Class III or BasicMed: Which would you choose?

Which?

  • 3rd Class

    Votes: 2 11.1%

  • BasicMed

    Votes: 15 83.3%

  • Weed Card - cheaper than flying.

    Votes: 1 5.6%
  • Total voters
    18
  • Poll closed .
A

A. Nonny Moose

Guest
Sorry if this has been asked/answered - I did search, but the terms are murky and I found pages of non-relevant results. I'm getting back into flying and I need a medical. Last one was a while ago, but recent enough (issued in 2006) I could do BasicMed. Since then, I've started being treated for high blood pressure. It's under control (though I could still stand to lose some weight).

I sent my doc the AOPA info for BasicMed as well as the exam form and after having to literally print and fax it to him because he couldn't manage the PDF, he told me he couldn't do it - namely the hearing and vision portions. I sent him the FAA guidelines for hearing (basically, able to have a conversation with back turned) and per AOPA's suggestion asked if a report from my eye doc would satisfy him, but he wouldn't budge. I DID get him to write a letter "To whom it may concern" stating my blood pressure is controlled with 2 meds, including last three office readings, and that he is satisfied with said treatment with no plans to adjust it.

So I think I have the hypertension thing covered. What I'm looking for opinions on is: should I just take it to an AME and get another Class III, assuming nothing else comes up I'm not thinking of (and heading into mid-40s, *shrug*), or should I find another doc who will do BasicMed and just not plan any trips to Canada?

Thanks for any input. 3rd class kind of seems the way to go, but I just hate having the FAA THAT far up my business - even though I've done it before - and the 2/4-year schedule for BasicMed is a little nicer.
 
A. Nonny Moose said:
Sorry if this has been asked/answered - I did search, but the terms are murky and I found pages of non-relevant results. I'm getting back into flying and I need a medical. Last one was a while ago, but recent enough (issued in 2006) I could do BasicMed. Since then, I've started being treated for high blood pressure. It's under control (though I could still stand to lose some weight).

I sent my doc the AOPA info for BasicMed as well as the exam form and after having to literally print and fax it to him because he couldn't manage the PDF, he told me he couldn't do it - namely the hearing and vision portions. I sent him the FAA guidelines for hearing (basically, able to have a conversation with back turned) and per AOPA's suggestion asked if a report from my eye doc would satisfy him, but he wouldn't budge. I DID get him to write a letter "To whom it may concern" stating my blood pressure is controlled with 2 meds, including last three office readings, and that he is satisfied with said treatment with no plans to adjust it.

So I think I have the hypertension thing covered. What I'm looking for opinions on is: should I just take it to an AME and get another Class III, assuming nothing else comes up I'm not thinking of (and heading into mid-40s, *shrug*), or should I find another doc who will do BasicMed and just not plan any trips to Canada?

Thanks for any input. 3rd class kind of seems the way to go, but I just hate having the FAA THAT far up my business - even though I've done it before - and the 2/4-year schedule for BasicMed is a little nicer.
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all you need for a third is a note from you doc, each exam that sez, “I am satisfied with A Nonny.Moose’s BP control”
 
What Dr. Bruce sez iz what I diz... uhh, doz..... I mean did.

AME yawned, asked if if I was tolerating the meds okay, then scribbled some notes about the reading he took in the office and moved on to the next item.
 
Too bad your doc is stuck on the point of the BasicMed vision checkbox....

for BasicMed, it's no different than standing back from the usual Eye Chart and being asked to read backwards the smallest line you can see clearly.

Took a while for the nurse to see the humor in me reciting "A N I H C N I E D A M"
 
Basic med all day

If I didn’t earn money with my ticket I’d be basic med, the further you are from the feds and their designees the better off you’ll be. Going class III over basic med is risk with no reward for the most part.
 
Physicians who won't do BasicMed because of the hearing test requirement are IMO ignorant of what that test entails during a traditional 3rd class flight physical. The vision part is another matter - few GPs have the Ishihara plates, and testing ocular alignment does require specialized equipment. My GP would have balked at the vision part had I come in with the checklist, though initially he was quite willing based on my verbal description.

It shouldn't be hard to find another physician willing to do a BasicMed exam though. Clinics that do CDL, sports physicals and other occupational medicine testing are a good place to start. Another possibility is to go back to your AME, but for BasicMed instead of a 3rd class. Ask first, as not all AMEs are willing to do this, but many are and they certainly have the equipment. I did my BasicMed exam with a new-to-me AME who I had consulted about the possibility of doing 3rd class. He encouraged me to go for the 3rd class but understood my hesitation and had no issues with doing a BasicMed exam instead. The exam itself was pretty much identical to a 3rd class exam, the best part being not having to worry about the FAA sending me the letter saying they couldn't establish my eligibility to hold a 3rd class and to send more information within 60 days or my application would be denied.

