Guys, where do you carry your medical cert?

inav8r

inav8r

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Mike B.
I assume that most of you keep your plastic pilots certificate in your wallet, but what about your medical? How well will they hold up?

I used to (still do) keep my medical certificate in my log book (because as a student I had to have both when flying), but now that I don't have to carry my log book with me (and it's safer not to) I'm up in arms about where to carry it.

I have my temporary airman's certificate folded nicely in my wallet, but it only has to survive 4 months - whereas my medical has 2 more years it needs to last and I'm curious of the paper they're printed on will last that long in a wallet.
 
Mine's in the wallet underneath the pilot's certificate. Seems to do fine. But then I don't swim with my wallet.:D It's not like you get it out very often.
 
I keep both my license and my medical in a compartment in my flight bag. The only time I need them is when I'm flying and I always take my flight bag.
 
Anthony said:
I keep both my license and my medical in a compartment in my flight bag. The only time I need them is when I'm flying and I always take my flight bag.
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I carry mine in my wallet, next to my pilot's certificate. There have been times when I've gotten a chance to fly when I don't have the rest of my flying stuff (bag etc) with me, especially out of town.
 
I made a pocket by taping a piece of paper into my logbook. That holds my medical.
 
Mine's in my wallet under my pilots certificate. It holds up just fine, but then I do get a new one every year...
 
NickDBrennan said:
I made a pocket by taping a piece of paper into my logbook. That holds my medical.
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I recommend against this for a number of reasons. First, it's easier to lose than if it's in your pocket. Second, it means your log is also more susceptible to loss than if it's safely secured at home. Third, it means your logbook always flies with you, and that's not something you want the inspector to get hold of on a ramp check. Mine goes in my wallet with my pilot and CFI tickets and FCC RRTO license, and my log book has stayed home except for practical tests ever since I got my private (had to have it along on Student XC rides).
 
Anthony said:
I keep both my license and my medical in a compartment in my flight bag. The only time I need them is when I'm flying and I always take my flight bag.
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I used to do that as well, Anthony. Trouble is that my flight bag (and it's a small one) won't fit in the R22. So my medical now lives with my pilot cert.
 
RotaryWingBob said:
I used to do that as well, Anthony. Trouble is that my flight bag (and it's a small one) won't fit in the R22. So my medical now lives with my pilot cert.
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Really? Wow that is small. Where do you keep the crew chief, door gunner and co-pilot? :)
 
Ron Levy said:
I recommend against this for a number of reasons. First, it's easier to lose than if it's in your pocket. Second, it means your log is also more susceptible to loss than if it's safely secured at home. Third, it means your logbook always flies with you, and that's not something you want the inspector to get hold of on a ramp check. Mine goes in my wallet with my pilot and CFI tickets and FCC RRTO license, and my log book has stayed home except for practical tests ever since I got my private (had to have it along on Student XC rides).
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Wow - I never thought of that. Also, My logbook is getting pretty beat up from the travelling.

But everything I have in my wallet gets destroyed to almost unreadable (a fat behind pushes a lot of pressure on a wallet :) ).

Now I'll have to follow this thread to find a suitable replacement technique. Maybe one of those fancy License/Medical wallets from Sportys??
 
My medical is in a little clear pouch with my kneeboard. I don't always wear it, but it's always with me when I fly. My license is in my wallet. I used to keep it in my flight bag, but I wouldn't always want to carry the bag around with me. On occasion, I will toss everything into my headset bag as soon as I take my headset out.
 
NickDBrennan said:
But everything I have in my wallet gets destroyed to almost unreadable
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Fold it up and keep it in the same part of your wallet with your nice credit card-style pilot certificate -- that should help protect it. 'Course, mine only has to last 12 months, but once you start flying for money, you'll be in the same boat.
 
Cathy won a Sporty's gift certificate at the 2004 AOPA Open House and used it to get me some cool gadgets for Father's Day that we wouldn't have spent cash for. One of the things she got me was the fancy AOPA wallet with the removable ID holder. The inside of it is sized to hold the medical, and the outside holds my pilots certificate on one side, and driver's license on the other. After seeing how handy it is, I wouldn't hesitate to pay cash for the wallet. It's really quite a nice one.
 
