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Class 1 medical exam
Hello, I’m soon going for my class 1 medical exam so I can take my solo flights. I was wondering where Can I find the doctors that are certified to do the examination? How long does it take? Do they take blood and urine, things like that? Does health have any effect on what they examine?I have no medical problems. Take no medicine. Have had perfectly fine physicals the last couple of years. Pretty much a clean bill of health. Any help will be appreciated thanks!
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atcsundevil
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Re: Class 1 medical exam
Ajcoco12 wrote:Hello, I’m soon going for my class 1 medical exam so I can take my solo flights. I was wondering where Can I find the doctors that are certified to do the examination? How long does it take? Do they take blood and urine, things like that? Does health have any effect on what they examine?I have no medical problems. Take no medicine. Have had perfectly fine physicals the last couple of years. Pretty much a clean bill of health. Any help will be appreciated thanks!
It typically takes about a half hour to an hour. Some AMEs are more thorough than others, and they'll go more in depth for your first one since they don't have any past medical history on you. If you have any major medical issues, they'll want to look into that pretty closely, but since you're relatively healthy, you shouldn't have a problem unless they find something concerning. They'll do an eye test, EKG, hearing test, and a general physical. They'll also do a 12 panel urine screen, but blood draws are not part of the typical exam. All in all, they're pretty much like any other physical. The common things that can cause issues for people are heart conditions (known or unknown) and prescription meds.
You can find an AME on the FAA website here https://www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator/
Re: Class 1 medical exam
It depends on what country you are trying to obtain a Class 1 medical exam.
If it's for the United States you can use the FAA website to locate a medical examiner near you.
https://www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator/
If you have a desire to pursue a career in aviation, then getting a Class 1 medical certificate is a good idea to see if you have any issues obtaining one. You will not need a Class 1 medical certificate until you start looking for commercial work. If it's just for an aviation hobby, a Class 3 medical certificate will suffice.
If it's for the United States you can use the FAA website to locate a medical examiner near you.
https://www.faa.gov/pilots/amelocator/
If you have a desire to pursue a career in aviation, then getting a Class 1 medical certificate is a good idea to see if you have any issues obtaining one. You will not need a Class 1 medical certificate until you start looking for commercial work. If it's just for an aviation hobby, a Class 3 medical certificate will suffice.
Re: Class 1 medical exam
Thank you, Woodreau, I was thinking a scam might be going down, because I wasn't aware of a need for the Class 1 just to be able to solo.
There is one thing, though, that tends to surprise some folks that are new to the business, but I don't remember at what level it is checked. The last flight physical I had was the one I knew I was going to fail back in 2001. Man was my friend angry when he realized I just wanted the free physical, because I knew the system he had set up the ears were the last thing on his list. Military, you see. They were trying to call me up. He even made a stink about it at our next district meeting at the VFW.
Anyway, about the eye check, some folks get burned on the depth perception check. Many folks don't realize when they have trouble with depth perception until a flight physical. But I don't remember which class of physical that is checked. (Okay, "get burned" is a crappy choice of vocabulary, isn't it? Sorry.)
There is one thing, though, that tends to surprise some folks that are new to the business, but I don't remember at what level it is checked. The last flight physical I had was the one I knew I was going to fail back in 2001. Man was my friend angry when he realized I just wanted the free physical, because I knew the system he had set up the ears were the last thing on his list. Military, you see. They were trying to call me up. He even made a stink about it at our next district meeting at the VFW.
Anyway, about the eye check, some folks get burned on the depth perception check. Many folks don't realize when they have trouble with depth perception until a flight physical. But I don't remember which class of physical that is checked. (Okay, "get burned" is a crappy choice of vocabulary, isn't it? Sorry.)
Re: Class 1 medical exam
Find an AME that's a pilot and a pilot "advocate".
