Aviation medical fitness: Class 1, Class 2 and LAPL medicals explained

You stand at the fence, one Airbus after another touches down, and at some point the thought comes: I want to do that myself. Before it gets to flight school, aptitude test or financing, a sober question hangs in the air – are you medically fit to fly? The medical is the fitness certificate without which you may neither fly solo nor use a license. This guide explains the differences between the Class 1, Class 2 and LAPL medicals, what happens at the aviation medical examiner, how long the certificate is valid and why you should get the examination done too early rather than too late.

The medical in aviation: the short answer

The medical is an aeromedical fitness certificate issued by an authorized aviation medical examiner or an aeromedical center after an examination. In the EU, the basis is the “Part-MED” section (Annex IV of Regulation (EU) No. 1178/2011). For pilots there are three levels:

• Class 1 for professional pilots with a CPL, MPL or ATPL – that is, everyone who wants to sit in the cockpit at an airline such as the carriers of the Lufthansa Group.
• Class 2 at minimum for the private pilot license PPL(A).
• LAPL medical for the light recreational license LAPL and, as a rule, for gliding and ballooning.

Important for student pilots: under Part-MED you may make no solo flight until you hold a valid medical. So it must be in hand before the first solo at the latest – it makes sense to get it much earlier.

The three classes compared

The classes differ in the scope of examination, in the limit values and in validity. The following overview summarizes the most important points from Part-MED.

Criterion	Class 1	Class 2	LAPL medical
Typical licenses	ATPL, MPL, CPL	PPL (minimum requirement)	LAPL, as a rule also gliding and ballooning
Initial issue	aeromedical center (AeMC)	aviation medical examiner (AME) or AeMC	aviation medical examiner (AME) or AeMC
Validity under 40	12 months	60 months	60 months
Validity from 40	12 months, 6 months in single-pilot passenger operations (from 60 generally 6 months)	24 months (from 50: 12 months)	24 months
Scope of examination	very extensive, including ECG, hearing test, lung function, blood lipids	medium, ECG at fixed age thresholds	leaner, focus on medical history and basic examination
Distant visual acuity	0.7 per eye, 1.0 binocular (with or without vision aid)	0.5 per eye, 0.7 binocular	per aeromedical assessment

One detail is often overlooked: a Class 2 or LAPL medical that you obtain before your 40th birthday expires at the latest on your 42nd birthday – even if the 60 months have not arithmetically run out yet. Likewise, a Class 2 medical issued before the 50th birthday ends at the latest on the 51st birthday.

And one more thing: a medical of a higher class also covers the lower privileges. If you hold Class 1, you can also fly privately with a PPL or LAPL. Which recreational license is the better choice for you is compared in detail in the article LAPL or PPL.

What happens at the aviation medical examiner

The procedure is similar for all classes: a questionnaire on your medical history, a conversation, a physical examination, a vision test, a hearing test, a urine test. For Class 1, a much larger package is added. According to Part-MED, the initial examination includes, among other things:

• Resting ECG and determination of blood lipid values
• Lung function test and examination of the airways
• Comprehensive eye examination including refractive error and color vision
• Pure-tone audiometry (hearing test with pure tones) and an ENT examination
• Determination of the hemoglobin value and a urine examination
• a comprehensive assessment of mental health
• a drug and alcohol screening

The mental health assessment and the screening were added to EU law after the 2015 Germanwings crash. They are now a fixed part of the Class 1 initial examination.

Recurring examinations

Even after the initial issue, it does not stop at a conversation and blood pressure. For Class 1, Part-MED provides for the ECG at fixed intervals: every five years until 30, every two years until 40, annually until 50 and thereafter at every renewal. The hearing test for Class 1 is repeated every five years until 40 and every two years after that. For Class 2, an ECG is required at the initial examination, at the first examination after the 40th and the 50th birthday, and every two years after that. For the LAPL medical, from 50 the clinical examination, blood pressure, urine, vision and hearing are checked again at every renewal.

Vision, hearing, colors: the most common stumbling blocks

Most questions about the medical are not about rare diseases but about eyes and ears.

