According to the AOPA, more than 25,000 pilots are now flying under BasicMed rather than with an FAA aviation medical certificate. Effective May 1, 2017, BasicMed allows pilots in good health who have held a valid FAA medical certificate in the past decade and a current driver’s license to fly aircraft under 6,000 lb. They must visit a state-licensed physician every four years and complete an online course every two years. The change, says the association,“is giving thousands of ...