1st class medical for international opps?

[gear_guy]

Will this FAA ruling be accepted by the International community? I see that the FAA has changed their standards, but I can't see where it will be accepted world-wide. Does anyone know the answer to this for those of us flying Internatioinally. My company is allowing me to extend to 12 months with the caveat that the country I am flying to allows it. That may be more trouble that it's worth.

 

[jet2work]

I'm afraid that within the EU you will probaby face the same confusion that you get when you ask two different FSDO's the same question.

If you look at ICAO Annex 1

http://dcaa.slv.dk:8000/icaodocs/An...Personnel Licensing - 10th ed - July 2006.pdf

Go to Chapter 6 to see medical certificate requirements. specifically, look at paragraph 6.1.1 Which states if you are an ATP you need a 1st Class medical.

For duration of the 1st Class look at Paragraph 6.3.11 which references Paragraph 1.2.5.2 Which states that the 1st Class medical is valid for 12 Months.

Paragraph 1.2.5.2.2 goes on to modify the requirement for anyone who has passed his 40th birthday by reducing the validity by 6 months (to 6 months) for a pilot. Same is true for a pilot who is age 60 or older (1st class valid for 6 months).

So it looks like the FAA's new rule extending a 1st class medical to 1 year for pilots under 40 was to bring the US into harmonization with ICAO. As far as a second class medical being as good as an ICAO 1st class??? My guess is that the inspector doing your SAFO will only know enough to look for an "I" in the appropriate box.

If you were to ask me, I think that if you were over 40 you need to get a 1st class every 6 months. If you are under 40 you are good for 12 months.

However, every country may interpret this differently (look at the disparity of opinions in our own FAA). Your best bet would be to ask your handler. Remember when France was interpreting cabotage rules differently from the rest of the EU? We actually ended up "importing" our aircraft into the EU to avoid hassles with the French just over that one difference in interpretation.

 

[gear_guy]

Thanks. Great post. I saw that same document from ICAO and came to the same conclusion as you. Also I did call Universal yesterday and asked for their opinion. After a small pow-wow the overall concensus was that I am good for 12 months as long as I am under 40. They have not yet seen any problems with this from any other countries. However they will check with the specific country before the departure.

 

[aufan]

So if you are an ATP, you HAVE to have a 1st class? What if you fly part 91 only where a second class is only required and you do not leave the counrty? Is that 1st class req' only for Intl. Ops???

 

[Seadogrun]

I don't have documentation for this, but in my last International Ops class they said that for the EU that the medical required doesn't go with type of operation ie. part 91 or 135. EU wants a 1st class for any flight, whether commercial or not, if the pilot is being paid to fly. Basically if you are being paid to fly you are a commercial operation. Once again this was from the mouth of an instructor so take it for what it's worth.