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Class III vs Basic Med question

MacCool

Well Known Member
I have a Class III medical, but it comes with a Special Issuance for a minor issue that can easily be cleared with medication adjustment. I'd just as soon switch to Basic Med, but I'm not quite clear on what to do with the Special Issuance. Do I need to clear that up first? The FAA wants the Special Issuance issue (thyroid) addressed by my regular doctor every two years, so that and the class III renewal dates happen at the same time. Do I need to see my AME to get the SI lifted before going to my regular doctor for the Basic Med? Or do I just go ahead with the Class III and then switch to Basic Med after the SI is lifted (assuming it is)? Or are the SI and Basic Med two separate issues (can I get Basic Med with SI in place)?

(I'd ask my AME, but he's out of town for awhile).
 
Not an expert but my understanding is if the SI requires action from you before the 3rd class expires, you have to do that. Any SI conditions must be met until the 3rd class expires, otherwise the 3rd class becomes invalid and you can't go basicmed. But if all conditions are met you can let the Class III expire and switch to basicmed at that time.
 
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https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/basic_med/media/basicmed_faq.pdf

I could be wrong, but I don't think you need to do a thing...you could go straight to BasicMed now. Others correct me if I'm wrong...

https://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/ac_68-1a.pdf

General Requirements. In accordance with § 61.23(c)(3)(i)(B), persons operating under
BasicMed must hold or have held a valid medical certificate issued under part 67 at any
point after July 14, 2006. This medical may have been a first, second, or third-class
medical certificate, including any FAA medical certificate issued under an authorization
for special issuance (“special issuance medical certificate”).
 
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https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/basic_med/media/basicmed_faq.pdf

I could be wrong, but I don't think you need to do a thing...you could go straight to BasicMed now. Others correct me if I'm wrong...

https://www.faa.gov/documentlibrary/media/advisory_circular/ac_68-1a.pdf

I think it boils down to whether the conditions of the SI have been met -- if they haven't then the Class III isn't valid until they are. If the Class III isn't valid then you can't switch until it is. The easiest solution then is to comply with the SI so that the Class III is valid and then switch.
 
Hmmm...there's a whole section in the AC on *specific* conditions which require an SI, and thyroid isn't in there.

Also, if he had *any* medical certificate at any point after 2006, he can go straight to BasicMed now. As long as his current medical is not revoked or suspended, I see no reason why he can't now get BasicMed.
 
I think it boils down to whether the conditions of the SI have been met -- if they haven't then the Class III isn't valid until they are. If the Class III isn't valid then you can't switch until it is. The easiest solution then is to comply with the SI so that the Class III is valid and then switch.

I'm so glad I don't have to deal with this sort of stuff...but...

Isn't a Medical with SI valid *when the SI is issued*? I have no idea, I never had one, but it is called a "special issuance", after all. :) I have trouble thinking that the FAA would issue something called an issuance on the premise that you intend to come into compliance with it at a later date, but heck...it's the FAA, who knows?

If that's true, and let's assume that he never had a medical before this one, then the moment the medical + SI is issued to him, he could go BasicMed.
 
Class III vs basic med question

Basic med is separate from the FAA medical. There are only 3 conditions that must have a 3rd class or better and an SI to fly with and they are cardiac disease, loss of consciousness ( usually meaning neurological disease like stroke or seizure) and psychosis. If you don’t have any of those then it is between you and your own doctor to decide if you are able to fly with a physical every 4 years. Of course you must have a valid drivers license and meet any conditions required on it ( like wearing glasses), and complete the online test every 2 years. As stated above, you could get on Basic med now and just let the SI and 3rd class expire whenever. You just don’t reapply for a 3rd class as then you would have to meet the same requirements for the SI as before. For example, if you have low thyroid issues you have to have a blood test showing normal thyroid levels on medication to meet the SI requirements or you wouldn’t pass until they were back to normal. Of course it would be prudent to follow those same guidelines under basic med but it is up to you as opposed to the FAA to monitor it.

As an aside if you wanted to get back on 3rd class after the SI has expired, low thyroid treatment is a Condition your AME Can Issue (CACI) and you wouldn’t have to wait for another SI to be issued by the FAA.

T Lockard
 
Concur. What I was trying to say is exactly that— once you have the SI then you’re good to go. However, there’s no benefit to doing all the basic med stuff while the Class III is still valid. Waiting for it to expire is the most cost effective option in terms of time and money.
 
I have a class 1 and Basic med in the background. Just get basic med now and let the third class lapse. Done!
 
I have a class 1 and Basic med in the background. Just get basic med now and let the third class lapse. Done!

Yep. And remember, if you *ever* have a medical revoked or denied, you can't get BasicMed. So to the OP...stop poking the bear. You have a medical, now get BasicMed and never look back. Don't go asking your AME if he has to "lift" the SI (whatever that means), or if you have to get another Class III, or anything else.