Folded in 1/2 in my wallet right next to the emergency cash I'm not supposed to know is there.
 
Right with all my other ID's. Just fold it up and put it in. Like others have mentioned you may get a chance to fly at the oddest of times.

Rob
 
Ron Levy said:
I recommend against this for a number of reasons. First, it's easier to lose than if it's in your pocket. Second, it means your log is also more susceptible to loss than if it's safely secured at home. Third, it means your logbook always flies with you, and that's not something you want the inspector to get hold of on a ramp check. Mine goes in my wallet with my pilot and CFI tickets and FCC RRTO license, and my log book has stayed home except for practical tests ever since I got my private (had to have it along on Student XC rides).
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Ron,
I still fly with my log book, would you explain why this is not a good idea. And why not let the inspector see it?
 
robsingles said:
Right with all my other ID's. Just fold it up and put it in. Like others have mentioned you may get a chance to fly at the oddest of times.

Rob
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Oh I'm going to hate myself in the morning, but....

You could laminate your medical certificate.
 
CFIse said:
Oh I'm going to hate myself in the morning, but....

You could laminate your medical certificate.
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I do it in a minute if they were wallet size. How do you work it out?
 
My pilot certificate is in the place of honor behind the clear window in my wallet. The medical gets folded as required and slid in behind the certificate.
 
inav8r said:
I assume that most of you keep your plastic pilots certificate in your wallet, but what about your medical? How well will they hold up?

I used to (still do) keep my medical certificate in my log book (because as a student I had to have both when flying), but now that I don't have to carry my log book with me (and it's safer not to) I'm up in arms about where to carry it.

I have my temporary airman's certificate folded nicely in my wallet, but it only has to survive 4 months - whereas my medical has 2 more years it needs to last and I'm curious of the paper they're printed on will last that long in a wallet.
Click to expand...

I carry my log with me, so the med cert, and my old paper PPL is taped inside the front cover, along with my insurance card.

I'v done it that way for a very long time and have never been asked for it just because an inspector saw it.
 
Mine is in my wallet folded around my still paper certificate.
 
I've kept my medical in an envelope taped inside my logbook. That, I keep in my flightbag.
Photocopies of the logbook, medical, and pilots license are at work, a friends house, and my safe.
So... If I don't carry the logbook with me, and I get rampchecked, what is the downside of not providing the current log or a copy? Will the FAA give me a deadline for showing up with it or would a copy suffice?
 
Paper cert, medical and color vision soda are in my wallet. The plane is parked less than 20 minutes from the office. If I were to ever take a lunch break, in theory, I could go fly my plane. Radio operators license is in my flight bag. If I were to go for an international trip I'd have to go home to get my passport anyway.

Len
 
I don't have a wallet. I had one for a whole 2 weeks in HS before I threw it out. Never could stand the thing and I don't like junk in my pockets anyway. I picked up a two window leather license holder from sportys way long ago. Radio operator license is right behind the paper certificate. Medical is on the other side behind the credit card and emergency cash.

In the summers I use to just leave it in the plane on the farm so I wouldn't have to bother going back to the house if I wanted to go somewhere besides around the hill. Keys were on top of the panel. Door was always unlocked. No hangar door at all. Entire runway on the other side of the valley out of sight and completely unattended for days on end. That was way back when people had integrity and were honest and you could do such sensible things but that's a whole 'nother thread.

