At 39 - go Basic Med?

A

Another-birthday

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I’m 39, PPL, 3rd class medical. Been flying as a private pilot for years and years.

I had intended to renew my 3rd class medical right before my 40th birthday to get the 5 years of validity. But the more I read, the more I fear that for some reason - any reason, known or unknown, innocent, guilty, whatever - they could deny that medical and then I’m #$&#$ed.

I fly a Cessna single and don’t have my eyes on much more than that at least until I am much wealthier (lol), so is there any downside to just going Basic Med?

I have thought about doing some 135-type work as a “retirement job”, if I got my commercial and needed to go to a 2nd class medical, would there be any benefit to maintaining a 3rd class medical between now and then?

Thanks a ton!
 
Known downsides:
  • Canada does not currently accept BasicMed, so no overfly Canada (including flights to Alaska)
  • Cannot serve as a safety pilot with BasicMed (Congressional wording snafu)
  • Aircraft operating limits of BasicMed
You can always go back and get a 3rd class medical if you need it after going BasicMed.
 
I went BasicMed last renewal, but I am old and have no current or future need or expectation to need an FAA medical. I think if I were contemplating wanting a class II or III in the future, like you are, I would stay with a Class III for now.
 
No, there is no "benefit" to maintaining a 3rd class, as you describe, except for the things @MtPJimB described. Might as well do BasicMed if it serves your needs presently. Getting a 2nd (or 3rd) class later will be equally easy (or hard) either way.
 
somorris said:
I went BasicMed last renewal, but I am old and have no current or future need or expectation to need an FAA medical. I think if I were contemplating wanting a class II or III in the future, like you are, I would stay with a Class III for now.
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If the “operating limitations” aren’t downsides to you personally, then why?
 
If you're healthy and haven't had any health or legal issues come up since your last third class exam there shouldn't be any issue getting another third class before you turn 40. If I was healthy and 39 I would get the third class. I went BasicMed because of the ridiculous amount of red tape, hoop jumping and yearly expense related to OSA...

Edit: I see you're looking for reasons why. In addition to what others have mentioned, by getting the third class you get an additional year before an exam is required. Also, as one of the local feds on this board has pointed out, there is always a chance BasicMed could be legislatively rescinded...
 
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idahoflier said:
If you're healthy and haven't had any health or legal issues come up since your last third class exam there shouldn't be any issue getting another third class before you turn 40. If I was healthy and 39 I would get the third class. I went BasicMed because of the ridiculous amount of red tape, hoop jumping and yearly expense related to OSA...
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Okay... so, as long as you brought it up, that's one of the things I am concerned about. I was diagnosed with OSA via sleep study and went on a CPAP maybe 18 months ago. I consulted with an AME at that time and he was like "if it's treated don't worry about it". So I did nothing. I suspect I was supposed to report it in retrospect, but it has been such a "nothingburger" now that it is treated.

And it is 100% fully treated. I am in love with my CPAP, with the exception of lugging it around to travel. I literally haven't slept a single night without it since the first night I picked it up from the supplier and average 7.5 hours of usage a night. So it's definitely doable to get a SI (I assume), but my thought is... why even bother?

If I did go third class in this situation, I'd have to provide sleep reports and the medical would have to go through the SI process and would be limited to 12-months, right? Would I have to get an AME examine every 12 months or just submit the paperwork, or something else?
 
In 2006, I went with going LSA using my valid state driver's license in lieu of a medical and exercising the privileges of a Sport Pilot because of the cost of complying with the requirement for a CogScreen every time I renewed my S.I. third class medical. When BasicMed came along I took advantage of it (my S.I. third class medical had expired after July 14, 2006). I'm 79 and still meet all of the BasicMed requirements. I still own and fly my LSA, but now if I need a bigger airplane I can rent a 172 or 182 from my local FBO.
 
Go Basic Med and never look back. It lasts 4 years - why in the world would you not?

I'm sure that in 25 years when you retire if you want to do some commercial work for pay you can get whatever medical you might want at that time regardless if you do Basic Med vs 3rd class now.

You can get your commercial rating now and still be Basic Med BTW. You can't get paid for flying, but you are allowed to get paid for being a CFI on Basic Med if that is a retirement / pre retirement gig you're thinking about.
 
If I were you (and I'm not) I would go Basic Med (and I did).

I have thought about doing some 135-type work as a “retirement job”, if I got my commercial and needed to go to a 2nd class medical, would there be any benefit to maintaining a 3rd class medical between now and then?
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It sounds like you're about 25 years away from retiring. Keeping a class 3 for the next quarter century because today you think you might want to fly for money and need a class 2 way in the future is, frankly, silly. Having the class 3 now won't make the class 2 any easier then, and you'll have to deal with whatever medical problems come up anyway.

