An aviation medical certificate confirms a pilot meets the health standards for their licence: Class 1 for commercial flying, Class 2 for private. Certificates expire on schedules that vary by age and class, and an expired medical grounds the pilot regardless of licence validity.
An aviation medical certificate confirms a pilot meets the medical fitness standards for their flying: Class 1 for commercial operations (ATPL/CPL privileges), Class 2 for private flying, with EASA adding the LAPL medical and the FAA offering BasicMed as an alternative pathway for certain private operations. Certificates are issued by designated aviation medical examiners (AMEs) and carry validity periods that shorten with age — an EASA Class 1 runs 12 months (6 beyond age 60 in commercial contexts); Class 2 runs 60 months to age 40, then 24.
Two properties make medicals operationally dangerous: they expire on their own clock regardless of flying activity, and commercial students must hold the class their goal requires — discovering a Class 1 disqualifier 150 hours into an integrated ATPL course is a financial catastrophe that a first-lesson Class 1 examination would have prevented.
Why it matters for flight schools
An expired or lapsed medical invalidates the pilot's privileges wherever the licence itself stands — making it the document schools most often catch too late. Every dispatch of a student, renter or instructor implicitly asserts a valid medical; a school that verifies this systematically at booking prevents both illegal flights and the awkward ramp-side discovery. For commercial-track admissions, requiring the Class 1 before significant money is spent is simple duty of care.
How FlightLogger handles it
FlightLogger tracks medical class and expiry per person and blocks dispatch when a required medical has lapsed — converting the most commonly missed document into an automatically enforced one.
Frequently asked questions
Which medical class does a student pilot need?
The class matching the privileges exercised: Class 2 (or LAPL medical) suffices for private training, but anyone on a commercial track should obtain a Class 1 early — before major training investment — to surface disqualifying conditions while the decision is still cheap.
What happens if a medical expires mid-training?
Solo and PIC privileges stop until renewal — dual instruction can typically continue. Operationally, schools should catch approaching expiries weeks ahead so renewals happen without breaking training momentum.