pilot medical requirements when working international ACMI ops

J777Fly

Well-Known Member
Hypothetically speaking,

You work for a US ACMI carrier and have a Class 1 medical which allows you to take medication for a condition which is allowed under FAA rules, but not allowed under another country's airmen medical rules.

If that ACMI carrier operates in a country where under their medical rules, that medical condition deems local pilots unfit, would local medical rules overrule FAA rules deeming you unfit to fly?


Hope that makes sense.

I just want to know who's medical rules has authority in situations like this.
 
Interesting. I don't know about the medical side, but the flight rules do.

I have a couple examples.

Venezuela doesn't allow ferry flights if the flight, at anytime, will be at night.

Barbados requires parking, shutting down, and discussing with them whether or not you can go again after an aborted takeoff. Basically determining if there should be maintenance action first.

Curacao will not let you decide to continue or not if you or they discover an abnormality. I had one main not come up once and they wouldn't let me leave their airspace until it did.

So that all being said, I can imagine that may transfer over to the medical side too.
 
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Technically you have to comply with all applicable rules of the state you're operating in....UAL747400 points out some good ones that are probably violated by unknowing foreigners daily.

Flying overseas I'd do my best to get acquainted with as many differences as possible...but these would be operating differences (Immigration requirements, different speed restrictions etc...). There's no way I'd have easy access to things such as differences in medical regulations, nor would I ever have the time to dig into such nonsense. I've never heard of a foreign inspector ever asking anything beyond if you have a valid medical.
 
You are operating a "N" registered airplane for a US flag carrier.

However, as each country is sovereign, you may, or may not, have to comply. The medication thing, I'd say you're operating on your US airman certificate. If the country requires a temporary license under their rules (as an example, you're doing all intra-China flying for a Chinese carrier), then exceptions may apply.

There are -isms operationally as pointed out in above posts, but that's another topic.
 
Don't quote me on this, but I believe compliance with ICAO standards is all that's required; that's the whole point of the treaty in the first place. You must comply with each country's operating rules, but aircraft and airman certification is governed by your home country (or whoever issued your certificates), which may or may not be ICAO-compliant.
 
Don't quote me on this, but I believe compliance with ICAO standards is all that's required; that's the whole point of the treaty in the first place. You must comply with each country's operating rules, but aircraft and airman certification is governed by your home country (or whoever issued your certificates), which may or may not be ICAO-compliant.

I'll second the motion.
 
Hypothetically speaking,

You work for a US ACMI carrier and have a Class 1 medical which allows you to take medication for a condition which is allowed under FAA rules, but not allowed under another country's airmen medical rules.

If that ACMI carrier operates in a country where under their medical rules, that medical condition deems local pilots unfit, would local medical rules overrule FAA rules deeming you unfit to fly?


Hope that makes sense.

I just want to know who's medical rules has authority in situations like this.
I just really wouldn't worry about it, to be honest.
 
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