You qualify for BasicMed...go to your PCP and have them fill out the form, do the on-line class, and say goodbye to your AME for good. :)
 
Just did my Class III yesterday…no issues except that it required a statement from my regular physician regarding the underlying medical condition for which the special issuance was issued (thyroid). That SI is in effect until 2026 and requires a statement from my doctor every two years, which is the same interval for my Class III (so, no real inconvenience…I just have to tell him what to write in my record).

I did talk to my family practitioner (a friend and partner)) about Basic Med, and he said he’d never done that but is fine with it. I also talked to my AME (also a friend and partner) and he was very discouraging about Basic Med. His basis was an FAA seminar that he attended which contained dire liability warnings for both the Basic Med doctor and to the pilot requesting that. I gather that’s a fairly common attitude by the FAA in general and AMEs in particular. My reading had suggested that as an AME, that would likely be his response to the Basic Med question. It appears that the FAA hates it when Congress inserts itself directly into aviation matters. I do plan to go the Basic Med route…I’m just tying to figure out a way to keep my AME buddy from finding out that I did that… :D
 
I also talked to my AME (also a friend and partner) and he was very discouraging about Basic Med. His basis was an FAA seminar that he attended which contained dire liability warnings for both the Basic Med doctor and to the pilot requesting that. I gather that’s a fairly common attitude by the FAA in general and AMEs in particular.

I think this is right, based on my own experiences of having a couple different AME's more or less shake their fists and proclaim that airplanes would soon be raining from the sky due to this BasicMed foolishness. (their opinion, not mine!)
 
My AME was also my Primary Care Physician - he gave me my first Basic Med exam without any qualms. A year later he retired and I had to find a new PCP. I asked her about doing a basic med exam and she said that she had not done one, but does physicals for various commercial drivers licenses and other professions and didn't see much difference, so sure, she'll do it. It's coming up next year.
The sport pilots have been flying with the equivalent of basic med for years with no problems.
 
Asking an AME their opinion on basic med is like asking the fox if the hen house should be guarded…
To the OP: since you live close to Canada, you know that Transport Canada won’t accept Basic Med, right?
 
Just did my Class III yesterday…no issues except that it required a statement from my regular physician regarding the underlying medical condition for which the special issuance was issued (thyroid). That SI is in effect until 2026 and requires a statement from my doctor every two years, which is the same interval for my Class III (so, no real inconvenience…I just have to tell him what to write in my record).

I did talk to my family practitioner (a friend and partner)) about Basic Med, and he said he’d never done that but is fine with it. I also talked to my AME (also a friend and partner) and he was very discouraging about Basic Med. His basis was an FAA seminar that he attended which contained dire liability warnings for both the Basic Med doctor and to the pilot requesting that. I gather that’s a fairly common attitude by the FAA in general and AMEs in particular. My reading had suggested that as an AME, that would likely be his response to the Basic Med question. It appears that the FAA hates it when Congress inserts itself directly into aviation matters. I do plan to go the Basic Med route…I’m just tying to figure out a way to keep my AME buddy from finding out that I did that… :D

Doctors sign off on millions of truck and bus drivers every year. Exam and paperwork is very similar to badic med. Do they believe that a school bus driver crashing with kids on board is less liability than a plane falling out of the sky? I think not.
 
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I also talked to my AME (also a friend and partner) and he was very discouraging about Basic Med. His basis was an FAA seminar that he attended which contained dire liability warnings for both the Basic Med doctor and to the pilot requesting that. I gather that’s a fairly common attitude by the FAA in general and AMEs in particular. My reading had suggested that as an AME, that would likely be his response to the Basic Med question.

The last two times I went to my AME (a Senior AME) for a 3rd Class medical, I also brought the paperwork for BasicMed with me and he happily issued the 3rd Class medical and signed the paperwork for BasicMed at the same visit. So I hold both simultaneously. I like to have options, like the ability to fly into Canada requiring a 3rd Class, or have BasicMed last an additional 2 years past the 3rd Class expiration date (with the on-line course taken every two years, of course).
 
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Asking an AME their opinion on basic med is like asking the fox if the hen house should be guarded…
To the OP: since you live close to Canada, you know that Transport Canada won’t accept Basic Med, right?

Thanks, yes I knew that. Can’t think of a reason I’d want to fly to Canada unless I owned a float plane (I don’t) and was running short of walleye filets (I’m not) ;)
 
Doctors sign off on millions of truck and bus drivers every year. Exam and paperwork is very similar to badic med. Do they believe that a school bus driver crashing with kids on board is less liability than a plane falling out of the sky? I think not.

CDL’s are routine for those primary care doctors, “aviation physicals” are not. They’re plenty busy as it is….they have no reason, nor do they have the time, to step outside their comfort zone.
 
DOT

Doctors sign off on millions of truck and bus drivers every year. Exam and paperwork is very similar to badic med. Do they believe that a school bus driver crashing with kids on board is less liability than a plane falling out of the sky? I think not.

I hold a Class A CDL with all endorsements. I still drive. Some years, I had to get three physicals within a week or two. Of course, all different doctors, appointments, offices and sometimes cities. Major pain in the rear. Basic Med was a dream come true. One less physical. My GP gave me an annual and was happy to fill out the Basic Med. I may drop my CDL next year. Sick of the physicals. Pun intended.
 
