Medical & currency

First & second class

Definition

The two higher medical classes go with the two higher pilot certificates: • First class — required to exercise ATP (airline transport pilot) privileges. Valid 12 calendar months, or 6 if you were 40 or older at the exam. • Second class — required to exercise commercial (for-hire) privileges. Valid 12 calendar months at any age. A higher class also 'steps down': after its top privileges expire it keeps working as the class below for the rest of the period.

Explanation

Think of the class as buying a privilege level. A first-class medical is needed to act as an airline captain; a second-class to fly commercially for hire. The step-down is handy: a first-class medical, once its 6- or 12-month first-class window closes, still serves as a second-class, then a third-class medical for the remainder of those longer periods — all measured from the exam date.

Class	Required for	Duration
First	ATP privileges	12 mo · 6 mo at 40+
Second	Commercial (for hire)	12 months

Why it matters

Matching the class to the privilege keeps you legal: fly for hire on at least a second class, exercise ATP privileges on a first. As a private pilot you rarely need these — but you must know which certificate each buys.

A DPE might ask

Which medical class is required to exercise commercial privileges? ATP privileges?
How does a higher-class medical 'step down' over time?

14 CFR 61.23 — Medical certificates: requirement & duration

Third class (the PPL minimum)

Definition

A private pilot needs at least a third-class medical. • Required for private, recreational, and student pilot privileges, and for a flight instructor giving training (sport pilots may instead use a valid US driver's license). • Valid 60 calendar months if you were under 40 at the exam, or 24 calendar months if you were 40 or older.

Explanation

'Calendar month' matters: the medical is valid through the last day of the month it expires in, not the exact date. And the clock is set by your age at the exam — turn 40 the day after a third-class exam and it's still good for the full 60 months.

Third class	Detail
Required for Minimum required for PPL	Private, recreational, student, CFI training
Valid — under 40 at exam	60 calendar months
Valid — 40 or older at exam	24 calendar months

Why it matters

Flying with an expired medical is an easy, avoidable violation — and the age-40 rule catches people off guard. Knowing your exact expiration keeps you legal and insurable.

Common error

A common mistake is thinking a third-class medical always lasts five years. It's 60 calendar months only if you were under 40 at the exam; at 40 or older it's 24 calendar months. The age is fixed at the exam date — turning 40 later doesn't shorten a medical already issued.

You get a third-class medical at age 41. How long is it valid?

From the Right Seat

I have students write their medical and flight-review expiration dates on the same card they keep with their certificate — two dates, checked together, and you never get surprised.

A DPE might ask

How long is a third-class medical valid, and what changes at age 40?
Which pilot privileges does a third-class medical cover?

14 CFR 61.23 — Third-class medical: privileges & duration

BasicMed

Definition

BasicMed is an alternative to a third-class medical for many private flights, so you don't have to keep renewing an FAA medical. • You must have held an FAA medical at any time after July 15, 2006. • A state-licensed physician completes a checklist exam (CMEC) every 48 months. • You complete a BasicMed online medical course every 24 calendar months, and hold a valid US driver's license. Limits: aircraft up to 6,000 lb and 6 occupants, at or below 18,000 ft MSL and 250 knots, and never for compensation or hire.

Explanation

BasicMed trades the recurring FAA medical exam for a physician checklist every four years plus an online course every two. The operating limits are the catch to remember: 6,000 pounds, six occupants (five passengers), 18,000 feet, 250 knots, and not for hire. Inside those limits a private pilot can fly on BasicMed instead of a third-class medical.

BasicMed	Detail
Prior medical	Held an FAA medical after 7/15/2006
Physician exam (CMEC)	Every 48 months
Online course	Every 24 calendar months
Aircraft	≤ 6,000 lb · ≤ 6 occupants
Operating limits	≤ 18,000 ft MSL · ≤ 250 KIAS
Not for	Compensation or hire

Why it matters

BasicMed is how many private pilots stay flying without repeated FAA medicals — but only within its limits. Knowing the weight, occupant, altitude, and speed caps keeps a BasicMed flight legal.

A DPE might ask

What are the requirements to fly under BasicMed?
What are BasicMed's aircraft and operating limits?

14 CFR 61.23(c) & part 68 — BasicMed: requirements & limits

Staying current

Definition

Two clocks keep you legal. The flight review resets every 24 calendar months: at least an hour of ground and an hour of flight with an instructor, endorsed in your logbook — and it's required for any pilot-in-command flying, passengers or not. To carry passengers you also need recent takeoffs and landings: three in the last 90 days by day, and three to a full stop at night (from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise) to carry passengers at night. Without the landings you can still fly yourself; you just can't take passengers.

Explanation

A flight review isn't a test you pass or fail — it's a review your instructor endorses when you're proficient (a new rating checkride or a WINGS phase can substitute). Passenger currency is separate and shorter: 90 days, and the night version needs full-stop landings in the night window.

Requirement	How often	For
Flight review	Every 24 calendar months	All PIC flying
Day passenger currency	3 takeoffs & landings / 90 days	Carrying passengers
Night passenger currency	3 to a full stop / 90 days (1 hr after sunset – 1 hr before sunrise)	Passengers at night

Why it matters

Currency lapses quietly — a review is 24 months away until suddenly it isn't, and passenger currency expires 90 days after your last flights. Tracking both keeps a legal pilot from unknowingly carrying passengers illegally.

Common error

A common mix-up is thinking the flight review is annual, or that one kind of currency covers day and night. The review is every 24 calendar months; passenger currency is a separate 90-day requirement; and night currency specifically needs full-stop landings during the night window.

How often is a flight review required?

Safety

Being 'legal' isn't the same as 'proficient.' If it's been a while, get a few landings or an instructor flight before you carry passengers — currency is a floor, not a guarantee.

A DPE might ask

How often is a flight review required, and what does it involve?
What must you do to carry passengers by day? At night?

14 CFR 61.56 & 61.57 — Flight review & recency of experience