The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association worked with the\nFAA on issuing a three-month extension on pilot medical certificates that\nexpire between April 30 and September 30, 2020, under an updated\ncoronavirus-pandemic special federal aviation regulation that went into effect\non June 25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDuring this complicated time, it comes as a relief for many\ngeneral aviation pilots affected by the ever-changing situation surrounding the\ncoronavirus pandemic,\u201d said Mark Baker, AOPA President and CEO. \u201cWe look\nforward to seeing more pilots returning to the skies safely while also having\nthis extension to make it easier to remain in compliance with medical\ncertifications while doing so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s how the new medical extensions will work: They do not\ngive those pilots whose medicals originally expired in March any extra time\nbeyond June 30. Pilots whose medicals would expire at month\u2019s end of April,\nMay, June, July, August, and September all can add three calendar months to\ntheir medical certificates\u2019 validity, in all medical classes (not BasicMed).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new SFAR makes clear that other than relief for medical\ncertificate duration, “the relief in this final rule applies to a new\npopulation” of pilots “and does not extend the relief provided in the\noriginal” SFAR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
September is the new cutoff of eligibility for time\nextensions in the updated SFAR for flight reviews, instrument currency, remote\npilot aeronautical knowledge recency, and pilot knowledge exams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The applicability and operational conditions that limited\npilots’ eligibility for some of the SFAR provisions, such as additional time to\nestablish instrument proficiency, remain in force, with only the months of\neligibility changing, said Christopher Cooper, AOPA director of regulatory\naffairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
June 30 remains a hard deadline for some pilots who\nbenefited from the original SFAR, such as flight instructors. Those whose\ncertificates were to expire from March to May 2020 still have until June 30 to\nrenew without having to take a practical test. June 30 remains the last date\nbefore the expiration of those instructors’ certificates, Cooper said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n