Re: [COUPERS] 3rd class medical question

[Stefan Fanselow]

Don,   IMHO there can be no doubt:   1.) you took a 3rd class medical at a point in time before you turned 40 years of age. 2.) That certificate is expiring at the end of the month, 36 months after the date of the initial medical check. You will turn 43 years of age during that month. If you intend to continue using your PPL beyond that month's end, you need a new medical certificate. That one will then have a duration of 24 months only. When establishing the duration of a medical, the rules do not reflect in any way on the possibility to renew or not renew such medical, they simply give it a "life time" which ends at a specific date, in your case at the end of the month you are turning 43 years of age. 3.) Please be aware that in case you decided to apply for a new medical during the lifetime of an existing certificate, the class and duration of the NEW medical overrides everything a former medical certificate stated.   Again, this is my private opinion as a "CFI trainee" at this point in my time, but any other interpretation would indeed defy the purpose of the "three years if you are younger than 40" rule. Keep us posted in case you find anything different.   Also, a remark to Bob Saville's comment: Even if you have a 2nd class medical, it is valid for 24 months for activities requiring only a Private Pilot Certificate (36 months if issued at a time before 40 years of age). Only if the activity of flying done requires a 2nd class medical (simplyfied: flying for compensation or hire)  is its duration limited to 12 months.   Hope this helps.   Have fun, and safe flying   Stefan in Tokyo Mooney M-10 N9547V www.hpo.net/users/sfanselow/m10         -----Original Message----- From: Don Mack <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: coupers@topica.com <coupers@topica.com> Date: Thursday, March 23, 2000 4:59 AM Subject: [COUPERS] 3rd class medical question Riddle of the day.   I took my last 3rd class medical 1 week before my 40th birthday. Reading the rules, I think that I am ok until the month of my 43rd birthday. The part that gets me is "before the date of the examination". I assume that to mean the examination 1 week before my 40th birthday, not the examination due on the month of my 43rd birthday.   Comments?   Don Mack N2051H [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.dmack.net     Extracted directly from FAR's:  http://www.faa.gov/avr/AFS/FARS/far-61.txt removed irrelevant parts (I.E. Class I and II)     a) Operations requiring a medical certificate. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, a person: 3) Must hold at least a third-class medical certificate-- (i) When exercising the privileges of a private pilot certificate; c) Duration of a medical certificate.   3) A third-class medical certificate for operations requiring a private pilot certificate issued-- (ii) On or after September 16, 1996, expires at the end of: (A) The 36th month after the month of the date of the examination shown on the certificate if the person has not reached his or her 40th birthday on or before the date of examination; or (B) The 24th month after the month of the date of the examination shown on the certificate if the person has reached his or her 40th birthday on or before the date of the examination.