Concrete Class 1 / airline medical standards by authority — who needs it, validity, vision, hearing, cardiac checks, and where to examine. Rules change — always confirm with the issuing authority and an authorised aviation medical examiner (AME).
Disclaimer: This page is an educational summary only. It is not medical, legal or licensing advice. Fitness standards, validity periods, waiver / special-issuance policies and airline occupational medicals differ by authority and change over time. Verify on the official CAA / FAA / EASA / UK CAA / HKCAD / CAAC / JCAB / GCAA / CAAS / CASA websites and with an AME before planning training or applications.
Hong Kong — HKCAD Class 1
Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (HKCAD) issues Class 1 and Class 2 medical certificates for pilots. Standards follow ICAO Annex 1 unless a difference is filed. Class 1 is required for all Hong Kong professional pilot licences (CPL / MPL / ATPL) and for a PPL with instrument rating.
Who: Class 1 for CPL, MPL, ATPL; also required when a PPL includes an instrument rating.
Where: Examination by a CAD-approved Medical Examiner (AME); a CAD Approved Medical Assessor (AMA) reviews the report before the certificate is granted. Apply via PLIS (or paper DCA 153 if PLIS is unavailable).
Validity (CPL / MPL / ATPL Class 1): under 40 — 12 months; age 40–59 — 6 months for single-crew commercial air transport carrying passengers, otherwise 12 months for other commercial air transport; age 60+ — 6 months. Certificate valid to the last day of the due month. Clinical reduction possible.
Vision / hearing / systems: ICAO Annex 1 Class 1 principles (distant acuity typically correctable to at least 6/9 each eye and 6/6 both eyes; colour vision; hearing; cardiovascular, neurological and general physical assessments). Exact numeric cut-offs and special tests are set by CAD medical guidance — confirm with your AME.
Unfit / notification: Injury, illness ≥20 days, or pregnancy must be notified to CAD; certificate is suspended until AMA clearance. Psychoactive substance use that impairs safe exercise of privileges is prohibited.
Airline note: Operators may add occupational health checks beyond the licence medical.
Under CCAR-67 (民用航空人员体检合格证管理规则), Class I (Ⅰ级) medical certificates are required for ATPL, multi-crew pilot licence, and commercial pilot (aeroplane / helicopter / tilt-rotor) applicants and holders. Exams are done at CAAC-recognised aviation medical centres; the regional administration issues the certificate.
Who: ATPL, MPL, and CPL (aeroplane / helicopter / tilt-rotor) — Class I.
Validity: Class I generally 12 months; age 60+ — 6 months; pilots in CCAR-121 operations aged 40+ — 6 months. Age is taken at the medical assessment date.
Distant vision: each eye 0.7 or better (corrected or uncorrected); both eyes 1.0 or better. No fixed limit on uncorrected acuity or refraction in the published standard; if correction is needed, lenses must be worn on duty and a spare pair of the same prescription carried. Contact lenses: monofocal, untinted, comfortable; spare spectacles required.
Near / intermediate: each eye 0.5 or better at 30–50 cm and 0.25 or better at 100 cm (with or without correction). Correction must also meet distant standards; near-only readers alone are not acceptable.
Eyes: no abnormal visual fields, colour vision defect, night blindness, or binocular dysfunction that affects safe duty. Refractive surgery sequelae that affect safety are unfit.
Hearing: pure-tone — each ear ≤35 dB loss at 500 / 1000 / 2000 Hz and ≤50 dB at 3000 Hz; if exceeded, must still hear speech/radiotelephony in cockpit noise (or simulation) and conversational voice at 2 m in a quiet room with back turned.
Cardiovascular: history/diagnosis of MI, angina, CHD, severe arrhythmia, valve replacement, permanent pacemaker, heart transplant — unfit under the Class I standard. Sustained BP >155 mmHg systolic or >95 mmHg diastolic — unfit.
Mental / neuro / metabolic: psychosis, substance dependence/abuse, severe personality disorder, epilepsy, unexplained consciousness disturbance — unfit. Diabetes requiring medication — unfit under the Class I medical standard text. Pregnancy — unfit during pregnancy.
Foreign pilots: short-term recognition of a foreign ICAO medical may be available for ≤120 days; longer duty normally requires a CAAC-issued certificate. Do not assume automatic mutual recognition of a foreign Class 1.
FAA first-class airman medical certificates are governed by 14 CFR Part 67 Subpart B. Required for airline transport pilot privileges as PIC (and certain Part 121 SIC cases). Issued by Aviation Medical Examiners via MedXPress. BasicMed does not replace first-class for airline ATP PIC duties.
Duration for ATP PIC / specified Part 121 ops: under age 40 at exam — through the end of the 12th month after the exam month; age 40+ — through the end of the 6th month (14 CFR 61.23).
Distant vision: 20/20 or better in each eye separately, with or without correction; correction must be worn if needed for 20/20.
Near vision: 20/40 or better each eye at 16 inches; age 50+ also 20/40 intermediate at 32 inches. Colour vision: colours necessary for safe airman duties. Normal fields of vision.
Hearing: conversational voice at 6 feet with back turned, or audiometric speech discrimination ≥70%, or pure-tone thresholds no worse than — better ear 35/30/30/40 dB and poorer ear 35/50/50/60 dB at 500/1000/2000/3000 Hz.
Blood pressure: Part 67 does not state a numeric limit; AME Guide current guideline maximum is 155/95. ECG: first-class — at age 35 and annually after age 40.
Mental / substances: no psychosis, bipolar disorder, or severe personality disorder repeatedly manifested by overt acts. Substance dependence is disqualifying unless Federal Air Surgeon–satisfactory recovery with ≥2 years abstinence; substance abuse within preceding 2 years is disqualifying.
Other Part 67 disqualifying conditions (deny/defer unless FAA directs otherwise) include diabetes mellitus requiring hypoglycemic medication, angina, significant CHD, MI, valve replacement, permanent pacemaker, heart transplant, epilepsy, and unexplained disturbance of consciousness.
EASA Part-MED (Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011) Class 1 is required for CPL / MPL / ATPL. The UK retains aligned UK Part-MED rules after Brexit — confirm with the state of licence issue. Initial Class 1 is issued only by an Aero-Medical Centre (AeMC); revalidation / renewal may be by AeMC or an AME with Class 1 privileges.
Validity: normally 12 months; 6 months if age 60+, or if age 40+ and engaged in single-pilot commercial air transport carrying passengers (MED.A.045 / UK CAA equivalent).
Distant vision: 6/9 (0.7) or better each eye separately and 6/6 (1.0) or better with both eyes, with or without correction (MED.B.070). Initial applicants with substandard vision in one eye — unfit.
Near vision: read N5 (or equivalent) at 30–50 cm and N14 at 100 cm, with correction if needed. Spare correcting spectacles required when correction is used. Contact lenses for distant vision: monofocal, non-tinted. Orthokeratology lenses not permitted.
Refraction (Class 1 — referral thresholds): myopia > −6.0 D, astigmatism > 2.0 D, anisometropia > 2.0 D, or hypermetropia > +5.0 D require referral / specialist evaluation (hyperopes > +5.0 D need 6/6 each eye corrected).
Colour vision: Ishihara at initial issue; if failed, further testing to confirm “colour safe” (normal trichromat or colour safe). Failure of further testing — unfit for Class 1.
Hearing: pure-tone audiometry at initial Class 1, then every 5 years to age 40 and every 2 years thereafter. Initial — hearing loss not more than 35 dB at 500 / 1000 / 2000 Hz or 50 dB at 3000 Hz in either ear.
Cardiovascular: resting 12-lead ECG at initial Class 1, then every 5 years until 30, every 2 years until 40, annually until 50, and at all revalidation/renewal thereafter. BP consistently >160 mmHg systolic or >95 mmHg diastolic — unfit. Serum lipids at initial and first exam after age 40.
Mental health: comprehensive mental health assessment and drugs/alcohol screening form part of initial Class 1. Schizophrenia / schizotypal / delusional disorder — unfit. Mood, neurotic, personality and substance-related disorders require psychiatric evaluation and authority referral for Class 1.
Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB / MLIT) Class 1 (第1種航空身体検査証明) is required for professional flight crew under Japanese rules. Examinations follow the Aviation Medical Examination Manual at designated facilities. Foreign licence conversion into Japan requires meeting JCAB medical (and language) requirements separately.
Validity (Class 1): typically 1 year; 6 months when age 40+ and acting as sole pilot on passenger commercial air transport; 6 months when age 60+ for other commercial air transport flying (MLIT validity table).
Distant vision (Class 1): each eye 0.7+ and both eyes 1.0+ uncorrected, or correctable to those levels with spectacles whose lens power does not exceed ±8 dioptres; if correction is used, wear correcting spectacles on duty and carry a spare pair.
Intermediate: 0.2 or better at 80 cm each eye. Near: 0.5 or better at 30–50 cm each eye (with or without own correction).
Colour vision: Ishihara plates (normally at initial exam). If outside normal range, Panel D-15 pass with ophthalmologist confirmation may allow fit; otherwise ministerial judgment pathways exist.
Orthokeratology and a history of refractive surgery are listed as unfit conditions in the vision chapter (specialist / ministerial pathways may apply — confirm with designated examiner).
Contact lenses: allowed for distant correction if criteria met; multifocal and tinted contact lenses must not be used for the examination standards described.
UAE GCAA CAR-MED is ICAO-aligned and closely mirrors EASA Part-MED structure. Class 1 is required for CPL / MPL / ATPL. Gulf carriers often also run separate pre-employment occupational medicals.
Who: CPL, MPL, ATPL holders/applicants — Class 1 (CAR-MED MED.A.030).
Validity: maximum 12 months; reduced to 6 months if age 40+ in single-pilot commercial air transport carrying passengers, or age 60+. Class 1 normally ceases at age 65 except limited Part-NCC (non-commercial complex) renewals with a commercial-ops restriction.
Revalidation window: examinations up to 45 days before expiry. After age 60, GCAA publishes enhanced cardiology, ophthalmology, labs and (at first over-60) psychology / neurocognitive requirements — confirm current AMC1 MED.A.045 with your AME.
Vision / colour / ENT: CAR-MED MED.B.070 / .075 / .080 — same architecture as EASA (distant 6/9 each eye and 6/6 both eyes class of standard; Ishihara then colour-safe testing; audiometry schedule). Use the current CAR-MED PDF for exact figures.
Where: GCAA-authorised AeMC or AME via the GCAA e-Medical system. Decrease in fitness, new medication, surgery, pregnancy, or ≥20 consecutive days incapacity must be managed under MED.A.020.
Airline note: Emirates / Etihad / flydubai-style occupational screens can be stricter than the licence Class 1 minimum.
Singapore CAAS — Class 1 Aviation Medical Certificate for ATPL, CPL, MPL and PPL with IR. Licensing Medical Examination with a Designated Medical Examiner (often via CAMEC at Changi). Application through ELMeRS; CAAS fee applies in addition to DME fees. LME report generally valid 90 days; renew within the 45-day window. Detailed clinical standards in Aviation Specifications 8 / ANR-67 — confirm with CAAS/DME for acuity and validity-by-age figures.
Australia CASA — Class 1 required for ATPL, CPL (other than balloons), MPL and flight engineer. Validity generally one year unless otherwise advised. CASR 67.150 medical standard 1 includes distant acuity 6/9 each eye and 6/6 binocular (with/without correction), near N5 at 30–50 cm and N14 at 1 m, and hearing thresholds aligned with the 35/50 dB pattern — with speech/operational testing if exceeded.
Bahrain / Qatar / KSA — National CAA Class 1 typically required for local airline operations; frameworks are ICAO-aligned with local AeMC lists and carrier occupational medicals. Confirm the State of licence and the airline’s recruitment medical separately.
ICAO Annex 1 — International baseline medical provisions for Class 1 / 2 / 3. Each Contracting State implements detailed standards (often with notified differences). Useful as a comparison baseline, not a licence medical by itself.
Book an AME / AeMC early — especially before expensive type ratings, cadet bonds or overseas moves.
Disclose medications and history honestly; undeclared conditions risk certificate action or later grounding.
Colour vision, refractive surgery, blood pressure / ECG findings and mental-health history are common airline screening focus areas.
Airline occupational medicals can be stricter than the licence Class 1 minimum — treat both as separate gates.
If a published numeric standard is unclear for your authority, ask the AME for the current manual / AMC reference rather than relying on forum summaries.