Medical Downgrades

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Gwolf

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G.Wolf
I have a question about medical certificates that the FAR is unclear on.
I had a first class medical done on 1-7-2010. I used it for Student pilot and eventually Private pilot operations. According to the FAR that first class medical is good for 60 months under private pilot operations.

I now have my commercial ticket as of this past February and have an opportunity to use it under commercial operations. According to the FAR under commercial operations a first class medical is valid only 12 months. (And yes I am aware of "last day of the month after the month of examination" I'm just omitting that for simplicity).

So now I understand I cannot use my "first class" medical for those commercial operations. And that's where it all kind of falls apart...

I was originally taught that your medical will "downgrade" as you reach the next time cutoff. (e.g. 1st class downgrades to 2nd class after 12 months, second class downgrades to 3rd class after 12 months which is good for 36 months)

However I can find no material in 61.23 that supports this idea. To sum it all up, I'm am wondering If I have to get a new 2nd class or better medical to conduct commercial operations.
 
If your current medical is more than 12 months old, it is no longer valid for activities requiring a first or second class medical certificate.

You need a new first or second class medical to use your commercial privileges.
 
Thank you very much, I'm going to be getting that done asap now.:rolleyes:
 
Why isn't a medical based on the person rather than their flying certificate? Do you give up a spleen during the checkride or something?
 
Jaybird180 said:
Why isn't a medical based on the person rather than their flying certificate? Do you give up a spleen during the checkride or something?
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Different medical standards for different privileges. The FAA believes that the folks flying operations requiring an ATP certificate should have a first-class medical. Folks flying operations requiring a commercial pilot certificate should have a second-class medical.

Makes sense when you think about it. Just because I have a Commercial, I don't need a second class medical UNLESS I'm gonna do something that requires it, like haul people or stuff for money. Even after I get my ATP I won't need a first class unless I become a part 121 PIC or do something else that requires the ATP certificate.
 
TMetzinger said:
Different medical standards for different privileges. The FAA believes that the folks flying operations requiring an ATP certificate should have a first-class medical. Folks flying operations requiring a commercial pilot certificate should have a second-class medical.
Click to expand...

I like your wording... "the FAA believes"... since they've had First Class Medical holders drop dead in flight.

Wonder if Dr. Bruce knows if there's any evidence that the three-tiered medical certificate system actually produces better results at each step of that ladder, as far as in-flight incapacitation goes. I bet not.
 
The privileges downgrade for those over 40, but for those under 40 now, you cut off from 1st Class to 3rd Class after 12 months.

Over 40, for the 1st 6 months, you have 1st Class Privileges, then 6 months of second class, finally a year of second class.

When they extended the 3rd Class from 3 to 5 years for under 40, they also extended the 1st Class from 6 months to 12 months for the same people, that's why there's no more drop-off to second class privileges.
 
JeffDG said:
The privileges downgrade for those over 40, but for those under 40 now, you cut off from 1st Class to 3rd Class after 12 months.

Over 40, for the 1st 6 months, you have 1st Class Privileges, then 6 months of second class, finally a year of second class.

When they extended the 3rd Class from 3 to 5 years for under 40, they also extended the 1st Class from 6 months to 12 months for the same people, that's why there's no more drop-off to second class privileges.
Click to expand...

And I thought that was if the medical was ISSUED prior to age 40, not if the PERSON was over 40... but now I'm looking to see if that's correct.

I swear I saw someone mention taking their medical a couple days before their 40th birthday... to take advantage of this.
 
TMetzinger said:
Different medical standards for different privileges. The FAA believes that the folks flying operations requiring an ATP certificate should have a first-class medical. Folks flying operations requiring a commercial pilot certificate should have a second-class medical.

Makes sense when you think about it. Just because I have a Commercial, I don't need a second class medical UNLESS I'm gonna do something that requires it, like haul people or stuff for money. Even after I get my ATP I won't need a first class unless I become a part 121 PIC or do something else that requires the ATP certificate.
Click to expand...

Yes, but the OP stated that he already held a 1st Class
 
denverpilot said:
And I thought that was if the medical was ISSUED prior to age 40, not if the PERSON was over 40... but now I'm looking to see if that's correct.

I swear I saw someone mention taking their medical a couple days before their 40th birthday... to take advantage of this.
Click to expand...
You are correct, and I was one of those people. In fact, I thought that I would only be getting an extra 9 months or so, but, because the new regs came out during that period I actually got an additional 31 months or so.
 
denverpilot said:
And I thought that was if the medical was ISSUED prior to age 40, not if the PERSON was over 40... but now I'm looking to see if that's correct.

I swear I saw someone mention taking their medical a couple days before their 40th birthday... to take advantage of this.
Click to expand...

That's correct...the date the medical is taken is determinative...I wasn't clear.

So, if you take your first class on July 1, and your 40th birthday is July 2, then your 1st Class is good until July 31 the next year, and your third class is good until just a bit after your 45th birthday.
 
Thanks for the clarification... I only asked 'cause I turn 40 this year... and so far, I only need a 3rd Class for the stuff I do.
 
denverpilot said:
I like your wording... "the FAA believes"... since they've had First Class Medical holders drop dead in flight.

Wonder if Dr. Bruce knows if there's any evidence that the three-tiered medical certificate system actually produces better results at each step of that ladder, as far as in-flight incapacitation goes. I bet not.
Click to expand...
The belief is that higher classess of cert. allow you to kill more people, so the exams are more frequent and standards (vision, waivers for conditions) are tougher at higher classes.

Actually what demonstrably kills more people is alcoholic pilots, and the upper class certs are mondo tougher and the return to service standards are higher.

I suppose there are some who still think alcoholics and cardiacs should just be told to drive.....Semis, instead.....

As for the duration of certs, JeffDG has it right.
 
bbchien said:
Actually what demonstrably kills more people is alcoholic pilots, and the upper class certs are mondo tougher and the return to service standards are higher.
Click to expand...

Is this just due to flying under the influence or is there some other reason?
 
Jaybird180 said:
Yes, but the OP stated that he already held a 1st Class
Click to expand...

Right, but when the first class "expires", it becomes a third class for the remaining duration that a third class medical would be good for.

I agree with the general philosophy that the more people you can kill (and the less they have any interaction with you), the higher the medical standards.

Of course, like anything else, the test is no guarantee that you won't drop dead in flight anyway.
 
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