How an aviation medical examiner can help your career take off
Are your final pilot exams on the horizon? There’s just one more task you need to tick off your list before you take to the skies as a qualified pilot, and that is to book an appointment with a trusted aviation medical examiner.
At Heathrow Medical, we offer the pilot medicals required by most global aviation authorities from our conveniently-located London practice. Our expert medical examiners conduct these examinations every single day to verify the health and wellbeing of pilots like yourself, so let’s find out how our dedicated team will support you with the right medical assessment for your career aspirations.
Your dedicated aviation medical examiner
The responsibility of assessing and certifying the physical wellbeing of individuals in aviation falls to our aviation medical examiners (AMEs), who are specially-qualified to conduct pilot medicals and issue the relevant medical certificates.
Heathrow Medical provides a ‘gold standard’ service to UK pilots, so you can rely upon our team to obtain or renew the certifications that you need.
Before your appointment
Once you book your appointment, our team will advise you on any medical notes or identifying documents to bring with you, any rules to adhere to before the appointment (eg. no food, drink, or cigarettes leading up to the tests), and whether you need to create an account registering with the relevant aviation authority. Then, once you arrive for your appointment, your attending AME will assess your medical history and current physical health with a series of comprehensive checks.
The particular checks involved can vary depending on the requirements of the governing body, and particularly if you are applying for an initial certificate rather than a renewal, but each medical assessment that we offer involves the following:
- A discussion of your medical history
- A review of any current conditions and medication
- An eye test
- A hearing test
- A physical examination
After your examination
If your aviation medical examiner finds no underlying medical issues during the examination, then you will be issued with your certificate on the day of your appointment. However, if the findings will delay your certification or prevent you from being certified as fit to fly, we will let you know as soon as possible and advise you on next steps.
This may involve a referral to a specialist who can investigate your condition further, or it may simply involve advice on how to manage any conditions to prevent them from affecting your health. Whilst there are several conditions, such as severe epilepsy and significant visual impairment, that will cause issues for your flying career, the vast majority of conditions are covered by a ‘with restrictions’ certification and will not immediately result in a failed examination.
In any case, you must remember to be honest with your aeromedical examiner when discussing your health, as this protects everyone’s safety – yours, your colleagues’, and your passengers’.
Our aviation medical examinations
As specialists in aviation medicals, every aeromedical examiner on our team is specially qualified to issue all initial and renewal pilot medical certificates, from an initial CAA Class 1 to any class of DCA medical.
Our specialist examinations are one of the main ways to maintain safety standards across the sector and protect the health and safety of anyone who travels the skies, and we provide the following:
1. CAA Class 1, 2 and 3 Medicals
Required for all individuals seeking to obtain or renew their commercial or private pilot’s licence in line with the medical standards set by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
2. EASA Class 1, 2 and 3 Medicals
As an EASA approved AeMC, we can perform these medical examinations required for all private and commercial pilots operating in EU member states.
3. Medicals for FAA, CASA, GACA, and CAME
Make sure you meet the necessary medical standards of your aviation authority, including the FAA, CASA, CAME, and KSA, with our global aviation medicals.
Booking with an aviation medical examiner
To apply for your relevant medical certificate, you’ll need to make an appointment directly with our centre.
So, find the right medical assessment for you here, and follow the links on each page to book an appointment via our online calendar.