aviation, […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Yes, you can absolutely become a pilot if you suffer from heterophoria. Being diagnosed with heterophoria does not equate to an automatic disqualification from being able to earn your pilot license. Having said that, the path to earning the requisite medical clearance to fly requires a concerted effort, to demonstrate that your heterophoria does not […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Did you know that individuals with monocular vision can become pilots? Despite the challenges that this visual impairment presents, it is absolutely within the realm of possibility for aspiring aviators with monocular vision to achieve their goals. The path to achieving this goal may be full of obstacles and hurdles. But the good news is […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Let’s set the record straight: Hyperopia, also known as farsightedness, does not disqualify you from becoming a pilot. As long as you can demonstrate that your vision falls within the parameters set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), with or without approved corrective measures, you should be able to pass your FAA medical exam […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Yes, pilots can fly with cataracts, but only if you seek the necessary treatment and can subsequently pass a vision test that falls within the parameters set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Believe it or not, over a million individuals in the United States find their world dimming each year due to cataracts. […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Being diagnosed with glaucoma does not automatically sound the death knell on your aviation career, in and of itself. While a glaucoma diagnosis does constitute grounds for your Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) to deny you a medical certificate, the good news is that approval versus denial is not entirely black and white. Depending on the […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Let’s make one thing clear: Amblyopia (commonly known as a “lazy eye”) does not, in and of itself, automatically disqualify you from becoming a pilot. Ok good. Now that we got that out of the way, let me further elaborate: If you suffer from amblyopia, you can obtain your pilot license… … but only if […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Have you ever wondered if individuals who are deaf can pursue a career as pilots? The answer might surprise you: Yes, deaf pilots can indeed obtain various pilot certificates and embark on fulfilling aviation careers. However, certain restrictions and regulations exist to ensure safety and effective communication in the skies. As a pilot who suffers […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Farsightedness in and of itself does not automatically disqualify you from becoming a pilot. As long as you can demonstrate that your vision falls within Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines, with or without any type of corrective vision, you should have no problem obtaining your medical clearance to fly. Hyperopia (also commonly referred to as […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Myopia does not automatically disqualify you from becoming a pilot. Having said that, if you suffer from myopia, you will need to take corrective action in order to address the issue before you can be cleared to fly. Suffering from myopia myself, I know from first hand experience how nervous your visit to the Aviation […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Colorblindness does not automatically disqualify you from becoming a pilot. There are a number of factors at play that determine the boundaries and limitations of what you can and cannot do as a colorblind pilot. But seldom will you find a pilot being outright disbarred from earning their pilot license simply for being colorblind. Based […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
As a general aviation pilot suffering with both astigmatism and nearsightedness, I have been on the fence about getting LASIK for a long time now. I’ve been weary of the risks, and have been content with wearing glasses. However, after doing some research, I may consider getting it done sometime in the near future. And […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
As someone who has always dreamed of flying, I was disheartened when my optometrist diagnosed me with astigmatism during a routine eye exam. At that moment, I thought my dreams of becoming a pilot may have been shattered. After doing some research however, and speaking with professionals in the industry, I quickly learned that having astigmatism does not […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
High cholesterol is undeniably an adverse health condition that raises questions about its ramifications on a pilot’s ability to exercise the privileges of pilot-in-command. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has comprehensively addressed the issue of high cholesterol, having established a set of guidelines and criteria for both Aviation Medical Examiners (AMEs) as well as for […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Maintaining a healthy BMI is a weighty subject (pun intended) in the field of aviation. Commercial pilots, in particular, may face the challenge of maintaining a healthy weight due to the sedentary nature of their profession. For all pilots, whether general aviation or commercial, excess weight not only affects their personal health but can also […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Pilots who suffer from sleep apnea may be in for a rude awakening. This sleep disorder has the potential to crush your dreams of pursuing aviation, whether it be as a hobby or for a career. Understanding the symptoms, effects, and treatments associated with sleep apnea is crucial for ensuring your aviation journey can take […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Regardless of whether you are a professional pilot or whether you fly as a hobby, safety is the common denominator that serves as the guiding principle for all of your decision making. Sound decision making is critical to every phase of flight, not just from takeoff to landing, but even before you head to the […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Among the most important assets that every pilot possesses is their health. Physical fitness is of paramount importance to be a thriving, competent, and successful aviator. The FAA requires that all pilots must not only successfully pass periodic medical exams in order to earn their license, and to maintain their license in good standing, but […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Once you obtain your private pilot license, you join an exclusive club. This exclusive club comes with a lifetime membership. Once you get your pilot license, you are a pilot for life. Barring any circumstances which involve violating one or more FAA regulations, your pilot license can never be revoked. While the FAA does not […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
On face value, ADHD can be perceived, by many medical professionals, as a clinical condition that intrinsically impairs a pilot’s fitness to fly. While there may justifiably be grounds under which ADHD may render a pilot medically unqualified to fly, the question remains as to whether or not it is truly as debilitating as it […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Thyroid problems have been a perennial question mark with respect to a pilot’s fitness to fly, since the early days of FAA medical standards enforcement. Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism specifically have been targeted and singled out as medical conditions that require some degree of heightened scrutiny when pilots seek to obtain their medical certification. While the FAA’s […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Hypertension, being the potentially debilitating disease that it is, garners a great deal of scrutiny, when it comes to a pilot’s physical well-being and capacity to operate an aircraft safely without posing a risk to passengers in the air, as well as to people and property on the ground. Known for its efforts at strictly […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
Diabetes management is a contentious issue when it comes to physical fitness for flight. By virtue of its regulatory authority, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) painstakingly seeks to push the envelope in terms of enforcing and upholding the highest standards of aviation safety. Bearing the interests of the safety of the general public in mind, […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
One of the most common misconceptions about aviation is the question of whether hearing impairment is an impediment to being able to obtain or to avail yourself of the privileges of a pilot license. You may have heard (pun intended) that any type of hearing loss equates to an immediate and unconditional disqualification or disbarment […]
Read the guide →FAA MEDICALS
One of the most common misconceptions about aviation is whether or not you can wear glasses, contact lenses, or even get LASIK done, and still be an airplane pilot. At first glance (pun intended), the answer may not seem so “clear-cut” (pun intended again). Yet the answer is actually hiding in plain sight (pun intended […]
Read the guide →