VFR · Lesson 2 · 6 min · ACS PA.I.A
Medical Eligibility: Medical Certificates and BasicMed
Summary
A third-class medical certificate is the usual requirement for private pilots, while BasicMed offers an alternative with a physician exam, an online course, and specific aircraft and altitude limits.
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Medical certificate and BasicMed · Topic mastery: Not started
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What class of medical certificate is generally required to exercise private pilot privileges?
Why this matters in flight
You must be medically eligible before you fly solo, and sorting this out early prevents a surprise that could ground you partway through training. Knowing the difference between a medical certificate and BasicMed lets you plan the least burdensome legal path.
Medical certificates come in three classes — first, second, and third — with first being the most demanding and third the least. To exercise private pilot privileges you generally need at least a third-class medical certificate, issued after an exam by an aviation medical examiner. BasicMed is an alternative for many private-type operations. To fly under BasicMed you must have held a valid FAA medical certificate at some point after July 14, 2006. The recurring requirements are then twofold: complete the FAA online BasicMed medical course every 24 calendar months, and get a comprehensive medical exam with a state-licensed physician using the FAA-provided checklist every 48 months. BasicMed carries operating limits: the aircraft must be authorized to carry no more than seven occupants and have a maximum takeoff weight of 12,500 pounds or less, with no more than six passengers on board; flight must be at or below 18,000 feet MSL and no faster than 250 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS); the operation may not be for compensation or hire; and flight must be within the United States, since flying to a foreign country requires that country's authorization. Deciding between a third-class medical and BasicMed depends on your health history and the flying you intend to do.
Key terms
- Aviation medical examiner (AME)
- A physician authorized by the FAA to conduct medical certificate exams.
- Third-class medical
- The medical certificate class generally required for private pilot privileges.
- BasicMed
- An alternative to a medical certificate with a physician exam, online course, and operating limits.
Sources & references · 2 · 2 linked
Every claim traces to a source — paraphrased knowledge elements pointing at the governing FAA publication. Items marked verified have been checked against the retrieved source text; the rest are pending verification. Where the exact page or regulation has been located in a retrieved document, the source links straight to it.
- 14 CFR 61.23 / 67 — 14 CFR Part 61 — Certification: Pilots, Flight Instructors, and Ground Instructors verified14 CFR 61.23
- 14 CFR 61.113(i) / Part 68 (BasicMed) — 14 CFR Part 61 — Certification: Pilots, Flight Instructors, and Ground Instructors verified14 CFR Part 68
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