CASA 

Classes of medical
certificate

Aviation medicals and certi!cates

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Class 1 medical certi!cate

Class 2 medical certi!cate

Basic Class 2 medical certi!cate

Class 3 medical certi!cate

Recreational aviation medical practitioner’s

certi!cate

Pilots and air tra"c controllers (ATCs) must hold

a current medical certi!cate to exercise the
privileges of their licence. Di#erent classes of
medical certi!cate re$ect your licence type and
what you can do under that licence.

There are no medical requirements for learning

to $y when you are in the aircraft with your
$ight instructor.

Your medical examiner and our AvMed team

assess your medical conditions, medications,
and health status.

CASA delegates then, decide whether you gain a

medical certi!cate for your license type. In most
cases, you can gain a medical certi!cate even
when a medical issue is present. Our delegates
assess your medical risk and uses safety
measures such as conditions on your medical
certi!cate.

Before you start $ying, you should discuss any

medical conditions with both your:

 suitably quali!ed medical practitioner, such

as a DAME

 $ying school instructor.

Discussing your medical conditions is important

if you plan to be a professional pilot.

Class 1 medical certificate

You need a Class 1 medical certi!cate to
exercise the privileges of a:

 air transport pilot licence

 commercial pilot licence (other than

balloons)

 multi-crew pilot (aeroplane) licence

 $ight engineer licence

 student $ight engineer licence.

Commercial and air transport pilot licence

holders can perform some operations with a
Class 2 medical certi!cate. Learn more about
Class 2 medical certi!cates.

Class 1 medical certificate

validity
A Class 1 medical certi!cate is valid for one year
unless otherwise advised. We generally grant a
Class 2 certi!cate at the same time as a Class 1.
A Class 2 certi!cate may be valid for longer.

Class 2 medical certificate

A Class 2 medical certi!cate is required to
exercise the privileges of a:

 recreational pilot licence

 private pilot licence

 commercial pilot (balloon) licence.

Private and recreational pilot licence holders

can also perform some operations with a Basic
Class 2 certi!cate. Learn more about Basic Class
2 medical certi!cates.

Class 2 medical certificate

validity
Class 2 medical certi!cates are valid for:

 4 years if you are under 40 years on the day

of your medical examination

 2 years if you are over 40 years.

Class 2 certificate expanded

privileges
Commercial pilots with a Class 2 medical
certi!cate can also $y commercial $ights
without passengers if the maximum take-o#
weight is less than 8618 kg. This includes in-
$ight training because of a general exemption
to the regulations.

Student pilots learning to $y must have a Class

2 or Basic Class 2 medical certi!cate before they
can $y solo.

On the spot Class 2 medical

certificates
All designated aviation medical examiners
(DAMEs) are authorised to assess you against
the medical standard and can issue you with a
Class 2 medical certi!cate on-the-spot.

A DAME can’t issue you an on-the-spot

certi!cate if you:

 previously had a Class 2 application denied

 have one of three excluding medical

conditions:

 psychosis

 irreversible dementia

 epilepsy.

Not all DAMEs have chosen to participate in this

scheme. DAMEs opted in are referred to as
DAME2s.

Check the list of DAME2s. If your DAME is on the

list, you can ask them about it when you make
your appointment with them.

Basic Class 2 medical

certificate
A Basic Class 2 medical certi!cate is an
alternative to a full Class 2 certi!cate for a:

 recreational pilot licence

 private pilot licence.

Basic Class 2 certi!cates are cheaper and the

application process is easier compared to Class
2 certi!cates.

The medical standards have less $exibility. The

Basic Class 2 process does not allow for the
management of medical conditions a DAME or
CASA can consider when issuing a normal Class
2 certi!cate. This is because the doctors
assessing a Basic Class 2 do not have specialist
aviation medicine training.

Basic Class 2 certificate

restrictions
The following restrictions apply to a Basic Class
2 certi!cate:

 only private day operations under the visual

$ight rules (VFR) and below 10,000 feet

 a maximum of 5 passengers

 only piston engine aircraft

 maximum take-o# weight (MTOW) of less

than 8618 kg

 no use of operational ratings (such as

instructor rating or instrument rating)

 no use of $ight activity endorsements (for

example, aerobatics and low level).

These restrictions don’t apply if a quali!ed pilot

with a valid Class 1 or Class 2 medical certi!cate
is in a control seat.

Basic Class 2 requirements

You can get a Basic Class 2 examination from
any medical practitioner who does medicals for
commercial motor vehicle drivers. The medical
standard is the same as the unconditional
commercial driver standard and allows for
vision correction and for hearing aids.

Learn more about the standard on the

Austroads website .

You will receive a Basic Class 2 medical

certi!cate if you meet the standard
unconditionally. This excludes glasses and
hearing aids.

Basic Class 2 disqualifying

conditions
You can still apply for a Class 2 medical
certi!cate if you:

 don’t meet the unconditional commercial

drivers license medical standard for your
Basic Class 2 medical

 have a pre-existing medical condition.

For a Class 2 medical certi!cate application, you

will need a full assessment from a DAME.
DAMEs assess health issues relevant to aviation
and have more $exibility to consider your
speci!c circumstances.

Learn more about Class 2 medical certi!cates.

Class 3 medical certificate

You must have a Class 3 medical certi!cate for
a:

 air tra"c control licence

 $ight service o"cers.

A Class 3 medical certi!cate is valid for 2 years,

unless otherwise advised. For more information
visit the AirServices website .

Recreational aviation medical

practitioner’s certificate
A recreational aviation practitioner’s certi!cate
(RAMPC) is another alternative for a recreational
pilot licence.

RAMPC’s are cheaper and the application

process is easier compared to Class 1 and Class
2 certi!cates.

The medical standards for RAMPC are less

$exible. An RAMPC does not allow for the
management of medical conditions. This is
because the doctors assessing a RAMPC do not
have specialist aviation medicine training.

RAMPC restrictions
The following restrictions apply to a RAMPC
certi!cate:

 only single engine piston aircraft (!xed wing

or helicopter) with a maximum take-o#
weight of 1500 kg or less

 only day operations under the visual $ight

rules (VFR) and below 10,000 feet

 no more than one passenger on board

 no acrobatic $ight.

The airspace and passenger restrictions don’t

apply if the pilot in a control seat has:

 suitable quali!cations

 valid Class 1 or Class 2 medical certi!cate.

The acrobatic restrictions don’t apply if the pilot

in a control seat:

 has suitable quali!cations

 is acrobatic $ight endorsed

 has a valid Class 1 or Class 2 medical

certi!cate.

RAMPC requirements
You can get a RAMPC examination from any
medical practitioner who does medicals for
private motor vehicle drivers.

The medical standard is based on the

unconditional private drivers license standard
(Austroads), with some additional disqualifying
conditions.

RAMPC disqualifying conditions

You can’t hold a RAMPC if you either:

 do not meet the unconditional private

driver’s license standard

 have certain disqualifying medical

conditions, but you can still apply for a Class
2 medical certi!cate.

For a Class 2 medical certi!cate application, you

need a full assessment from a DAME. DAMEs
assess health issues relevant to aviation and
have more $exibility to consider your speci!c
circumstances. Learn more about Class 2
medical certi!cates.

Details of the RAMPC disqualifying medical

conditions are provided in:

  Recreational aviation medical

practitioner’s certi!cate (RAMPC) application
form 166 (PDF, 550.37 KB)

Last updated: 4 Aug 2023

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