Ensure your BasicMed information is transmitted correctly
As pilots visit their doctors to complete the Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist followed by completing the AOPA Medical Self-Assessment online course, here are a few tips to make sure everything is in order when submitting information to the FAA through the online course. (BasicMed rules require the user to provide some basic information about the pilot and the physician who conducted the exam such as name, address, and telephone number; the date of the exam; and a few certifications as to the pilot’s fitness to fly.)
Note that the date of visit to a state-licensed physician to fill out the BasicMed checklist cannot have occurred before April 24. Any exams before that date will not be accepted by the FAA because the required Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist that the physician needs to sign was not released until that day.
Also, pilots can’t use the date of just any doctor visit. The physician must follow and fill out the Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist that was released April 24.
As a reminder, pilots who are eligible for BasicMed must have held a valid medical certificate, special issuance or regular, on or after July 15, 2006. The most recent medical certificate or application for a medical certificate could not have been revoked, suspended, or withdrawn. In addition, pilots must have a valid U.S. driver’s license and comply with all of its restrictions. Pilots who developed certain cardiac, neurological, or mental health conditions after their last valid medical will need to get a special issuance medical one more time.
Learn more about the BasicMed eligibility requirements in AOPA's Fit to Fly resource section.
