Medical Validity?

[North Shore]

So, according to The Gazette:

(6.1) The validity period of a medical certificate for a commercial
pilot licence, a multi-crew pilot licence — aeroplane and an
airline transport pilot licence, if the holder of the licence is acting
as a flight crew member for hire or reward, is 12 months.
(6.2) However, the validity period of a medical certificate
referred to in subsection (6.1) is reduced to 6 months if
(a) the holder of the licence is 40 years of age or older and is
conducting a single-pilot operation with passengers on board; or
(b) the holder of the licence is 60 years of age or older.

So, my current 6 month medical expires on March 30th, which is going to be after that ^ becomes valid, so (unless I'm SPIFR) I'm actually good until October (the date of my last medical) correct? Or will it only take effect after my next medical, seeing as the last one was only valid for 6 months, and I have to wait for that to expire before I can apply for a 12 month medical? (I can see how a bureaucracy thinks...)

[JWflightcrew]

TBD. Transport has NOT given any guidance yet on how this will be rolled out. Still lots of questions. likely, once official then you will still need to do your 6 month medical that will then become valid for one year. The last thing you want to do is not do your medical in 6 months and become expired. JW

[jump154]

The medical as issued today does not have an expiry - just an issue date.
My interpretation:

The appropriate CAR 404.04 defines the length of validity of that certificate.

To determine if a certificate is valid, you look at the issue date, then look at the CAR and check the elapsed time is less than the time specified in the CAR.

Therefor when the CAR changes then any certificate will be valid for the new period - so to answer your question you will not need to get a new certificate at 6 months, 12 months will be fine. Funnily enough, interpreting this way will also mean that if a pilot has a certificate that is 7 months old when the new rule comes into effect, then he will still be OK - even though that certificate was not valid for the month immediately prior to the new rule.

All hinges on the fact that the certificate bears no expiry date.

[JWflightcrew]

Correct. Issue date, not expiry date. I said the exact same thing to TC.

The question is, when I talked to an AME (Aviation Medical Examiner) they said there is a chance that if your medical was issued before this CARs change date, it will only be valid for 6 months. But issued after this date, good for one year (but said TC hasn't given them guidance yet). No one really knows at this point.

I would agree that to me it make sense that ALL medicals are valid for one year (issue date) regardless of when its was issued with regards to this Regulation change.

JW

[oldncold]

as announced regulation are now published in the Canada gazette and come into force in 60 days

[Colonel Sanders]

If the medicals aren't valid retroactively, then
neither is co-pilot time.

As Brian Mulroney says, you can't suck and blow
at the same time.

[AirFrame]

If you're validating medicals based on conditions today, rather than at time of issue, then you can't argue that a private pilot medical issued at age 39 is valid until you are 44. But my medical doctor tells me that my medical is valid until I'm 44. I don't think that's what the law intended, but it appears to be the way it's being interpreted.

[ei ei owe]

As Brian Mulroney says, you can't suck and blow
at the same time.

Sure you can! Look up how to play a good didgeridoo and you'll see.