Medical Requirement For Malaysian Pilots Explained

Aviation medicine also known as flight medicine or aerospace medicine, is a preventive or occupational medicine in which the patients/subjects are pilots, aircrews, or persons involved in flight e.g cabin crew and passengers. I have picked up all the important points that you require to know as a pilot from the CAAM website.

Medical Standards & Certificates

Depending on the type of flying you wish to do and your general medical fitness, there are different options available for the type of aircraft that you may wish to fly. In Malaysia medical certificate is divided into class  ,class 2 & class 3. Assessment – means the conclusion on the medical fitness of a person based on the evaluation of the person’s medical history as required in these Directives and further examinations as necessary, medical tests such as, but not limited to, ECG, blood pressure measurement, blood testing, X-ray and specialist’s reports.

Applicants for and holders of a commercial pilot license (“CPL”), a multi-crew pilot license (“MPL”), or an airline transport pilot license (“ATPL”) must hold a Class 1 medical certificate.

A applicant should not posses any abnormality of the function of the eyes  or any active pathological condition, congenital or acquired, acute or chronic, or any sequel of eye surgery or trauma, which is likely to interfere with the safe exercise of the privileges of the applicable license(s).

Eyesight – this is the commonest cause of difficulty during the examination.

• Distance Vision – Your visual acuity (measured by your ability to see, in this case, lines of letters on a chart at 6 metres) must be at least 6/9 in each eye separately and 6/6 using both eyes together, with or without glasses or contact lenses (correction).
• Near Vision – On the standard near vision eye chart you must be able to read the N5 print between 30 and 50 cm and the N14 print at 100 cm, with or without correction.
• Contact Lenses – You may wear contact lenses as a professional pilot, but they must be monofocal, nontinted and for distant vision (not to correct near vision). Any contact lenses should be brought to the examination.
• Eye surgery –  Should be informed
• Colour Vision – Should be in optimum condition
• Eye Function – You must have normal fields of vision. You must not suffer from double vision.

Hearing – When tested on a pure-tone audiometer, initial applicants shall not have a hearing loss of more than 35 dB at any of the frequencies 500, 1 000 or 2 000 Hz, or more than 50 dB at 3000 Hz, in either ear separately. Applicants for revalidation or renewal, with greater hearing loss shall demonstrate satisfactory functional hearing ability.

Full blood test & Pressure – this is a finger prick blood test which measures the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. A low haemoglobin is called anaemia and will need further investigation. Pressure should be within the normal range

Chest X-ray – this investigation is not required for DCA Class 1, but may be required when indicated on clinical or epidemiological grounds.

Urine test – Mainly looking for sugar (diabetes), protein or blood.

Electrocardiogram – To check any abnormalities in your heart

For detailed description of the Medical Requirements for Flight Crew Licencing please see FOD-Medical-4.4.17 ( DCA)

CLASS 2

EASA aircraft ( Light Weight Aircraft -PPL)

To fly EASA aircraft (for example Cessna 152 or Piper PA28) on an EU Part-FCL Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL), you need an internationally recognized Class 2 medical certificate obtained from an aeromedical examiner (AME).

Class 2 Medical Assessment which is applicable to applicants for, and
holders of:
(i) flight navigator license;
(ii) flight engineer license;
(iii) PPL (aeroplane, airship, helicopter and powered-lift); and
(iv) BPL.

Class 2 medical certificates shall be valid for a period of:

In the case of the respective aircrew who is of the age of between 40 years and 1 day and below the age of 50 years and 1 day on the date the medical certificate is issued or on the expiry date of his previous medical certificate, as the case may be,

SPL For CPL – 12 Months

SPL For PPL – 24 Months

A medical certificate which is issued preceding the age of 50 years and 1 day shall be valid until the respective aircrew reaches the age
of 51 years; and

In the case of the respective aircrew who is of the age of 50 years and 1 day or above on the date the medical certificate is issued or on the expiry date of his previous medical certificate, as the case may be, 12 months.

CLASS 1

1. Classes of Medical Assessment. Three classes as follows:
   Class 1 Medical Assessment which is applicable to applicants for, and
   holders of:
   (i) CPL (aeroplane, airship, helicopter and powered-lift);
   (ii) MPL (aeroplane); and
   (iii) ATPL (aeroplane, helicopter and powered-lift).

Class 1 medical certificates shall be valid for a period of 12 months.

• Notwithstanding paragraph (1), Class 1 medical certificates shall be valid for a period of 6 months in the case of the respective aircrew who:
  • is of the age of 60 or above on the date the medical certificate is issued or on the expiry date of his previous medical certificate, as the case may be; or

• are engaged in single-pilot commercial air transport operations carrying passengers and have reached the age of 40

How To Apply?

Just call one of the medical clinics below and follow their steps. Different clinics have different procedure involving eye checkup and x-ray scanning.Usually you have to do eye checkup at THONEH and proceed tot he clinic.

List Of AME’s: http://www.dca.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/FON-02.19-LIST-OF-MEDICAL-EXAMINER-CAAM_220419.pdf

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