BasicMed checklist and online course now available

From the AOPA email about BasicMed: "Pilots can flight instruct under BasicMed, but they cannot operate for compensation or hire."

Can somebody explain that to me? Aren't flight instructors being compensated to teach?
 
ScottK said:
From the AOPA email about BasicMed: "Pilots can flight instruct under BasicMed, but they cannot operate for compensation or hire."

Can somebody explain that to me? Aren't flight instructors being compensated to teach?
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The FAA considers the CFI to be getting paid to teach rather than fly. It's the same reason a CFI only needs a 3rd class medical. The logic is a little strange, but for the sake of all the CFI's out there I'm glad they interpret it that way.

I think I remember reading that a CFI with only BasicMed cannot have a student fly under the hood unless the student is the acting PIC which is only legal if they're already a rated pilot.
 
I'm very happy to have the BasicMed in play, but the FAA regs crack me up!
 
Hi.
I the BasicMed course available anywhere else other that AOPA, like FAA, Gleim...
Thank you.
 
bluesideup said:
Hi.
I the BasicMed course available anywhere else other that AOPA, like FAA, Gleim...
Thank you.
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No, it isn't. AOPA designed the course, but you don't have to be a member of AOPA to take it. You just have to register your email on the test site, for progress tracking (i.e. if you have to quit taking the test for some reason, you can come back and start right back here you left off).
 
bluesideup said:
Hi.
I the BasicMed course available anywhere else other that AOPA, like FAA, Gleim...
Thank you.
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Mayo Clinic is supposed to offer an equivalent course, I haven't seen any links yet and have no idea why you'd prefer one over the other.
 
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MassPilot said:
The FAA considers the CFI to be getting paid to teach rather than fly. It's the same reason a CFI only needs a 3rd class medical. The logic is a little strange, but for the sake of all the CFI's out there I'm glad they interpret it that way.

I think I remember reading that a CFI with only BasicMed cannot have a student fly under the hood unless the student is the acting PIC which is only legal if they're already a rated pilot.
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Your first paragraph is correct. You've got it wrong on the second part.

A CFI can instruct under BasicMed if he or she is acting as PIC. If the instructor is not PIC (which could happen if the student is legal to act as PIC), the instructor can instruct without any medical at all. But if the instructor has to act as a required crew member--such as the case with someone flying under the hood and the instructor is acting as safety pilot, the instructor must hold a medical certificate. BasicMed only covers the acting PIC.
 
Brad Z said:
Your first paragraph is correct. You've got it wrong on the second part.

A CFI can instruct under BasicMed if he or she is acting as PIC. If the instructor is not PIC (which could happen if the student is legal to act as PIC), the instructor can instruct without any medical at all. But if the instructor has to act as a required crew member--such as the case with someone flying under the hood and the instructor is acting as safety pilot, the instructor must hold a medical certificate. BasicMed only covers the acting PIC.
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That makes sense. This goes beyond CFI's and means that no pilot can act as a safety pilot on BasicMed unless they're the PIC, right?
 
MassPilot said:
That makes sense. This goes beyond CFI's and means that no pilot can act as a safety pilot on BasicMed unless they're the PIC, right?
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That is correct. Whoever wrote the original statutory language forgot that there are people other than the PIC that need a 3rd class medical certificate. They also left off DPEs, which was an unfortunate oversight in my opinion.
 
Brad Z said:
That is correct. Whoever wrote the original statutory language forgot that there are people other than the PIC that need a 3rd class medical certificate. They also left off DPEs, which was an unfortunate oversight in my opinion.
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I hope this will be corrected as we proceed forward....

Brad, is there a particular group we need to communicate with to get this changed? Someone in the Agency? Our Congresscritter? Senator Inhofe?
 
Wait...this is a brand new form, but it already has #1 and #2 omitted?

Also, #9 (Anus) on the Physician's checklist must be examined by my reading. That'll be fun.
 
AggieMike88 said:
I hope this will be corrected as we proceed forward....

Brad, is there a particular group we need to communicate with to get this changed? Someone in the Agency? Our Congresscritter? Senator Inhofe?
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Well, the FAA knows about it. At this point, Congress is probably in the best position to fix it, as FAA lawyers would argue that due to section 2307 of FESSA the FAA is statutorily obligated to enact the law exactly as specified. So yeah, you could write your Congressperson.

Ideally this is rectified with a technical correction in the next FAA re-authorization bill. The FAA has identified several quick things that should be fixed, such as

-Number of seats and max weights as airworthiness certificate limitations
--covering non-PIC crew members
-covering DPEs
-24 calendar months versus 48 months (non-calendar months
..and a few other small inconsistencies that passed through.

...which should get passed from the FAA to the T&I staffers when the next bill starts getting drafted. The FAA has a government affairs branch that specializes in working with Congress on stuff like this. Unfortunately FESSA didn't get a technical review from the FAA before it became law.
 
arnoha said:
Wait...this is a brand new form, but it already has #1 and #2 omitted?

Also, #9 (Anus) on the Physician's checklist must be examined by my reading. That'll be fun.
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And 14 and 15.Here's what the law specified regarding the form:

REQUIREMENTS.—The checklist shall contain—
(A) a section, for the individual to complete that contains—
(i) boxes 3 through 13 and boxes 16 through 19 of the Federal Aviation Administration Form 8500–8 (3–99); and
...
 
My doc has an interesting sense of humor... is wouldn't put it past him to add the note, "removed stick" on Line 9.
 
