2.2 Flight Reviews, Recency & Medical Certification

Flight Reviews, Recency & Medical Certification

Maintaining operational airman currency requires an in-depth understanding of 14 CFR Part 61 medical durations, flight review standards, and passenger-carrying recency. Advanced ground instructors must ensure that pilots not only understand how long their credentials remain valid, but also recognize how operational privileges transition over time.

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Medical Certificate Classes and Privilege Degradation (14 CFR 61.23)

The Federal Aviation Administration issues three classes of airman medical certificates under 14 CFR Part 67. The validity period of an airman's medical certificate depends upon two regulatory variables:

1. The airman's age on the date of the medical examination (under age 40 vs. age 40 and older).
2. The specific operational privilege being exercised.

All FAA medical certificates expire at midnight on the last day of the calendar month in which the duration period concludes.

1. First-Class Medical Certificate

A First-Class medical certificate is required when exercising the pilot-in-command privileges of an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate (and second-in-command privileges in flag or supplemental operations requiring three or more pilots):

• Age Under 40: Valid for 12 calendar months for ATP operations.
• Age 40 and Older: Valid for 6 calendar months for ATP operations.

2. Second-Class Medical Certificate

A Second-Class medical certificate is required when exercising the privileges of a Commercial Pilot Certificate for compensation or hire (e.g., pipeline patrol, aerial photography, Part 135 on-demand charter), or ATP second-in-command privileges outside the three-pilot flag and supplemental operations noted above. (Commercial balloon pilots giving flight training are an exception.)

• All Ages: Valid for 12 calendar months regardless of whether the pilot is under or over 40 years of age.

3. Third-Class Medical Certificate

A Third-Class medical certificate is required when exercising the privileges of a Private Pilot, Recreational Pilot, Student Pilot, or when acting as pilot in command while providing flight instruction as a Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI):

• Age Under 40: Valid for 60 calendar months (5 years).
• Age 40 and Older: Valid for 24 calendar months (2 years).

The Mechanism of Privilege Degradation

When a medical certificate's duration for a higher operational privilege expires, the physical certificate remains valid for lower privileges until its overall duration lapses. It "steps down" automatically:

Realistic Scenario: Medical Degradation Timeline

Captain Smith, age 45, undergoes a First-Class medical examination on March 15, 2026:

• ATP Privileges: Valid through September 30, 2026 (6 calendar months).
• Commercial Pilot Privileges: Valid through March 31, 2027 (12 calendar months).
• Private Pilot and Flight Instructor Privileges: Valid through March 31, 2028 (24 calendar months).

If Captain Smith does not renew his First-Class physical by October 1, 2026, he may no longer captain an airliner under Part 121, but he remains fully qualified to fly commercial pipeline patrols under Part 91 through March 31, 2027, and instruct private students through March 31, 2028.

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BasicMed Operations (14 CFR Part 68 & AC 68-1A)

Enacted under the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 and expanded by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, BasicMed provides an alternative pathway for general aviation pilots to operate without holding an FAA medical certificate.

Initial Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for BasicMed, an airman must:

1. Hold a valid, current U.S. driver's license.
2. Have held an FAA medical certificate (regular or special issuance) at any time after July 14, 2006, that was not subsequently revoked, suspended, or denied.
3. Complete a one-time FAA Special Issuance medical if diagnosed with specific cardiovascular conditions (e.g., myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, heart valve replacement), neurological conditions (e.g., epilepsy, unexplained disturbance of consciousness), or psychiatric disorders (e.g., bipolar disease, psychosis).

Recurring Requirements

• Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist (CMEC): The pilot must undergo a physical examination by a state-licensed physician using the FAA CMEC form (FAA Form 8700-2) within the preceding 48 calendar months (the November 2024 rule changed this period from exact days to calendar months).
• Online Medical Education Course: The pilot must complete an FAA-approved online medical course (e.g., AOPA or Mayo Clinic) and retain the completion certificate in their logbook every 24 calendar months.

