Do I need to save the "back side" of the medical?

RussR

RussR

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I get a new one of these silly archaic documents* every 6 months. I cut it out of the sheet of paper as I'm sure most people do. Is the "back side", meaning the Conditions of Issue part, considered part of the medical? If, where it says "Fold Here", I just cut it off, is that going to cause any problems on a ramp check? (Is "Fold Here" an instruction, or a recommendation? :D)

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* 1st class medical itself isn't what I'm calling silly and archaic, it's the requirement to carry a physical piece of paper instead of just some digital file or online database that is silly and archaic.
 
Someone should send a letter to the FAA asking for clarification.
 
I know of someone that got ramp checked, and he had cut that part off of his medical. The FAA deemed it invalid, and he had to get a replacement.
 
bbchien said:
If you cut it off it is no longer a medical certificate.
The back page IS PART OF THE CERTIFICATE.
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Very true. I’m a retired federal agent and we occasionally conducted ramp checks looking for smugglers. That medical certificate would be considered an “altered document” and would be invalid.
 
Larry in TN said:
The full form is required.
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bbchien said:
If you cut it off it is no longer a medical certificate.
The back page IS PART OF THE CERTIFICATE.
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AchillesLastStand said:
I know of someone that got ramp checked, and he had cut that part off of his medical. The FAA deemed it invalid, and he had to get a replacement.
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Mike0125 said:
Very true. I’m a retired federal agent and we occasionally conducted ramp checks looking for smugglers. That medical certificate would be considered an “altered document” and would be invalid.
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Fair enough, I won't cut it off.

But given these posts, now I am curious about what is so magical about the right side of the sheet of paper (heck, although I called it "the back", it hasn't been "the back" for many years now)? It's just a list of FAR references for the rules on medical certificates, it doesn't hold any information pertaining to the holder. It doesn't seem to be any more useful than the instructions at the bottom of the page, that you ARE intended to cut off. I get that the FSDO inspectors and others care that that side of the page is there, but why?
 
RussR said:
But given these posts, now I am curious about what is so magical about the right side of the sheet of paper
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No different from any of the other bureaucratic requirements that go along with government interaction. It's written down in some regulation or policy manual so they enforce it.
 
It tells you where to cut and where to fold. I assumed disregarding the instructions was undesirable for whatever reason.
 
Before they started printing them at the doctors office, it was an actual form pre printed, that had to be typed or printed. It had all that info on the back. It also had the cardboard type paper that was a student pilot certificate. If you were licensed above a student, that part was just torn off and discarded.
 
It’s just there to give a Fed a reason to give you a hard time if they ramp check you :) Just like not signing the back of the pilot certificate, remember if you don’t sign it, then you’re not a pilot!

We deal with a system that although can be great, it’s absolutely mind numbing as well. I’m not much of an anti-government protester besides when it comes to the FAA they could seriously use reform inside the FSDO’s. The medical system is junk, 135/141 applications process is about impossible, and the DPE system has been completely inadequate for 15 years.
 
Mike0125 said:
Very true. I’m a retired federal agent and we occasionally conducted ramp checks looking for smugglers. That medical certificate would be considered an “altered document” and would be invalid.
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You really caught some hard core criminals (without the back page of the medical) :cornut:
 
RussR said:
I do my W&B in grams, don't you?
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I just get up, use the bathroom, and weigh myself before having breakfast. Since I am "normally configured" no further computations are required. :cool:
 
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