Aviation Medicine
Aviation medicine is a sub-discipline of medicine that deals with aviation and space medicine.
The subject of aviation medicine are the physical and medical characteristics of the stay in air and space, as well as the well-being of the flying personnel and passengers. Comparable to an annual examination of an airplane, every pilot, no matter if he or she is a commercial or private pilot, has to undergo an aeromedical fitness examination, the so-called medical, at regular intervals with a licensed flight physician. Flight attendants must also undergo a medical examination at regular intervals.
Visual acuity requirements EASA Class 1
A corrected distance visual acuity of at least 0.7 (= 70%) for single vision and 1.0 (= 100%) for binocular vision must be achieved at each medical examination.
Reliable color recognition must be demonstrated. Contact lenses must be worn if anisometropia > 3 diopters.
If you have a refractive error of +3.0 to +5.0 diopters, – 3.0 to – 6.0 diopters, or anisometropia between >2 and <3 diopters, you must also have an ophthalmic examination every 5 years.
If you have a refractive error greater than -6.0 diopters, astigmatism or anisometropia greater than 3 diopters, you must also have an ophthalmic exam every 2 years.
After eye surgery and changes in visual acuity, an examination report from the ophthalmologist must be submitted to confirm fitness.
Entries for visual aids on the certificate:
- “VDL” a distance vision aid must be worn and a spare pair of glasses must be carried.
- “VNL” a visual aid for near (reading aid) must be worn and a spare pair of glasses must be carried.
- “VML” multifocal glasses must be worn (varifocals or multi-vision glasses) and a spare pair of glasses must be carried.
Visual acuity requirements EASA Class 2 / LAPL
At each medical examination a corrected distance visual acuity of at least 0.5 (= 50%) for single vision and 0.7 (= 70%) for both eyes must be achieved.
In case of a color vision defect, a medical certificate with the entry “VCL” (= only valid for daytime flights) can be issued.
After eye surgery and changes in visual acuity, an examination report from the ophthalmologist/medical examiner must be submitted to confirm fitness.
Entries for visual aids in the certificate:
- “VDL” a distance vision aid must be worn and a spare pair of glasses must be carried.
- “VNL” a visual aid for near (reading aid) must be worn and a spare pair of glasses must be carried.
- “VML” multifocal glasses must be worn (varifocals or multi-vision glasses) and a spare pair of glasses must be carried.
For the European Class I and II Medical Fitness Examination, please bring:
- Identity card or passport, if you have not yet been with us
- Previous medical exam, if not issued by us
- Pilot license, if available
- The completed application form of the Federal Aviation Authority
- Ophthalmologist's certificate for the initial Class II examination (an eyeglass passport, if applicable)
Aeromedical fitness examination for flight attendants:
- Medical history and examination
- Eye test / examination of the eyeglass passport
- Audiogram
- Resting ECG
Pilot registration forms
Before your appointment, we ask you to fill out the necessary application form for the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA) online here (Application for the Issue of a Medical Certificate).
