Basic Med popularity on MooneySpace

[toto]

9 minutes ago, MikeOH said:

The FAA rationale is that you are being paid to INSTRUCT, not to fly for hire.

They have also recently expanded BasicMed authorization to DPEs performing an examiner function. Previously a DPE could instruct under BasicMed but could not conduct a practical test. 

[toto]

2 hours ago, Bolter said:

I was not expecting such a consistent even split between BASIC Med and conventional medicals.

I’ve had a Class 3 for my entire adult life and I’ve never really considered doing anything other than renewing my FAA medical, but this thread has been super interesting and definitely created some food for thought. 

Ever since BasicMed was introduced, I’ve been very aligned philosophically with the concept of trusting your doctor for medical fitness evaluation instead of trusting a stranger with an AME certification. But I always kind of figure it’s nice to be able to cross borders or fly in Class A without needing to get a physical. But I fly a NA airplane and don’t cross borders with any regularity, so it may be that the benefits of BasicMed far outweigh the consequences. 

[midlifeflyer]

20 minutes ago, MikeOH said:

The FAA rationale is that you are being paid to INSTRUCT, not to fly for hire.

That rationale is why a CFI does not require a second class medical or, for that matter, any medical if not acting as PIC or crew. 

[toto]

10 minutes ago, midlifeflyer said:

That rationale is why a CFI does not require a second class medical or, for that matter, any medical if not acting as PIC or crew. 

Yep 

[aviatoreb]

2 hours ago, DXB said:

Basic Med is a FAR greater success than I predicted. I wonder if any physicians have caught blowback from signing off medicals they shouldn't have.  I suppose not since accidents due to pilot incapacitation remain very rare events even in the GA world - which was predicable based on the (albeit limited) Sport Pilot experience.  Honestly, physician liability and resistance to signing it off was my greatest concern when it appeared on the scene.  

Once the Canadians accept Basic Med, I'll probably go that route too, given my lack of aspirations to be in the flight levels, carry lots of passengers, or make money flying.  Unfortunately US relations with Canada  are at a new low at the moment, so that may take some time as yet...

I live 15 miles from Canada and it is just darned convenient to cut across to places in the USA west and also to go to Canada - so that is the only thing preventing me from going basic med.  When will that come?

[midlifeflyer]

10 hours ago, midlifeflyer said:

That rationale is why a CFI does not require a second class medical or, for that matter, any medical if not acting as PIC or crew. 

Actually, the rationale is irrelevant at this point. It’s embodied in the regulations.

[Pinecone]

One thing to remember if you hold a Class medical. If you submit an application for your next one, and there is some issue and are you are denied, you cannot fly until you get an SI.  Not even as Sport Pilot.

 

[dkkim73]

On 10/7/2025 at 6:40 PM, M20F said:

Thus basic med.  I dream of flying my plane to Mars, but mostly I just fly it to cheeseburgers. 

Go to the Bahamas and get a Cheeseburger In Paradise. Bonus points for using a floatplane. 

[dkkim73]

On 10/7/2025 at 4:53 PM, Bolter said:

How many of us are using Basic Med?  Very interested in the details, as well.  Post to share your

• ease or difficulty in getting it
• regrets or satisfaction
• your motivation in converting

 

Can you clarify the intent in option 2? Do you mean going back and forth as necessary for logistics, or maintaining both as belt-and-suspenders so you aren't grounded by an expiring class I-III? 

 

ETA: seems like little downside and extra work to getting a Basic Med signoff even if you maintain an FC certificate. 

[Bolter]

1 hour ago, dkkim73 said:

Can you clarify the intent in option 2? Do you mean going back and forth as necessary for logistics, or maintaining both as belt-and-suspenders so you aren't grounded by an expiring class I-III? 

 

ETA: seems like little downside and extra work to getting a Basic Med signoff even if you maintain an FC certificate. 

Option 2 was just to be complete, without exploring the intent for the choice.  For a while I maintained both in order to keep Canada and +18k altitude options.  Never exercised either, so I just let the class 3 lapse.  

[Rick Junkin]

4 hours ago, Pinecone said:

One thing to remember if you hold a Class medical. If you submit an application for your next one, and there is some issue and are you are denied, you cannot fly until you get an SI.  Not even as Sport Pilot.

 

This is the next piece of regulatory nonsense I'd like to see the alphabet organizations attack.

I'm sure there are more than a few of us flying on basic med that wouldn't pass a third class medical without a special issuance or a stack of recurring test results, and some who couldn't pass a third class period. Those same people, if they were approaching aviation for the first time, could fly as a sport pilot with a "driver's license medical", but would be prohibited from doing so now because they failed the test for a higher standard of certification. And the thing is, for the uninitiated new student pilots, unfamiliar with the specifics of the FAA medical application/examination nuances, they have no idea they may be setting themselves up for lifetime disqualification from any type of flying just by filling out a medexpress application and going to an AME for an exam. It doesn't make sense to me. I admit I haven't researched the fact finding and decision rationale for why the regulation was written this way. It creates a situation where two different people could train for and be issued a sport pilot certificate that they can exercise with just a driver's license medical. Then when one of them decides to pursue a private pilot license and goes for his FAA class 3 physical, he's denied the class 3 and can never fly again.

This almost happened to one of my students. He was about ready to solo and wanted to get going on his medical. Had we not taken the time to discuss the requirements and show stoppers before he started filling out his medical application he would have been denied for previous use of ADHD medication and forced into a lengthy and expensive evaluation process that may or may not have resulted in his getting a class 3. Instead we shifted our focus to sport pilot, which he ultimately put on hold. But he still has the option to go that route in the future. That option could have evaporated had he been denied his medical.

My personal take-away was to have the conversation about medical show stoppers in the initial interview before we start training. That's a no brainer in hindsight, but he was my first experience with someone with a disqualifying medical history. Lesson learned.

[midlifeflyer]

1 hour ago, Rick Junkin said:

My personal take-away was to have the conversation about medical show stoppers in the initial interview before we start training. That's a no brainer in hindsight, but he was my first experience with someone with a disqualifying medical history. Lesson learned.

Agreed. Medical qualification issues is something that CFIs should always have been speaking with their student pilot clients about. 

My favorite medical strategy story was someone who (before BasicMed) limited himself to sport privileges for three years and them applied for a third class again. The reason was simple. The pilot did some testing for a possible condition. Fortunately, the tests turned out to be negative. But the pilot didn't want to have to list the "visited to health care professionals in the past three years" and possibly open up a can of worms.