AME Aviation Medical Standards & Regulations 2 — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Under 14 CFR Part 67, which class of medical certificate is required for a student pilot operating solo?

First-Class
Second-Class
Third-Class (Correct answer)
No medical certificate required

Correct answer: Third-Class

A Third-Class medical certificate is the minimum required for a student pilot to fly solo under 14 CFR 67.1 and 61.23.

14 CFR 61.23 specifies that student pilots must hold at least a Third-Class medical certificate to exercise student pilot privileges, including solo flight. First-Class is required for ATP, Second-Class for commercial operations, and Third-Class satisfies private and student pilot requirements. Some sport pilots may use a driver's license instead, but that is a separate category outside the traditional medical certificate framework.

Question 2: What is the maximum duration of a Second-Class medical certificate for an airman who is 39 years old?

6 months
12 months (Correct answer)
24 months
36 months

Correct answer: 12 months

A Second-Class medical certificate for an airman under 40 years of age is valid for 12 calendar months under 14 CFR 61.23.

Per 14 CFR 61.23(d)(2), a Second-Class medical certificate issued to a person under 40 is valid for 12 calendar months. Once the holder reaches age 40, subsequent Second-Class certificates are also valid for 12 months. When a Second-Class expires it downgrades to Third-Class privileges for the remaining valid period.

Question 3: Which FAA regulation governs the medical standards and certification of airmen?

14 CFR Part 61
14 CFR Part 67 (Correct answer)
14 CFR Part 91
14 CFR Part 121

Correct answer: 14 CFR Part 67

14 CFR Part 67 establishes the medical standards and certification requirements for airmen, including the criteria for First-, Second-, and Third-Class certificates.

14 CFR Part 67 (Medical Standards and Certification) sets out the physical and mental standards required for each class of medical certificate. It covers vision, ear/nose/throat, mental, neurological, cardiovascular, and general medical standards. Part 61 covers pilot certification, Part 91 covers general operating rules, and Part 121 covers air carrier operations.

Question 4: An AME discovers a condition during an examination that the applicant did not disclose on Form 8500-8. What is the AME's obligation?

Issue the certificate and note it in the file
Defer the case to the FAA AMCD
Deny issuance and forward findings to the FAA (Correct answer)
Ask the applicant to amend the form and proceed

Correct answer: Deny issuance and forward findings to the FAA

When an undisclosed condition is discovered, the AME must deny issuance and report the findings to the FAA, as nondisclosure by an applicant is a serious regulatory violation.

AMEs are required to accurately document all examination findings and are obligated to deny issuance when a disqualifying condition is found, especially one that was not disclosed. Intentional falsification of FAA Form 8500-8 is a federal offense under 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 49 U.S.C. 46306. The AME must forward the completed form with findings to the FAA Aerospace Medical Certification Division (AMCD) so that appropriate enforcement and review action can occur.

Question 5: Under the special issuance (Authorization) process, who has the authority to grant a medical certificate to an airman with a potentially disqualifying condition?

The AME
The Regional Flight Surgeon
The FAA Federal Air Surgeon or designee (Correct answer)
The NTSB Medical Officer

Correct answer: The FAA Federal Air Surgeon or designee

Only the FAA Federal Air Surgeon (or an authorized designee) can grant a special issuance authorization for an applicant with a condition that does not meet standard criteria.

14 CFR 67.401 grants the Federal Air Surgeon authority to issue a special issuance (Authorization) for an airman who does not meet the established medical standards if the condition is not likely to affect flight safety. AMEs cannot grant special issuances on their own; they may issue under an AASI (AME Assisted Special Issuance) only after the Federal Air Surgeon has first established an Authorization that delegates re-issuance authority to AMEs meeting specific criteria.

Question 6: What color vision standard must a First-Class medical applicant meet?

Ability to perceive colors necessary for safe performance of duties (Correct answer)
20/20 corrected visual acuity in both eyes
No color vision deficiency of any type
Ability to distinguish aviation red, green, and white lights only

Correct answer: Ability to perceive colors necessary for safe performance of duties

14 CFR 67.103(b) requires First-Class applicants to perceive those colors necessary for the safe performance of airman duties, not necessarily perfect color vision by standard pseudoisochromatic plate tests.

The FAA's color vision standard for all certificate classes is that the applicant must be able to perceive those colors necessary for safe performance of duties. Applicants who fail standard color vision tests such as Ishihara plates may still qualify by passing alternative tests such as the Farnsworth Lantern (FALANT) or the Optec 900, which more closely simulate the operational color recognition task of distinguishing signal lights.

AME Aviation Medical Standards & Regulations 2

Under 14 CFR Part 67, which class of medical certificate is required for a student pilot operating solo?