Re: Class 1 medical exam
I've been taking FAA Class 1 physicals every 6 months for 25 years and never remember a check of my depth perception specifically. Perhaps there is a subtle way to check this like with the hearing requirement. Don't fall off the exam room bed I suppose. The only eye tests are a reading of the eye chart and a color blind test.
Re: Class 1 medical exam
Thank you, 26point2, because after all these years I never ran across a situation where this had come up and where I could learn there is difference for civilians and military.
I went poking around, because it has been way too many years for me since I took a civilian flight physical and it is obvious the few times I did I wasn't paying close attention to that part of it..
What I just found by poking around is that the depth perception is a military thing.
Just in case you, or anyone else, wishes to go into that any deeper I will provide this discussion on the Net because on the first page and down a bit in the discussion somebody posts a copy of the regulation governing the test. Well, should be plural -- tests. There's more than one type.
http://www.flyingsquadron.com/forums/to ... on-issues/
And I was wondering if there was a more recent discussion of the issue on that site, and there is, so it isn't just an older issue with military pilots.
Kind of interesting, isn't it? Military requires it and civilians don't.
EDIT: I think this might be best to copy here:
I went poking around, because it has been way too many years for me since I took a civilian flight physical and it is obvious the few times I did I wasn't paying close attention to that part of it..
What I just found by poking around is that the depth perception is a military thing.
Just in case you, or anyone else, wishes to go into that any deeper I will provide this discussion on the Net because on the first page and down a bit in the discussion somebody posts a copy of the regulation governing the test. Well, should be plural -- tests. There's more than one type.
http://www.flyingsquadron.com/forums/to ... on-issues/
And I was wondering if there was a more recent discussion of the issue on that site, and there is, so it isn't just an older issue with military pilots.
Kind of interesting, isn't it? Military requires it and civilians don't.
EDIT: I think this might be best to copy here:
II. Aeromedical Considerations. Stereopsis is generally not considered to be a factor in the perception of depth beyond 200m. Beyond those ranges, monocular cues prevail to facilitate perception of depth. In aviation, accurate perception of spacing or depth within this distance is critical in a number of situations, such as aerial refueling, formation flying, holding hover rescue type operations, taxiing, and parking. Stereopsis also facilitates closure maneuvers and rejoins. The majority of aviator tasks, dependent on the perception of depth, occur beyond 20 feet. As close proximity flying situations rarely arise in civil aviation, the FAA does not require depth perception testing for general or commercial aviation. However, military formation flying requires constant monitoring and requires normal stereoscopic/depth perception.
Re: Class 1 medical exam
Part 67 is the governing regulation for Class 1 medical exams in the US
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?S ... b&rgn=div6
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?S ... b&rgn=div6
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- CosmicCruiser
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Re: Class 1 medical exam
I am curious why you would want a 1st Class medical? All that I ever found different was after 50(?) you need an EKG once a yr. but other than that I never saw any differences except expiration. I just started flying a small corp jet and a 2nd class works fine.
Re: Class 1 medical exam
I also fly corporate, a Part 91 ops Global Express, but my company requires all pilots to hold a Class 1 Medical.
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- CosmicCruiser
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Re: Class 1 medical exam
ok, that's cool but not required. Unless your co. pays for your medical why do it every 6 mo.? at my previous airline it was all reimbursed but it was also 121.
Re: Class 1 medical exam
26point2 wrote:I also fly corporate, a Part 91 ops Global Express, but my company requires all pilots to hold a Class 1 Medical.
I recently retired from a 121 airline and was getting a 2nd Class Medical for the first time in over 30 years. During the exam I asked the AME what were the differences in the standards between a 1st Class and a 2nd Class. Her answer was that the only differences in the standards was that the 1st Class required an EKG every 6 months while the 2nd Class never requires an EKG. So other than the EKG the exam for the two Medicals are exactly the same with the same standards for both.
Re: Class 1 medical exam
To clarify, 1st Class exam required every 6 months but EKG only required every 12 months if over age 40 but only one time between ages 35-39 to establish base line EKG.
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