Medical

[avcraig]

I got my Cat 1 Medical done around January 25th, 2019. I believe that means it expires Feb 1st of next year.

I also automatically had my Cat 3 medical renewed by the examiner when I did my Cat 1. If I go past Feb 1st, 2020 without having redone my Cat 1, do I need to do everything the Cat 1 requires over again (Audiogram, Electrocardiogram etc.)? I do believe I don't have to do those two until I'm over 40 now.

Also, if I want to fly for leisure (no training) can I still fly under my valid Cat 3?

If you're wondering why I have my Cat 1, it's because I'm in a college program that hasn't yet started the actual flight training portion of the program. however, I do still fly for leisure back at my home airport on the weekends.

Thanks!

[jakeandelwood]

I have a cat 1 and I'm over 40, I'm not flying commercial anymore but I'm maintaining it as a cat 1 in case I want to go back. I can just get mine renewed every 2nd year if I only fly privately, therefore I only get the cardiogram every 2nd year. If I go back to commercial flying then I have to have it done yearly, every 6 months if with passenger single pilot. That's what my Dr said anyway

[photofly]

I got my Cat 1 Medical done around January 25th, 2019. I believe that means it expires Feb 1st of next year.

I also automatically had my Cat 3 medical renewed by the examiner when I did my Cat 1. If I go past Feb 1st, 2020 without having redone my Cat 1, do I need to do everything the Cat 1 requires over again (Audiogram, Electrocardiogram etc.)? I do believe I don't have to do those two until I'm over 40 now.

Also, if I want to fly for leisure (no training) can I still fly under my valid Cat 3?

If you're wondering why I have my Cat 1, it's because I'm in a college program that hasn't yet started the actual flight training portion of the program. however, I do still fly for leisure back at my home airport on the weekends.

Thanks!

I don’t believe you can hold two different medical category certifications at once. You have whichever is printed on the decal in you blue book. The Category 1 medical is good for five years to exercise PPL privileges, or two years after your 40th birthday, whichever is shorter.

[trey kule]

As an aside, if or when you decide to only fly for leisure, and you only ASK for a Cat 3, and are issued a cat 3 , the good folks at TC will demand return of your ATPL or CPL....

If your cat 1 expires, no issue at all.

So if you hold an ATPL or a CPL, and only fly for leisure, renew your Cat 1, and then fly on until you require a new medical...5 years...etc.
To summarize. An expired Cat 1 is no biggie if you are flying privately as long as you meet the medical requirement period for ppl.,
But, if you are issued a cat 3.....bad news

Full disclosure. All second hand info to me but my source was a reliable trusted one.

[trey kule]

Photo.

Just to play devils advocate here.

I someone should go and get a class 3 medical ( under age 40). . Their license would show they hold a class 3.

Now, say a few months later they decide to get their commercial and go and get issued a class 1.

Both valid, or is there somewhere it says you cant hold two valid medical Categories?

In any event, I can see the confusion on a young ppl who upgraded his cat 3 while it was still valid to a cat 1 thinking he held two categories. From a practical standpoint the cat 1 and subsequent privelege extension will take priority .

[JasonE]

I don’t believe you can hold two different medical category certifications at once. You have whichever is printed on the decal in you blue book. The Category 1 medical is good for five years to exercise PPL privileges, or two years after your 40th birthday, whichever is shorter.

Cat3 Medical before 40 is valid for 5 years within Canada even if done at age 39. Under ICAO it is only valid for 2 years outside of Canada.

[Braun]

You can definitely hold more than one medical at a time. I’ve had 2 and 3 for years now.

[photofly]

A Category 2 medical certificate validates licences (eg ATC) that a Category 3 medical doesn't, and vice versa (PPL), so it makes sense that you could hold both.

A Cateogry 1 medical validates all licences and permits; it makes no sense to hold a Category 1 medical at the same time as a Category 3 medical.

Now, say a few months later they decide to get their commercial and go and get issued a class 1.
Both valid, or is there somewhere it says you cant hold two valid medical Categories?

I'm guessing at TC procedures here, but thousands of people each year (including me, way back when) get a Cat 1 medical already holding a Cat 3. You don't get the option to have two; I certainly don't have two. It's hard to see a circumstance under which Transport would do anything other than the regular Cat 3 to Cat 1 upgrade.

Cat3 Medical before 40 is valid for 5 years within Canada even if done at age 39. Under ICAO it is only valid for 2 years outside of Canada.

We have discussed this at length, and neither the CARs nor the ICAO regulations on which they're modelled resolve the ambiguity. Both CARs and ICAO use exactly the same wording.

I believe that input from TC (or it could have been my CAME) suggested that the more restrictive date applies; that is, it is the age of the pilot on the date of the flight that determines the expiry date of the medical, and not the age of the pilot on the day of the medical examination. But if anyone has good reason to believe otherwise, I'd love to read it.

[DHC-1 Jockey]

I always thought that if you have a CAT 1 and let it expire, it reverts to CAT 3 for the remaining CAT 3 validity period. That's what my CAME told me anyways. I asked about this and it matters to me, because I have a restriction on my medical that my CAT 3 is also only good for 1 year... I just have a condition where they don't want me flying for 5 years on a PPL without seeing the CAME. So for a normal "healthy" person, they could let their CAT 1 lapse, and it reverts to a CAT 3 and you just exercise your PPL license. In my case, if I leave commercial flying and want to fly for pleasure and let my CAT 1 lapse, it won't automatically revert to CAT 3.

