The FAA wants to lengthen the duration of certain medical certificates.
In a Notice of Proposed Rule Making published April 10, the FAA proposes that third class medicals for pilots under the age of 40 go from three years to five years, while first class medicals would go from six months to a year.
The last major change to pilot medical standards occurred in 1996 when the FAA extended the duration of third class medicals from two to three years for pilots in the under-40 age bracket.
The current proposal would mean less paperwork for the FAA to process, according to advocates of the plan. That way the FAA’s medical review staff could concentrate on deferred medical applications, which could speed up medical certificate processing and special issuance authorizations.
Deadline for comments on the proposal is June 11.
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