AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - January 2025 - 102

TIPS FROM PIC
Medical
preflight
BY GARY CRUMP
DO YOU EVER wonder why it takes so
long for the FAA to issue your medical
certificate following a deferral of
your application? The FAA Aerospace
Medical Certification Division (AMCD)
has experienced an average 6 percent
annual increase in the number of submitted
medical applications over the
past few years. The agency's staffing levels
can reasonably accommodate about
350,000 applications. In 2023, more
than 450,000 medical applications came
into the AMCD. The current and projected
pilot shortage among the major
Part 121 scheduled air carriers, as well as
the ongoing demand for flight instructors
and commercial Part 91 operators,
has triggered many aspiring pilots to
submit applications for medicals to
begin and continue flight training.
Until the FAA is adequately staffed
to handle this demand, there will be
delays in the processing of deferred medical
applications and special issuance
renewals. If you anticipate that your next
medical application may be deferred,
call the AOPA Pilot Information Center
(PIC) and speak with our medical certification
specialists about how to prepare
for a possible deferral. You may consider
going to BasicMed as an alternative.
If you still want to pursue a medical,
you may be able to apply for and
use your BasicMed qualification while
waiting for your medical to be reviewed.
That depends on the medical condition
that you report, as some medical histories
require a one-time medical special
issuance before using BasicMed.
Gather the medical records you will
need and provide them to the AME during
your flight physical. The AME can
upload them directly into the FAA document
workflow system. Contact AOPA's
Pilot Information Center at 800-USAAOPA
(872-2672) or pilotassist@aopa.
org for more information. Gary Crump
is the director of medical certification for
the AOPA Pilot Information Center.
102
AOPA PILOT / January 2025
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AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - January 2025

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - January 2025