Logbook stays home unless I need it for BFR's and such. Any unnecessary clutter stays home too.
 
lancefisher said:
I carry mine in my wallet, next to my pilot's certificate. There have been times when I've gotten a chance to fly when I don't have the rest of my flying stuff (bag etc) with me, especially out of town.
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Ditto, but mine is sandwiched between the pilot certificate and the flight instructor certificate. Ditto, too, on the out of town and no flight bag. As an example of why I keep it in the wallet, not the flight bag, last summer I spent three weeks in Touele, UT. Last thing I expected to do while in Touele was fly, much less fly and flight instruct. The second Saturday that I was in town I wandered out to what I was led to believe was a totally dead airport, only to find ~10 aircraft and ~25 people on the ramp. A flying club from Salt Lake City was holding a poker run with Touele as the first stop. Someone offered to take me along to the next 4 stops and then run me back to Touele after the barbecue lunch. At the end I offered the pilot a BFR in exchange for the day's fun and flying (beside, that way I got another day of flying), something I couldn't have done it if my certificates were in my flight bag in Pennsylvania.
 
Medical ,do you need one of those? anyhow mine is in my wallet and folded in half and laminated with plastic seems to work well but then i've never been rampchecked. Dave G.
 
I purchased an insert for DayTimer Notebooks (5.5x8.5, 7 hole punch) and keep in my Jeppesen Book#1. My Jepps are kept in my flight case so I'm always good to go.

I keep my FAA Certificates, current Medical Certificate, and some credit cards. The insert is designed to carry credit card-sized material.
 
Touele, interesting place to spend three weeks. If you know how to pronounce it you probably know too much.:D I've stopped for gas, convenient location just outside the cls b.
 
ejensen said:
I do it in a minute if they were wallet size. How do you work it out?
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I guess I've never seen it as a problem to laminate it and then fold it. I can see if you used the thick kind of laminate that doesn't bend, but the stuff I've always used either goes through a small machine to be heated or is just sticky plastic you can buy at an office supply store.
 
Ron Levy said:
Third, it means your logbook always flies with you, and that's not something you want the inspector to get hold of on a ramp check. QUOTE]


Why? My log book is complete and accurate. What's wrong with having an inspector look at it in the unlikely event of a ramp check?

:confused:
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mattaxelrod said:
Why? My log book is complete and accurate. What's wrong with having an inspector look at it in the unlikely event of a ramp check?

:confused:
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You may be 100% sure that it's accurate and complete. But it's not what you think, it's what the FAA thinks. Anything that's not REQUIRED to be on my person / in the plane stays home. The less they know, the better.

"Goot day Herr Axelrod, vee are here to help." - Yeah, right.
 
Not a guy but I will answer anyway.

I keep my certificate and medical in my wallet.
 
My wallet has a removable "ID Jacket" - a folding leather insert with two windowed pockets. My drivers licence and soc. sec. card are in one, and my pilots licence and medical are in the other.
 
mattaxelrod said:
Ron Levy said:
Third, it means your logbook always flies with you, and that's not something you want the inspector to get hold of on a ramp check. QUOTE]


Why? My log book is complete and accurate. What's wrong with having an inspector look at it in the unlikely event of a ramp check?

:confused:
Click to expand...

There are other considerations to having your logbook always travel with you. If you have your car broken into, and your flight bag stolen, bye bye all the endorsements, etc that are in it. And a duplicate medical is needed too if you have them all together.

I also stopped carrying my medical in my log book when I had several chances to go up, and did not have my flight bag, with required paperwork, with me. Now the ramp pass in my wallet has my driver's lic, pilot certificate and medical in one handy place. Good to go.

My log book still resides in my flight bag, despite CFI admonition to the contrary. However, I photocopy each new page and place them in an archive in a safe. So I have a backup.

Jim G
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CFIse said:
I guess I've never seen it as a problem to laminate it and then fold it. I can see if you used the thick kind of laminate that doesn't bend, but the stuff I've always used either goes through a small machine to be heated or is just sticky plastic you can buy at an office supply store.
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Thanks. We laminate a lot at the office but even the lighest we use doesn't fold too well. I'll keep my eyes out.
 
mattaxelrod said:
Ooh, that was creepy. :eek: OK, I'm convinced.
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You should be even more scared since you live in Jersey. :)
 
I don't think it's an "illegal copy". It's just illegal to fly if you fail to take your flight bag (with the real medical in it) on the flight.
 
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