So long story short, I believe a CAT 1 (if you let it expire) reverts to CAT 3 and you can only exercise the PPL on your license.

You can definitely hold more than one medical at a time. I’ve had 2 and 3 for years now.

Braun, I did ATC as well, but just kept renewing my CAT 1 as it supersedes a CAT 2 and 3. Perhaps since you're flying recreationally, and there are slight differences between a CAT 2 and 3 that you require both. There are some medical requirements on a CAT 2 that are more restrictive than a CAT 3, and some CAT 3 medical requirements that are more restrictive than a CAT 2, hence needing both licenses. A CAT 1 (as the most restrictive) covers everything: ATPL/CPL, PPL and ATC licenses.

[photofly]

Again, we discussed this at length. Your Cat 1 medical has (normally) 5 year validity for PPL privileges. It doesn't *become* a Category 3 medical.

[Braun]

I always thought that if you have a CAT 1 and let it expire, it reverts to CAT 3 for the remaining CAT 3 validity period. That's what my CAME told me anyways. I asked about this and it matters to me, because I have a restriction on my medical that my CAT 3 is also only good for 1 year... I just have a condition where they don't want me flying for 5 years on a PPL without seeing the CAME. So for a normal "healthy" person, they could let their CAT 1 lapse, and it reverts to a CAT 3 and you just exercise your PPL license. In my case, if I leave commercial flying and want to fly for pleasure and let my CAT 1 lapse, it won't automatically revert to CAT 3.

So long story short, I believe a CAT 1 (if you let it expire) reverts to CAT 3 and you can only exercise the PPL on your license.

You can definitely hold more than one medical at a time. I’ve had 2 and 3 for years now.

Braun, I did ATC as well, but just kept renewing my CAT 1 as it supersedes a CAT 2 and 3. Perhaps since you're flying recreationally, and there are slight differences between a CAT 2 and 3 that you require both. There are some medical requirements on a CAT 2 that are more restrictive than a CAT 3, and some CAT 3 medical requirements that are more restrictive than a CAT 2, hence needing both licenses. A CAT 1 (as the most restrictive) covers everything: ATPL/CPL, PPL and ATC licenses.

Yeah, I could go for a CAT1 but as ATC I’d need to go every year (i think) so I have a 2 for ATC and 3 for PPL. I’m under 40 so I go every 24 months.

[DHC-1 Jockey]

Yeah, I could go for a CAT1 but as ATC I’d need to go every year (i think) so I have a 2 for ATC and 3 for PPL. I’m under 40 so I go every 24 months.

Gotcha. The CAT 1 is valid for 12 months while ATC CAT 2 is 24 months (if under 40). If you ever decide to get your CPL for fun, NavCanada covered the cost of my CAT 1.

[ScottS]

404.04 (5) A medical certificate is valid starting on the day on which the applicant signs the medical declaration submitted for the issuance or renewal of the certificate or on the day on which the medical examination for the issuance or renewal of the certificate is conducted until the earliest of
(a) the end of the validity period set out in the table to subsection (6) for the certificate,
(b) the end of any shorter validity period endorsed on the certificate by the Minister, and
(c) the day on which a new medical certificate is issued to the holder.

Kinda seems like in the CARs if you get another medical, even if it was a different category, the previous one becomes invalid. I would have expected (c) would specify a medical certificate of the same category if you could hold two categories.

I am about to run 40 so just doing the research on whether I need to get another medical for my PPL privileges even though it seems my medical is not "expired". By reading the 404.04, it seems I do. I think a lot of confusion comes from talking about a medical certificate "expiry" (like a license, fixed date) but in the regs it carefully only refers to a "validity period" ( could find no use of the term "expiry" but maybe missed it). Validity periods are driven by the flight privilege you are trying to exercise, and your age, not by the category of certificate issued (that's why you can continue to fly private on a Cat 1 certificate after the date it is no longer valid for commercial). So, it appears that if I want to go for a birthday flight on my 40th birthday, I look up that table and it says my Medical is valid for 24 months, and lo and behold my existing medical is 36 months old. No good.

It would be nice if I am wrong, so I could go get a medical certificate the day before my 40th birthday and be good for the next 5 years, but I can't read it that way when it refers to a "validity period", and not an "expiry date" in the regs.

[ScottS]

Yeah, I could go for a CAT1 but as ATC I’d need to go every year (i think) so I have a 2 for ATC and 3 for PPL. I’m under 40 so I go every 24 months.

I don't think you actually would. Read 404.04 carefully. The validity period of "a medical certificate" is spelled out in the Table (ATC 24 months). Nothing in that section says a CAT 1 medical certificate expires after 12 months. Just 6.1 says "a medical certificate" is only valid for 12 months if commercial. 404.10 then says that you can hold a category 1 or 2 for ATC. Take your pick, it is valid for 24 months under the table of validity periods when exercising the privileges of ATC license.

[Braun]

Yeah, I could go for a CAT1 but as ATC I’d need to go every year (i think) so I have a 2 for ATC and 3 for PPL. I’m under 40 so I go every 24 months.

I don't think you actually would. Read 404.04 carefully. The validity period of "a medical certificate" is spelled out in the Table (ATC 24 months). Nothing in that section says a CAT 1 medical certificate expires after 12 months. Just 6.1 says "a medical certificate" is only valid for 12 months if commercial. 404.10 then says that you can hold a category 1 or 2 for ATC. Take your pick, it is valid for 24 months under the table of validity periods when exercising the privileges of ATC license.

Hmmm you maybe be right. I’ll probably go with the CAT 1 then.