Part 61 Series — Medical Certificates, BasicMed, and Knowing When to Ground Yourself

You’ve got your endorsements.
You’ve logged the hours.
The airplane is fueled and ready.

But here’s a question many pilots don’t think about until checkride week:

Are you medically legal to fly today?

Under Part 61, being qualified to act as pilot in command isn’t just about certificates and ratings. It’s also about your medical eligibility — and that includes more than just holding a piece of paper from an Aviation Medical Examiner (AME).

In fact, one of the most important safety rules in Part 61 isn’t about paperwork at all. It’s about self-awareness.

In this third article of our six-part series on Part 61, we’ll break down:

• When a medical certificate is required

• How long it lasts

• What BasicMed allows

• When you must ground yourself

Whether you’re flying a two-seat trainer or your own single-engine cruiser, this is the section of the regulations that determines whether you can legally sit in the left seat.

Let’s make sure you’re cleared for takeoff.