📘14 CFR §61.23 — Medical Certificates: Requirement and Duration
✈️ What Is This Reg About?
This reg explains:
✅ When you need a medical certificate ✅ Which class of medical you need (1st, 2nd, or 3rd) ✅ How long your medical lasts based on your age and certificate type
🧑⚕️ 3 Types of FAA Medicals
1st Class
Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) privileges
Airline Captain, Charter Captain flying Part 121/135
2nd Class
Commercial Pilot privileges
Banner tow, pipeline patrol, flight instructor (if being paid to fly)
3rd Class
Private/Recreational flying
Weekend flying with friends, flight training (not solo unless student pilot requirements met)
🧠 Need-to-Know: Your Medical "Downgrades" Over Time
After your medical certificate expires for higher privileges, it can still be used at a lower level, if within the time window. For example, a 1st Class medical might turn into a 3rd Class one later — you don’t need to reapply!
🗓️ How Long Is My Medical Good For?
👤 If you're under 40:
🥇 1st Class
ATP privileges: 12 months
➡️ Then becomes 3rd Class for 48 more months
🥈 2nd Class
Commercial privileges: 12 months
➡️ Then becomes 3rd Class for 48 more months
🥉 3rd Class
Private pilot privileges: 60 months (5 years)
👴 If you're 40 or older:
🥇 1st Class
ATP privileges: 6 months
➡️ Then becomes 2nd Class for 6 more months
➡️ Then becomes 3rd Class for 12 more months
🥈 2nd Class
Commercial privileges: 12 months
➡️ Then becomes 3rd Class for 12 more months
🥉 3rd Class
Private pilot privileges: 24 months (2 years)
💬 Real-Life Example:
You’re 28 and get a 1st Class medical:
For the first 12 months, you can fly as an airline captain.
From months 13–60, you're still valid to fly privately (as a 3rd class medical).
You do not need to get a new medical until 60 months (5 years) from issue unless you want to fly ATP again!
🧑🏫 CFI Teaching Tip:
"Your medical doesn’t just disappear when it ‘expires’ — it steps down into a lower class. So always ask: What kind of flying am I doing? That tells you which privileges still apply."
Pro move: Keep a medical expiration cheat sheet in your kneeboard for quick reference.
⚖️ Legal Reference:
📘 FAR §61.23 – Medical Certificates
📘 FAR §61.53 – No flying with a known medical deficiency
📝 FAA Medical Duration Table (FAA.gov)
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