I'm looking at the "Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist" form that the doctor completes, and I don't see any instructions for the doctor other than the form itself.

So what, exactly, is the examining doctor supposed to do for the vision test?
  1. Vision:
    (distant, near, and intermediate vision, field of vision, color vision, and ocular alignment):
 
NoHeat said:
I'm looking at the "Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist" form that the doctor completes, and I don't see any instructions for the doctor other than the form itself.

So what, exactly, is the examining doctor supposed to do for the vision test?
  1. Vision:
    (distant, near, and intermediate vision, field of vision, color vision, and ocular alignment):
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That list sounds pretty familiar. On my Third Class tests, I can remember a test for each of those.
 
NoHeat said:
I'm looking at the "Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist" form that the doctor completes, and I don't see any instructions for the doctor other than the form itself.

So what, exactly, is the examining doctor supposed to do for the vision test?
  1. Vision:
    (distant, near, and intermediate vision, field of vision, color vision, and ocular alignment):
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use their clinical judgement. The who point of BasicMed is the FAA DOESN'T set the standards...the doc does that.
 
arnoha said:
It's part of the Third Class? I kept my pants on, so maybe the term "exam" doesn't mean what I think it does?
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I keep my pants on for a 1st class so there's no way I'd take them off for a lesser category medical especially something called "basicmed"
 
NJP_MAN said:
I keep my pants on for a 1st class so there's no way I'd take them off for a lesser category medical especially something called "basicmed"
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If we brought a loaded one of these to your exam, would that change your mind?

oQ6qJu.gif
 
Brad Z said:
use their clinical judgement. The who point of BasicMed is the FAA DOESN'T set the standards...the doc does that.
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Ok, that helps.

It just seems odd to ask a random doctor, not an eye doctor, to give a vision test beyond what can be done with a common chart on the wall.

Will they make a farce of it, maybe holding up some fingers and asking "how many fingers, and what color are they?" Or Will they just decline to do the test since it requires equipment they lack?
 
Actual question here: I was planning on going BasicMed next year when my Third expires.

Have I read correctly that if I do so, I will not be able to fly as Safety Pilot (which I do frequently) but I can progress to Commercial and CFI (which I'm planning to do)?

Sounds like I'm better off sticking with the Third for another cycle or two until the rules catch up.
 
Ravioli said:
Actual question here: I was planning on going BasicMed next year when my Third expires.

Have I read correctly that if I do so, I will not be able to fly as Safety Pilot (which I do frequently) but I can progress to Commercial and CFI (which I'm planning to do)?

Sounds like I'm better off sticking with the Third for another cycle or two until the rules catch up.
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You can fly as safety pilot using BasicMed as long as you and the PF agree that you are the acting PIC. So you have to be qualified to act as PIC, i.e. all necessary endorsements and currency requirements met, in order to act as safety pilot.
 
azure said:
You can fly as safety pilot using BasicMed as long as you and the PF agree that you are the acting PIC. So you have to be qualified to act as PIC, i.e. all necessary endorsements and currency requirements met, in order to act as safety pilot.
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Thanks for the clarification. Other than night, I fly enough to be current for passengers and have the endorsements needed for the club planes. So I think I can continue to the BasicMed.

Note to self... need more night flight :mad2:
 
I was able to complete my BasicMed medical exam a few minutes ago using the checklist provided by the FAA. My PCP got me in after scheduling an appointment yesterday (!!!) and used me as a test case to help the rest of the physicians in the office should they come across the exam in the future. He was surprised and laughed at some of the requirements on the list.

I inquired about the liability issue, and he said the physicians in his group don't worry about it. They do DOT physicals, etc. and just make sure the forms are filled out truthfully and accurately.

Now just waiting for May 1 to come along....
 
Ravioli said:
Thanks for the clarification. Other than night, I fly enough to be current for passengers and have the endorsements needed for the club planes. So I think I can continue to the BasicMed.

Note to self... need more night flight :mad2:
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Some rental agreements prohibit the PIC from sitting in the right seat. Something to check.
 
MassPilot said:
Some rental agreements prohibit the PIC from sitting in the right seat. Something to check.
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True that! And I asked early on while flying with the club president who is an lawyer specializing in insurance. (Good person to have on the board of a club, eh)

So I specifically asked about flying from the right seat and said some clubs prohibit that. He says "That's !@#$ stupid"

Your point to check the rulez is spot on.
 
MassPilot said:
It says the digital exam is at the request of the applicant. The BasicMed form specifically says no digital exam.
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Like I said, there is no exam REQUIRED by the FAA for a classed medical, UNLESS there is a reason based on medical history or as requested by the applicant.

BasicMed DOES require it, regardless of history or request.
 
Turningfinal said:
My PCP got me in after scheduling an appointment yesterday (!!!) and used me as a test case ...
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Thanks for that real-life report.

So what did your primary care physician do for the eye test? Did he just have you look at a chart on the wall? Did he have some books with color charts?
 
Turningfinal said:
I was able to complete my BasicMed medical exam a few minutes ago using the checklist provided by the FAA. My PCP got me in after scheduling an appointment yesterday (!!!) and used me as a test case to help the rest of the physicians in the office should they come across the exam in the future. He was surprised and laughed at some of the requirements on the list.

I inquired about the liability issue, and he said the physicians in his group don't worry about it. They do DOT physicals, etc. and just make sure the forms are filled out truthfully and accurately.

Now just waiting for May 1 to come along....
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Was Line #9 one of the items he laughed at?
 
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