Medicals for under-16s

ILS37R

Well-Known Member
I've had a couple young, aspiring pilots come in over the past few days inquiring about flight training. Normally I talk a little about medicals in my spiel, but I'm not really familiar with how people younger than the age needed for a conventional student certificate are handled by AMEs.

Are there differences in the procedure or is any special paperwork required? I've always emphasized getting a medical as early in training as possible (or even before beginning), just in case. Is that advice still appropriate, especially given the new 60-month 3rd class duration? On the other hand, is there an argument to be made for not getting a medical before one is of age to solo?
 
Get the medical scheduled early enough to be sure he has it on his 16th birthday if that is when he want to solo. Some AME's are hard to get into for an appointment. If the medical is issued before the 16th birthday, it has a notation on the certificate: NOT VALID UNTIL (MONTH, DAY, AND YEAR OF 16TH BIRTHDAY)
 
Get the medical scheduled early enough to be sure he has it on his 16th birthday if that is when he want to solo. Some AME's are hard to get into for an appointment. If the medical is issued before the 16th birthday, it has a notation on the certificate: NOT VALID UNTIL (MONTH, DAY, AND YEAR OF 16TH BIRTHDAY)
Yeah. I wish my AME knew about that. He did not let me get a medical until I was in fact 16 at the time of issuance.
 
Get the medical scheduled early enough to be sure he has it on his 16th birthday if that is when he want to solo. Some AME's are hard to get into for an appointment. If the medical is issued before the 16th birthday, it has a notation on the certificate: NOT VALID UNTIL (MONTH, DAY, AND YEAR OF 16TH BIRTHDAY)

Thanks much. What with the new 60 month third class medicals, I guess it's time to start sending 11 year-olds to visit the AME :p
 
Thanks much. What with the new 60 month third class medicals, I guess it's time to start sending 11 year-olds to visit the AME :p

At a flight school I was at recently they had an 11 year old boy who had his shirt tail cut off already. Written on it was first almost solo since he couldnt legally go. I bet there are a lot of kids out there with a lot of hours. After all, I bet CFI's with children old enough to reach the rudders probably let them log time.
 
At a flight school I was at recently they had an 11 year old boy who had his shirt tail cut off already. Written on it was first almost solo since he couldnt legally go. I bet there are a lot of kids out there with a lot of hours. After all, I bet CFI's with children old enough to reach the rudders probably let them log time.
Anyone else find that a little scary?
 
I don't mean to say he flew solo, just flew to the standards that would be required to fly solo. Thus he got a "pre-solo" tail shirt. Don't really know what is scary about that.
 
I don't mean to say he flew solo, just flew to the standards that would be required to fly solo. Thus he got a "pre-solo" tail shirt. Don't really know what is scary about that.
Well, I guess since he has an instructor with him there's really no danger.

It's just the image of 11-year-olds flying planes that tricks me out a little.
 
Well, I guess since he has an instructor with him there's really no danger.

It's just the image of 11-year-olds flying planes that tricks me out a little.


Well if I remember my Psych classes from college that age is a lot less likely to be involved in risk taking behavior than their teenage counterparts and are intently focused on rules and systems which of course would make them very safe. However, I would have to agree, if I was waiting to taxi out and I saw a kid in the left seat I think I might just wait until the traffic is clear to be on the safe side. Somehow I have the image in my head of a teenage girl pushing the throttle all the way in for take off and then having her phone ring and upon answering states to her friend on the phone, "Oh, nothing important just learning to fly."

(With apologies for the gender bias)
 
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