IMO, if your flying needs and BasicMed's limitations are compatible and you don't have one of the (very limited list of) conditions requiring a one-time SI, BasicMed is really the way to go now, hands down.
 
azure said:
Physicians who won't do BasicMed because of the hearing test requirement are IMO ignorant of what that test entails during a traditional 3rd class flight physical. The vision part is another matter - few GPs have the Ishihara plates, and testing ocular alignment does require specialized equipment. My GP would have balked at the vision part had I come in with the checklist, though initially he was quite willing based on my verbal description.

It shouldn't be hard to find another physician willing to do a BasicMed exam though. Clinics that do CDL, sports physicals and other occupational medicine testing are a good place to start. Another possibility is to go back to your AME, but for BasicMed instead of a 3rd class. Ask first, as not all AMEs are willing to do this, but many are and they certainly have the equipment. I did my BasicMed exam with a new-to-me AME who I had consulted about the possibility of doing 3rd class. He encouraged me to go for the 3rd class but understood my hesitation and had no issues with doing a BasicMed exam instead. The exam itself was pretty much identical to a 3rd class exam, the best part being not having to worry about the FAA sending me the letter saying they couldn't establish my eligibility to hold a 3rd class and to send more information within 60 days or my application would be denied.

IMO, if your flying needs and BasicMed's limitations are compatible and you don't have one of the (very limited list of) conditions requiring a one-time SI, BasicMed is really the way to go now, hands down.
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The hearing test lol

And the fact that the feds require a color test at every medical just shows how backwards the medical is.
 
I jumped through too many hoops to get my Class 3. I'm not giving it up anytime soon, especially since I'm hoping to fly a pressurized twin in the not-too-distant future. Besides, it keeps me on my toes and always working toward improving my overall health. However, if (in the not-too-distant future) I realize flying that requires that Class 3 ticket is not in the cards, I'll probably go basic med.
 
Do you seriously want to go to Canada? If so class III otherwise BasicMed.
 
azure said:
IMO, if your flying needs and BasicMed's limitations are compatible and you don't have one of the (very limited list of) conditions requiring a one-time SI, BasicMed is really the way to go now, hands down.
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Unless you fly out of the USA. In the last two years I have taken my plane to the Bahamas (ok under BasicMed), but also Mexico, Cuba and Guatemala where BasicMed doesn't work.
 
James331 said:
Why wouldn’t he? There are a few world class cities in Canada.
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I did not mean, "You don't seriously want to go to Canada do you?" I meant, "Are you actually planning to go to Canada or did you just throw that out as a remote possibility? Because if you aren't serious about it, it's not worth sticking with the class III." I am making no judgment whatsoever either way whether or not Canada is worth visiting.
 
Rushie said:
I did not mean, "You don't seriously want to go to Canada do you?" I meant, "Are you actually planning to go to Canada or did you just throw that out as a remote possibility? Because if you aren't serious about it, it's not worth sticking with the class III." I am making no judgment whatsoever either way whether or not Canada is worth visiting.
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Gotcha :)
 
DesertNomad said:
Unless you fly out of the USA. In the last two years I have taken my plane to the Bahamas (ok under BasicMed), but also Mexico, Cuba and Guatemala where BasicMed doesn't work.
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As I said, as long as your flying needs and BasicMed's limitations are compatible... flying to Canada, Mexico, etc. are among those limitations.
 
Thanks for all the feedback. Canada was mostly mentioned as a joke/nod to the limitation of BasicMed. It's not really on my 'must do' list, but it's also not all that far away. Not sure what the club bylaws/insurance say about that, though.

Either way, I should be flying agin soon. Thanks again.
 
I chose "basic med" in your survey, but unfortunately like you, my doc refuses to do basic med, so I'm stuck with third class.
 
tawood said:
I chose "basic med" in your survey, but unfortunately like you, my doc refuses to do basic med, so I'm stuck with third class.
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Well, if 3rd class works for you... but SE Michigan is practically bursting at the seams with providers, so it should be possible to find one who does BasicMed.

There are also two excellent AMEs based in the area, Dr. Gordon and Dr. Pinnell. Does neither of them do BasicMed?
 
