Aviation medicals in South Africa: classes, validity and cost

Every South African pilot needs a valid medical certificate to fly, and it's the first thing to sort out before you pay for lessons. Which class you need depends on your licence, how long it lasts depends on your age, and for most classes only a SACAA-designated aviation medical examiner can do it.

Which class do you need?

From regulation 67.00.2, as amended in March 2023.¹

Two things people miss. The instrument rating is on the Class 1 list, so a private pilot who wants one needs a Class 1 medical.¹ And if you're aiming at a flying career, having the Class 1 examination first tells you early whether anything stands in the way.

How long it lasts

Validity is counted from the last day of the month in which the certificate was issued.²

These are the longest periods allowed. An examiner or SACAA's medical assessor can give you a shorter one, or add a limitation, when your health calls for it.² Class 4 holders also send in a medical declaration every year.⁵

Who can examine you

For Classes 1, 2 and 3 you need a designated aviation medical examiner, a doctor SACAA has designated and oversees.³⁸ For a Class 4, any medical practitioner registered with the Health Professions Council can examine you, and the paperwork goes to SACAA's designated body for checking and issue.⁴⁸ Your flight school can usually point you to examiners nearby.

Before and at the appointment

Practices ask you to send three SACAA forms first: the application form for a medical certificate, the Mental Health Screening Questionnaire (CA 67-08) and the client consent form (CA 67-39).⁶ On the day you'll need proof of identity, any licence you hold and your most recent medical certificate, and you sign a declaration that what you've told the examiner is true and complete.⁹

SACAA records medicals on its electronic EMPIC system, which works out which tests you need from your class, age and history.¹⁰ A senior examiner describes them as possibly including:¹⁰

• eyesight, including colour vision;
• a hearing test (audiogram);
• an ECG (an exercise ECG only when there's a medical reason);
• lung function;
• a chest X-ray, usually only for the first medical.

Glasses and contact lenses are allowed.⁸ Bring your current prescription: failing the eye test with old glasses is a common reason a certificate is delayed.¹⁰ If you pass, the certificate is usually printed and signed there and then.⁶¹⁰ The examination records can only be used to issue a certificate within 90 days.¹¹

What it costs

Examiners charge their own fees, separate from SACAA's fee schedule, which covers only fees paid to SACAA.¹² Two practices' published prices:

One of them notes that medical aids don't routinely pay for flight medicals, so check with your scheme.⁷ Specialist reports, where your history needs them, are extra.⁶⁷

Your duties once you have it

• Carry it whenever you fly as crew.⁵
• Don't fly while you know of a medical condition or medication that could affect your certificate, within six weeks of giving birth, or once it has expired.⁵
• Tell SACAA's medical body without undue delay about an injury, hospital stay, operation, regular medication, pregnancy, illness of more than 21 days or psychiatric treatment that means you no longer meet the standard, and show you've recovered before flying again.⁵
• Alcohol: none within 8 hours before duty, and no more than 0.02 grams per 100 millilitres of blood.⁵ SACAA advises leaving 12 to 24 hours.⁸

If something comes up

Not meeting a standard isn't always the end. In exceptional cases SACAA's medical assessor can still issue a certificate when the condition isn't likely to affect flight safety, with a limitation where safe flying depends on one.¹³ If your certificate is suspended, you can appeal to the Director of Civil Aviation within 14 days.¹⁴ Ask your examiner early about anything in your history: they can tell you which reports to bring.

Next: which licence you're aiming for, and how to choose a flight school.