Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

4 Answers

CFI Medical Certificate – Third or Second Class

Asked by: 7160 views Flight Instructor

Does a CFI required a Third Class Medical Certificate or a Second Class? Please help me to understand the FAR 61.23  

 

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

4 Answers



  1. Sam Dawson on Nov 30, 2012

    Third class if he/she must act as PIC. No medical if the “student” can act as PIC.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  2. Ami on Nov 30, 2012

    Sam, Thank you very much for the quick answer……
    something that I am still don’t get it. So, In which case Flight instructor have to hold Second class Medical?

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  3. Bob Watson on Nov 30, 2012

    When exercising their privileges as a commercial pilot.

    They way I heard it explained was, if you’re being paid to teach, your a CFI and covered by what Sam describes. If you’re being paid to fly, you’re a commercial pilot and so those requirements apply. In some cases, that division can look like a fuzzy gray line, however. For example, you’re hired as a CFI but you do most of the flying on a flight. If you have a 2nd class medical in that case, the difference is academic.

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes



  4. Dan Miller on Dec 02, 2012

    Getting paid or not getting paid really doesn’t enter into it. Flight training is not a commercial operation and you can derive that by first going to Part 119 which applies to operators for compensation or hire. More specifically, 119.1(e)(1) states that 119 will not apply to student instruction. From there a person just needs to determine common carriage vs. private carriage which can be accomplished using AC 120-12A.

    So the only question remaining, regarding the correct medical, is if the flight instructor will assume the role of PIC or required flight crewmember. If the person receiving dual is not appropriately rated, category and class, then the instructor will need to be PIC. If PIC or required flight crew member, then a 3rd class medical is needed. If not PIC, or required flight crewmember, then no medical is needed. 61.23(b)(5)

    0 Votes Thumb up 0 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.

Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.