Class III vs. Class II medical

G. Sylvester wrote:
Any reason I should get a Class II or should not get a class III?
to me it sounds like get a Class II and at worst, it cost me an
extra 15 minutes.

Gerald,

I have a congenital / functional heart murmur (actually the most mild
form recordable, but whatever). It was picked up by my AME (who used to
screen pilots for the military...surprise, surprise) during my first
medical evaluation 15 years ago, shortly after I started flying.

The FAA wanted an EKG to determine the severity of the murmur even
though I was only going for a Third Class. The Cardiologist who
performed the EKG ultimately said everything was fine, so right off the
bat I knew I could pass an EKG and the First Class medical. Good thing
I knew this, because my intention at that time was to fly
professionally. Had I continued with training and not been able to pass
anything beyond a Third Class, I would have wasted a lot of time and
money. For that reason, I recommend you go for the most stringent
medical you foresee needing in your aviation career and maintaining that
until you really need it.

FYI, I have a CFI and must maintain at least a Second Class, but have
continued to get First Class medicals because my AME has charged the
same amount for medicals not requiring an EKG and because I still have
this crazy notion that I may fly professionally after I pick up my ATP
this year (only 80 hours to go...wahoo!!). I turned 35 last year and
had to do an EKG for an extra $20, but I won't have to do another one
until I turn 40, which will be NEVER, of course. :-) So, until you
turn 40, there should be no significant cost differences between the
various medical classes.

As far as failing a medical goes, if your AME is reasonable he'll submit
paperwork for the highest class of medical you can pass, rather than
submitting paperwork he knows will result in a rejection. It's bad
business and doesn't help you when / if you choose to go for waivers.
If I ever find myself in that situation, I'm sure having a long history
of First Class medicals won't hurt me, either.

Oh, and if you're wondering what doctors can diagnose using an EKG,
check this out. Pretty interesting stuff.

http://www.ecglibrary.com/ecghome.html

Hope this helps,

-Doug

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Doug Vetter, CFIMEIA

http://www.dvcfi.com
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