November 18, 2021 – FAA cites medical impairment of balloon pilots in the Final Rule requiring professional balloonists to meet commercial FAA medical certification.
The FAA aim is to assure the fitness of balloon pilots. To do this there is a new rule requiring commercial balloonists to obtain at least Class two FAA medical certification. The ultimate goal is to reduce accidents, fatalities and injuries.
The FAA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) under FAA Medical Certification Standards for Commercial Balloon Operations on November 18, 2021 (86 FR 64419).
The new rule finalizes the initial proposal, without any changes.
The FAA regulations now require airmen hold a valid second-class
medical certificate when exercising the privileges of a commercial pilot certificate in a balloon
for compensation or hire except when conducting flight training in a balloon. The FAA also
made miscellaneous amendments related to medical certification requirements for special
medical flight tests and changed the BasicMed regulations to accommodate the new rule. The FAA also removed the medical certification exemption in part 61 for commercial balloon pilots1 receiving compensation for transporting passengers.
This final rule amends §§ 61.3 and 61.23 of title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations
(14 CFR) to require commercial balloon pilots conducting operations for compensation or hire to
hold a valid second-class medical certificate. However, this final rule will continue to allow
pilots to provide flight training in balloons without requiring a medical certificate. The rule also
amends the table setting forth medical certificate durations in § 61.23(d) for consistency with
amendments to §§ 61.3 and 61.23(a) and (b).
The FAA also made two miscellaneous amendments. First, the FAA is amended
sections of part 61 to allow persons to act as pilot in command (PIC) during a special medical
flight test authorized under part 67 without holding a medical certificate.
The second was a minor change to regulations amended or established by the
Alternative Pilot Physical Examination and Education Requirements final rule to allow a
required pilot flightcrew member who is not acting as PIC to operate under BasicMed.