Rushie said:
I did not mean, "You don't seriously want to go to Canada do you?" I meant, "Are you actually planning to go to Canada or did you just throw that out as a remote possibility? Because if you aren't serious about it, it's not worth sticking with the class III." I am making no judgment whatsoever either way whether or not Canada is worth visiting.
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Canada is worth visiting if for no other reason that you have to cross it to get to Alaska. There are other reasons to visit too, but getting to Alaska is the one I'm most interested in at the moment.
 
I went through Basic Med, but it was annoying to explain to the doctor what exactly he is looking for. There are no parameters to anything, just the most simple of checklists that says EXAMINED. I know that it is sort of the point, but no wonder some doctors won't touch it with a 10 foot pole.
 
azure said:
Well, if 3rd class works for you... but SE Michigan is practically bursting at the seams with providers, so it should be possible to find one who does BasicMed.

There are also two excellent AMEs based in the area, Dr. Gordon and Dr. Pinnell. Does neither of them do BasicMed?
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3rd class works just fine...I was just hoping for a free (covered by my insurance) basic med.
 
A_Valkyrie said:
I went through Basic Med, but it was annoying to explain to the doctor what exactly he is looking for. There are no parameters to anything, just the most simple of checklists that says EXAMINED. I know that it is sort of the point, but no wonder some doctors won't touch it with a 10 foot pole.
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Agreed. My primary care physician, who knows everything about my health and is also a sport MD and CDL examiner, acted like he was doing it against his will. He didn't understand the concept of "just verify I'm fit to operate a motor vehicle or aircraft at this moment in time," and insisted on commenting on the form about everything he knows about my medical condition, relevant or not.
 
I love BasicMed, but I spent the previous 18 years having my strings pulled by the FAA SI regs. And I'm not sick. Experimental airplane, BasicMed, minimum interaction with the FAA.... YES PLEASE!
 
I still don't get it. Renewed my class 3 in 45 minutes for $65. I'd prefer that to educating my doctor on why I'm ok to fly. Not to mention, my normal primary is a PA not a MD.
 
Rooster T said:
Agreed. My primary care physician, who knows everything about my health and is also a sport MD and CDL examiner, acted like he was doing it against his will. He didn't understand the concept of "just verify I'm fit to operate a motor vehicle or aircraft at this moment in time," and insisted on commenting on the form about everything he knows about my medical condition, relevant or not.
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Right, and he is probably a bit cautious of the FAA getting involved if there is ever an incident. Who can blame him? The checklist has no middle ground, its either sign or don't sign. There is no "Yes, but..."

I never understood why flying and medicals is so tightly regulated for GA. If you aren't flying for hire, why is a 3rd Class such a pain to obtain with the "Have you ever" questions. Your not allowed to fly a C152, but you can go drive a 1 Ton Dually Truck with Trailer 85 mph on the interstate.
 
Try having your specialist physician fill out FAA worksheets every 6 months for a few years. 3rd class compliance isn't equal for all pilots. And by some of the BasicMed difficulty comments? That isn't equal, either. My AME does both. In his office BasicMed is easier for all pilots and WAYYYYY easier for former SI pilots.
 
A few weeks ago I just went to my AME. I knew where he was and he always gives me same-day appointments. It was easier than trying to teach my regular doc about basic med at this point. Going to the same AME for years and all my issues are PRNC at this point.
 
Stewartb said:
Try having your specialist physician fill out FAA worksheets every 6 months for a few years. 3rd class compliance isn't equal for all pilots. And by some of the BasicMed difficulty comments? That isn't equal, either. My AME does both. In his office BasicMed is easier for all pilots and WAYYYYY easier for former SI pilots.
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for people with SI, yeah, definitely I see an advantage.
 
Salty said:
I still don't get it. Renewed my class 3 in 45 minutes for $65. I'd prefer that to educating my doctor on why I'm ok to fly. Not to mention, my normal primary is a PA not a MD.
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If you're healthy, yeah, a 3rd class is no sweat. If you have issues, BM can be FAR easier and cheaper.
 
James331 said:
Why wouldn’t he? There are a few world class cities in Canada.
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Used to live across the lake from Toronto - afternoon tea at the Royal York was a family favorite. Vancouver aint bad, either. Banff is on my list as soon as I can ski again (unlikely this season).
 
tawood said:
I chose "basic med" in your survey, but unfortunately like you, my doc refuses to do basic med, so I'm stuck with third class.
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Contact other pilots you know, ask if they've gone BasicMed and get their Dr. name & phone number. There's no reason to be "stuck".

I'm incredibly lucky that my GP has no problems doing BasicMed. When I was in last Dec, he said he's doing 3-4 every month.
 
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