BasicMed Operating Limitations

Pilots operating under BasicMed are subject to strict aircraft and operational ceilings:

• Aircraft Occupants: Aircraft authorized to carry no more than 7 occupants, flown with no more than 6 passengers aboard.
• Maximum Takeoff Weight: No more than 12,500 pounds maximum takeoff weight, excluding transport category rotorcraft. These limits took effect November 2024 under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024; older material showing 6 occupants and 6,000 pounds is out of date.
• Altitude Ceiling: Operating at or below 18,000 feet MSL.
• Airspeed Limit: Maximum indicated airspeed of 250 knots (KIAS).
• Geographic Restrictions: Operations within the United States (unless specifically authorized by foreign civil aviation authorities such as the Bahamas or Mexico).
• Compensation: Cannot operate for compensation or hire (except that flight instructors may receive compensation for giving instruction under BasicMed, provided the aircraft meets BasicMed criteria).

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The Biennial Flight Review (14 CFR 61.56)

Under 14 CFR 61.56, no person may act as pilot in command of an aircraft unless, within the preceding 24 calendar months, that person has accomplished a flight review in an aircraft for which that pilot is rated, and received a logbook endorsement certifying satisfactory completion.

Required Structure of the Flight Review

A flight review consists of a minimum of:

• 1 hour of ground instruction: Must include a review of the current general operating and flight rules of 14 CFR Part 91.
• 1 hour of flight training: Must include a review of maneuvers and procedures that, in the discretion of the authorized instructor, are necessary for the pilot to demonstrate the safe exercise of pilot certificate privileges.

Unsatisfactory Performance: The "No Failure" Rule

A flight review is not a practical test. An instructor cannot fail a pilot on a flight review. If the pilot demonstrates unsatisfactory performance, the instructor logs the session strictly as dual flight instruction received under 14 CFR 61.51. The instructor does not make any negative notation regarding the flight review. The pilot simply cannot act as PIC once their existing 24-calendar-month window lapses, until additional instruction is completed and a satisfactory endorsement is earned.

Regulatory Substitutions and Exemptions

A pilot is exempt from the flight review requirement if, within the preceding 24 calendar months, they have:

• Passed a pilot proficiency check or practical test conducted by an examiner, an approved pilot check airman, or a U.S. Armed Force for a pilot certificate, rating, or operating privilege (61.56(d)(1)).
• Passed a practical test for a flight instructor certificate, an added flight instructor rating, 61.197(b)(1) recent experience, or 61.199 reinstatement (61.56(d)(2)).
• Completed one or more phases of the FAA-sponsored WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program (61.56(e)).

Two partial substitutions also exist. A flight instructor who met a 61.197 recent-experience requirement (or reinstated privileges through a FIRC) within the period may skip the 1 hour of ground training, but not the flight training (61.56(f)). Glider pilots may substitute three instructional flights, each to traffic pattern altitude, for the 1 hour of flight training (61.56(b)).

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Recent Flight Experience: Currency Mandates (14 CFR 61.57)

Holding a valid medical certificate and a flight review permits an airman to act as PIC solo. However, carrying passengers requires compliance with 14 CFR 61.57.

1. Day Passenger Currency (14 CFR 61.57(a))

Within the preceding 90 days, the pilot must have made at least 3 takeoffs and 3 landings as the sole manipulator of the flight controls in an aircraft of the same category, class, and type (if a class or type rating is required).

• In a tricycle gear airplane, landings may be touch-and-go or to a full stop.
• If the aircraft is a tailwheel airplane, the 3 takeoffs and landings must be completed to a full stop.

2. Night Passenger Currency (14 CFR 61.57(b))

To carry passengers between 1 hour after sunset and 1 hour before sunrise, a pilot must, within the preceding 90 days, have completed at least 3 takeoffs and 3 landings to a full stop during that exact period (1 hour after sunset to 1 hour before sunrise) in the same category, class, and type (if type rating required).

Clarifying the Three Legal Definitions of "Night"

Candidates frequently confuse the three distinct Federal Aviation Regulations defining nighttime: