The type of flying the pilot performs--airline, commercial or personal use--determines what class certificate the pilot must have. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age. Interested persons may obtain a list of these aviation medical examiners from the FAA regional flight surgeon in their area or contact OccNet Mineola at 859-647-6228 for more information or to set up an appointment with an FAA physician.

There are three different types of medical certificates.

1. Class 3 medical certificates are for personal flight use only. They are good for three years for pilots under age 40 and two years for those 40 and over.
2. Class 2 medical certificates are for commercial, non-airline duties. These certificates are good for one year for commercial flights.
3. Class 1 medical certificates are required for pilots of scheduled airliners. Their certificates must be renewed every six months. (Class 2 and 3 medical certificates can also be used for personal flight.)

The medical examination is very comprehensive. Among the detailed requirements for a first-class certificate are the following:

• General medical standards: No insulin-dependent diabetes; no disease, defect or limitation that makes the person unable to safely perform pertinent duties.
• Eye: Distant visual acuity of 20/20 or better in each eye, with or without corrective lenses; near vision of 20/40 or better; ability to perceive colors; normal fields of vision; no other conditions that would affect flying.
• Ear, nose, throat, and equilibrium: Ability to hear an average conversational voice in a quiet room; ability to pass other hearing tests; no other disease or conditions in these parts of the body that interfere with communication or flying; no condition manifested by vertigo or other disturbances of equilibrium.
• Mental: No severe personality disorder, psychosis, bipolar disorder or other condition rendering a person unfit to perform the necessary duties; no untreated substance dependence (must have established clinical evidence of recovery including sustained total abstinence from the substances for at least the two preceding years).
• Neurologic: No epilepsy or other seizure disorder; no disturbance of consciousness without medical explanation; no transient loss of nervous system control without explanation.
• Cardiovascular: No myocardial infarction, angina, symptomatic or untreated coronary heart disease, cardiac valve replacement, pacemaker or heart transplant.

According to John Ammons, M.D., FAA physician for OccNet, most people qualify for the certificate.  "My favorite part of this job is working with folks who have problems qualifying because they don’t meet one of the medical requirements. I act as the intermediary between them and the FAA to determine what they can do to qualify. Nine out of 10 times they can meet the requirement with a simple adjustment like wearing prescription glasses to correct their eyesight."

SOURCE: Federal Aviation Administration

The occupational health specialists of Alliance Health for Business, working with other Health Alliance network providers, place a strong emphasis on prompt and appropriate return-to-work. To find out more about Alliance Health for Business services, call 513-585-9400.