TECHNIQUE MEDICAL CERTIFICATION Making sense of a complex process » By Ian J. Twombly ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLES FLOYD MOST PILOTS WHO fly powered aircraft are required to have at least an FAA-issued third class medical certificate. The biggest exception to that is Light Sport aircraft, which have a different standard. Medical certification is an incredibly complex process, involving regulations, FAA policy, private doctors, government doctors-and you. With a little advance preparation, things usually go smoothly. The certification system has two main components-medical certification and self-certification. While medical certification is an FAA-mandated exam leading to an actual paper certificate, selfcertification is what you'll do every time you fly. Here's how the system works. 50 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORGhttp://FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG