Military med to Class 1 JAR

[GipsyMagpie]

If you're military aircrew do you still need to go to Gatwick for your 1st class 1 medical?

[Tortoise]

No, initial Class 1 medicals can be done by a military AME but they cannot issue the certificate- the paperwork has to be sent off to the CAA who will issue it direct to you. Of course you could also have them do the medical down at Gatwick if you wished! Renewals can be done by military AMEs; some can issue the certificate themselves if they are "stamp holders", others send the paperwork to the CAA for them to issue it.

Hope that helps, do PM me if you need any futher information!

[NavyDropout]

Hi there Tortoise,

Sorry to bring this up again - I'm new here and was just making sure I got it right. If I have a Class 1 Aircrew Medical (from the RN as an Observer), I can just get the Doc who issued it to me (PMO at Culdrose) to send off a form to the CAA and get it 'converted' into a civvy Class 1 medical?

As you can possibly tell, I'm kind of thinking of leaving the RN and pursuing a career in civvy flying, due to having failed the Basic Observers Course.

Any pointers / help would be appreciated, many thanks.

[Tortoise]

Not all military doctors can do CAA examinations- if your PMO can't then someone at another unit may be able to give you an appointment. We would probably be able to help where I work, but unfortunately that is nowhere near Culdrose!! The CAA Medical section should be able to tell you your most local military AME if you give them a call, or your med centre may hold a list.

To convert a military medical to an intial Class 1, you'll need to have an ECG, blood tests, and detailed eye examination in addition to the usual audio and prelims. Then it's just a matter of filling out all the forms and sending them off to the CAA with a cheque for the reading of your ECG, and paying the med centre whatever fee they charge. I believe the CAA get the certificate out within 2-3 weeks on average but will expidite this if you need it in a hurry for an interview or whatever.

I'd be happy to discuss any specific questions by phone if you want to drop me a PM. Hope that helps!