The last two times I went to my AME (a Senior AME) for a 3rd Class medical, I also brought the paperwork for BasicMed with me and he happily issued the 3rd Class medical and signed the paperwork for BasicMed at the same visit. So I hold both simultaneously. I like to have options, like the ability to fly into Canada requiring a 3rd Class, or have BasicMed last an additional 2 years past the 3rd Class expiration date (with the on-line course taken every two years, of course).

I plan on doing the same, although I have no reason to go to Canada. Now that I have my Class III again, I’ll get the Basic Med (a mere paperwork exercise) and have both available to me. At my age (pretty old but not THAT old), I like to have options.
 
Do they believe that a school bus driver crashing with kids on board is less liability than a plane falling out of the sky? I think not.

In the US civil justice system, absolutely. Kill the same person with a car, airplane, or nuclear reactor accident. That person’s life was worth $100K, $1 M, $10M, respectively.
 
Doctors sign off on millions of truck and bus drivers every year. Exam and paperwork is very similar to badic med. Do they believe that a school bus driver crashing with kids on board is less liability than a plane falling out of the sky? I think not.

Not exactly an apples-to-apples comparision. Most physicians don’t do DOT physicals either, for many of the same reasons. Unlike Basic Med however, which is physicians only, a DOT physical can be done by MDs, DOs, PAs, Nurse Practitioners…even chiropractors for goodness’ sake, and they all have to be certified by their state specifically to do them. The vast majority of physicians don’t bother with DOT physicals because doing those exams is more hassle than it’s worth — it doesn’t pay well, it adds a substantial paperwork burden to the patient visits, they simply don’t have the time. Additionally, the demand for DOT physicals absolutely dwarfs those seeking Basic Med. And finally, with the current liability climate as well as various medical organizations, and even the FAA, predicting liability catastrophe for Basic Med doctors and pilots…the vast majority of physicians view Basic Med a potential liability trap as well as unproductive use of their time, and something that they can’t offload to their Nurse Practitioners.
 
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Not exactly an apples-to-apples comparision. Most physicians don’t do DOT physicals either, for many of the same reasons. Unlike Basic Med however, which is physicians only, a DOT physical can be done by MDs, DOs, PAs, Nurse Practitioners…even chiropractors for goodness’ sake, and they all have to be certified by their state specifically to do them. The vast majority of physicians don’t bother with DOT physicals because doing those exams is more hassle than it’s worth — it doesn’t pay well, it adds a substantial paperwork burden to the patient visits, they simply don’t have the time. Additionally, the demand for DOT physicals absolutely dwarfs those seeking Basic Med. And finally, with the current liability climate as well as various medical organizations, and even the FAA, predicting liability catastrophe for Basic Med doctors and pilots…the vast majority of physicians view Basic Med a potential liability trap as well as unproductive use of their time, and something that they can’t offload to their Nurse Practitioners.

I wasn't suggesting it was a good use of time, only that the liability issue was the same or similar between DOT and basic med sign off's. Based upon Bob's post, maybe it isn't, but not sure that I buy it. I just can't see a bus driver crashing and killing kids is any less liability than than a pilot crashing an airplane, relative to operator health issues that could be linked to cause. Yes, juries love to punish aircraft manufacturers, but they also are very sensitive to harming children. No desire to debate it, just an opinion.

While the doc may be able to hand off the exam to a PA, I am pretty confident that it is his signature on the docs and when the stuff hits the fan, it will be him/her named on the lawsuit, not the PA. Maybe they think it terms of truck drivers, where the liability may be similar to an auto accident and I do agree with bob that this is way less liability than airplanes. Bus drivers are a different animal IMHO, especially school bus drivers. There is simply a greater duty of care involved in the transportation of passengers than there is for protecting others on the road, which has an inherent assumption of danger.

Larry
 
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I must be super lucky, then, because I got BasicMed when it first came out, through my PCP, and all she wanted was to review the instructions from the FAA before signing off. And she's part of one of those very large healthcare systems, as well, so the thinking that "they" don't allow them clearly doesn't always hold. By the time I went back for the next year's annual check-up, "FAA" was added to the list of small ($10) additional charges listed on a sheet at the check-in desk, alongside school sports forms, DOT paperwork, etc. At 4 years renewal, she didn't even bat an eye, just signed it off then and there for me after my check-up.

Total out-of-pocket expenses: $2.50/year :). Hassle: zero.

Dunno where you guys are finding all these namby-pampy docs who won't sign (other than the AMEs, who are clearly protecting turf and their wallets).
 
MDs and DO’s are licensed physicians in all states. Nurse Practitioners, PAs, and chiropractors are not physicians in any state.

Strong agree here. I have basic med. Used a Class 3 for years, but since I turned over 40, easier for BasicMed. I use my PCP (M.D.) for this, he does it with my normal physical.

A lot of primary care is staffed with NP/PAs, so please make sure who is doing your BasicMed has the proper credentials.
 
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