The Class 2 medical is the standard aviation medical examination for private pilots, and which medical certificate you need depends on your licence. A medical certificate is the formal proof that you are medically fit to fly, stating the class you were examined for, the date until which you have been assessed as fit and whether you have a limitation. You may not fly without a valid medical certificate on you. You do not always need the certificate before your first flying lesson, but you do need it before you fly solo for the first time. Many flight schools advise taking the examination before training starts so you do not face surprises after paying your course fees. You may never hold more than one medical certificate at a time. If you start professional training for a Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL), Multi-crew Pilot Licence (MPL) or Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL), you will eventually need a valid Class 1 certificate, and its initial issue can only be done at an Aeromedical Centre (AeMC). Class 2 goes with the Private Pilot Licence (PPL) and with the sailplane licence (SPL) and balloon licence (BPL) if you fly commercially with them. The LAPL medical goes with the Light Aircraft Pilot Licence (LAPL) and the non-commercial sailplane and balloon licences.123

According to EASA, a Class 1 certificate includes the privileges and validity of Class 2 and LAPL, so for private flying, the Class 2 validity applies. If you only fly for recreation, a higher class is also allowed because it covers the lower one. The LAPL medical has wider medical margins, making it a simpler option for those who fall just outside the standard requirements. In some cases, a LAPL medical can even be issued by your general practitioner where national law allows this. The aviation authority manages your medical file but does not examine you itself. Only a certified aeromedical examiner (AME) or a certified Aeromedical Centre (AeMC) may issue a Class 1 or Class 2 medical certificate; an AME can also issue an initial Class 2 or LAPL certificate and revalidations for Class 1 and 2. In practice, this means the examination for private pilots is shorter, can be done closer to home and needs less preparation.123

Many pilots start recreationally with a PPL and a medical certificate, and later consider a career switch to professional aviation. Your flying hours and experience remain valuable, and your PPL theoretical knowledge also gives you a head start in the later ATPL subjects. A Class 2 certificate obtained earlier cannot be upgraded, and you will still have to take the full initial Class 1 medical. The advice is therefore to take this examination before you put money into professional training. After your initial Class 1 medical you are registered in the European system EAMR (European Aero-Medical Repository) and receive a personal EAMR ID, which you need for later examinations.14

The examination starts with an extensive questionnaire about your medical history, which you must fill in honestly as false statements are a criminal offence and almost always come to light at a later examination. Every examination includes a urine test and a hearing test. For Class 2, an electrocardiogram (ECG) is part of the initial examination, the first examination after you turn 40 and after you turn 50, and every 2 years after that. Aviation Medical Center also includes the ECG alongside a comprehensive eye examination at the initial stage, with an audiogram only if you want to fly under instrument flight rules (IFR). For Class 1, you have a haemoglobin test (blood) at every examination and, at the initial examination, also a cholesterol test and a lung function test. For the initial Class 1 examination, Aviation Medical Center lists a medical history and physical examination, height, weight, waist circumference and blood pressure, urine and extensive blood tests, an ECG, a comprehensive eye examination, a lung function test, a comprehensive ear, nose and throat examination, an audiogram and tympanometry. Furthermore, for Class 1, Part-MED requires a comprehensive mental health assessment and drug and alcohol screening at the initial examination (MED.B.055).356

The visual requirements differ per class. For Class 1, your distant visual acuity, with or without glasses or lenses, must be 6/9 (0.7) or better in each eye and 6/6 (1.0) with both eyes. For Class 2, distant visual acuity must be 6/12 (0.5) in each eye and 6/9 (0.7) with both eyes. In most cases, you can pass with glasses or lenses. For Class 1, the initial examination includes a comprehensive eye examination and revalidations include a routine eye examination. For Class 2, a routine eye examination is the rule and a comprehensive examination follows only when medically indicated. For every initial issue you take the Ishihara colour test. If you want to add an instrument rating to a PPL, you must have your hearing tested with pure-tone audiometry at the Class 1 frequency and standard. To fly at night with a PPL or LAPL, you must be colour safe.3

Aeromedical examiners often practise at or near airfields and around the larger cities, so there is almost always a location within reasonable travelling distance. Waiting times are usually short, and you can often get an appointment quickly. Ask the practice beforehand about availability and what to bring, such as valid identification, your glasses prescription and relevant medical information. Costs vary by AME depending on the practice and any additional tests. You choose a certified examiner or centre yourself, but once you have registered somewhere and completed the application form, your file is in the central system and you cannot complete that examination elsewhere. If your initial examination takes place at a centre abroad, you state which country will be your competent authority and the centre must then send the complete file to that authority. At KLM Health Services, which includes the Aeromedical Institute, scheduling and requesting aeromedical examinations always goes through the employer or training organisation.17

The AME always assesses your individual situation and may request further tests. If you are unsure about a condition or medication, discuss it with an AME before drawing conclusions. If nothing requires further investigation, you usually receive the certificate straight away. If the examiner has to consult the authority, you hear afterwards whether you will receive it. For Class 1, if the aeromedical examiner sees anything unusual or you do not meet all the requirements, they consult the medical assessor of the authority, who decides whether you receive a certificate with or without a limitation. For Class 2 and LAPL, the aeromedical examiner decides, if necessary after consulting the authority, and issues the certificate if safe flying is possible, with or without a limitation. A limitation on the certificate is not an exemption but a condition under which you can fly safely. An AeMC or AME may then revalidate a certificate with the same limitation without consulting the authority again (MED.B.001). An aeromedical examiner can assess you as fit up to and including the 26th week of pregnancy after a written statement from your midwife or gynaecologist, with a limitation on your certificate, but after that you may no longer fly.13

For an initial examination or a renewal, the validity runs from the date of the examination. A Class 1 certificate is in principle valid for 12 months, usually until you turn 60, and for 6 months from age 60. From age 40, Class 1 validity is also 6 months if you fly single-pilot commercial air transport carrying passengers (MED.A.045). A Class 2 certificate is valid for 60 months until you turn 40, but no later than your 42nd birthday. From 40 to 50, it is valid for 24 months, no later than your 51st birthday, and from age 50 for 12 months. A LAPL medical is valid for 60 months until you turn 40, no later than your 42nd birthday, and for 24 months from age 40. A renewal is usually shorter and simpler than the initial examination. Keep a close eye on the expiry date yourself, as with an expired medical you may not fly as pilot in command, and your insurance may also be affected. If a Class 1 or Class 2 certificate has expired, a normal revalidation examination is sufficient within 2 years. Between 2 and 5 years, the examiner first reviews your medical records, and after more than 5 years the examination requirements of an initial examination apply.13