Besides, who knows what FAA regs or commercial aviation will look like 25 years hence? There may be no pilot jobs, the FAA may have more onerous (or less onerous) medical requirements, etc. Or you may develop some condition that grounds you regardless.

So why subject yourself to the game of FAA medical roulette when it's not necessary today? Go Basic Med, and if the time ever comes that you really need the class 2 or class 3, play the game then.
 
Basic is fine. But if you can find an AME who will tell you in advance that “this is a go”; or:” “don’t apply” B4 do, it’s a different game......
 
Even though a Basicmed is good for 4 years, nothing is stopping you from getting your physician to sign off every year when you get your annual checkup.
 
sarangan said:
Even though a Basicmed is good for 4 years, nothing is stopping you from getting your physician to sign off every year when you get your annual checkup.
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In fact, I am doing this now. Not only is my third class still good but since I get an annual comprehensive physical from my primary doc anyhow and he is game, I get him to sign off my basic med checklist each time.
 
Another-Birthday said:
Okay... so, as long as you brought it up, that's one of the things I am concerned about. I was diagnosed with OSA via sleep study and went on a CPAP maybe 18 months ago. I consulted with an AME at that time and he was like "if it's treated don't worry about it". So I did nothing. I suspect I was supposed to report it in retrospect, but it has been such a "nothingburger" now that it is treated.

And it is 100% fully treated. I am in love with my CPAP, with the exception of lugging it around to travel. I literally haven't slept a single night without it since the first night I picked it up from the supplier and average 7.5 hours of usage a night. So it's definitely doable to get a SI (I assume), but my thought is... why even bother?

If I did go third class in this situation, I'd have to provide sleep reports and the medical would have to go through the SI process and would be limited to 12-months, right? Would I have to get an AME examine every 12 months or just submit the paperwork, or something else?
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IDK about reporting your OSA and/or starting the SI process when you found out. My guess is that you probably should have. But that will likely only come up if there is some reason for the FAA to take look at you between now and your next medical.

My understanding is that OSA is a CACI condition now and if you bring the AME all your sleep study docs and CPAP logs you can get a medical but you will be required to send in everything to the FAA within 90 days and you will start the SI protocol. That does mean once a year you will have to visit the AME with updated doc.

So if you're OK jumping through the hoops then you should be fine. However the 5 year third class option is no longer available. Like I said, I left all the nonsense behind and went BasicMed...

Good Luck and Blue Skies!
 
bbchien said:
Basic is fine. But if you can find an AME who will tell you in advance that “this is a go”; or:” “don’t apply” B4 do, it’s a different game......
Click to expand...

Dr. Bruce's response is along the lines of my thinking. I wish all AME's were more like him.

BasicMed is great, but it isn't always easy to find a doctor who is comfortable signing off on it. For example, my doctor didn't have the proper equipment for the eye exam, so I had to go to another doc to get that taken care of, fax the document to my doctor, who then sent me the signed off form. I have read that a lot of doctors just aren't familiar with FAA requirements and are hesitant to take on the extra responsibility. I would happily go back to my AME for BasicMed exam, but he doesn't do BasicMed. :(
 
Yes - most AME’s refuse to do Basic Med- for reasons of thread creep avoidance, I’ll refrain from posting.

But is is easy enough to find a clinic that does DOT physicals that can do the entire exam. This is once every 4 years that I’m inconvenienced in having to find a DOT physical clinic. In exchange I have a medical that the FAA won’t revoke if I sneeze the wrong way.
 
Another 39 year old here. Went BasicMed last year and won't look back. I don't fly in Canada (although I think Canada will eventually accept BasicMed) and the aircraft I operate qualifies. No reason to continue to deal with a pass/fail if I don't have to.
 
There have been very few AMEs over the year I'd go to for my regular primary care given the choice. Most of them don't even do that (my AMEs have been: an allergist, an occupational medicine specialist, an opthomologist, a retired Navy flight surgeon now primarily running a drug testing business but still doing pilots a favor with cheap tests, an internist (he was the one I might have gone to but I had issues with him), an ENT (incompetent), a retired family practice guy (who wasn't taking new primary patients)).

Since I gotta have a primary care guy anyhow and he gives me a much more thorough exam than the AMEs ever did and he was willing to sign off the basic med, it's a no brainer. The only thing he insisted on doing was a rudimentary hearing test. I would have pointed out that all the medical requires is discerning spoken words (which I can do well enough without my aids in most cases) but it means little in the long run. Of course, the AMEs never bothered to actually test my hearing once I told them I wore hearing aids, but giving me to idiotic "must use amplification" restriction which means little... headphones, crankingup the over head speaker, etc... are all amplification.
 
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