Visual acuity: For Class 1, Part-MED requires distant visual acuity of at least 0.7 in each eye and 1.0 binocular; for Class 2, at least 0.5 per eye and 0.7 binocular. This may be achieved with glasses or contact lenses. For Class 1 there are also limit values for the degree of refractive error at the initial examination. If you are strongly nearsighted or farsighted or have had laser eye surgery, you should bring findings and clarify the question early with the aeromedical center.

Color vision: Testing starts with Ishihara color plates. Anyone who makes errors is not automatically unfit but gets further tests. For Class 1, you must in the end have normal color vision or be demonstrably “color safe.” For Class 2, insufficient color perception usually leads to a restriction to daytime flights.

Hearing: At the Class 1 initial examination, hearing loss per ear may be at most 35 decibels at 500, 1,000 and 2,000 hertz and at most 50 decibels at 3,000 hertz. For Class 2, a pure-tone audiogram is mainly required when an instrument rating is added – what lies behind the difference between visual and instrument flight is explained in a separate article.

Responsibilities in Germany

In Germany, the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA, Federal Aviation Office) is the responsible authority for aeromedical matters under Part-MED. The examinations themselves are carried out by authorized aviation medical examiners and aeromedical centers. If the examiner cannot conclusively assess a finding, the case is referred to the authority, which then decides on fitness and possible conditions. That can take time but is not a verdict in itself – many referrals end with a certificate with conditions.

Anyone who exercises their privileges also carries responsibility between examinations. If you notice that your fitness has declined, you may not fly. In the case of surgery, new long-term medication, serious illness or pregnancy, you obtain aeromedical advice before you use the license again.

Other aviation careers: it is not only pilots who need a medical

Health matters not only in the cockpit. A short overview of related careers:

Career	Medical requirement	More on this
Airline pilot	Class 1 medical	ATPL training
Private pilot	at least Class 2 (PPL) or LAPL medical (LAPL)	Private pilot license PPL
Glider pilot	as a rule LAPL medical	Glider pilot license SPL
Air traffic controller	its own Class 3 medical certificate under EU controller rules	Becoming an air traffic controller
Flight attendant	aeromedical assessment for cabin crew	Becoming a flight attendant
Helicopter pilot	Class 1, Class 2 or LAPL depending on the license	Becoming a helicopter pilot

Ultralight aircraft are subject to their own national rules in Germany. What is medically required there is explained in the article on the ultralight license. If you want to join the Bundeswehr (German armed forces), you go through a separate, military flight surgeon examination – more in the guide Becoming a pilot in the Bundeswehr.

When should you get the medical?

The most important rule of thumb: Get the medical before you spend a lot of money. Professional pilot training costs a large sum, and a private pilot license is no small matter either. Anyone who only learns after many flight hours that a finding causes problems has lost time and money.

For aspiring professional pilots, the order is often: Class 1 medical, then selection process, then training. How the tests work is shown in the article DLR test and pilot selection, and an overview of all entry routes is in Becoming a pilot: the paths into the cockpit. And if you want to know whether the effort pays off financially, you will find orientation in the article What do pilots earn?.

What to keep in mind

• Keep an eye on the expiry date. With an expired medical you may not exercise the privileges of the license – not even for a short traffic pattern flight.
• Renew within the 45-day window. Anyone examined within this period before expiry loses no validity time.
• Do not pause too long. The longer a medical has been expired, the more extensive the next examination becomes – after several years, the scope of an initial examination may be due.
• Collect findings. Doctors’ letters, glasses prescription and surgery reports make every examination easier.
• Check medications. Even over-the-counter products can affect medical fitness. When in doubt, ask before you fly.
• Ask about costs beforehand. Prices differ considerably depending on practice and scope; a reputable center will tell you in advance.

Conclusion

The medical is the first real hurdle on the way to the cockpit – and one you should clear early. Class 1 opens the way to the airline but requires an extensive initial examination at the aeromedical center and an annual renewal. Class 2 and the LAPL medical are intended for recreational pilots, are leaner and remain valid considerably longer for younger pilots. Glasses, conditions or a referral to the authority do not automatically mean the end; what matters is an honest, well-prepared examination.