2010 Aerospace Medical Certification Statistical Handbook

Introduction. The annual Aerospace Medical Certification Statistical Handbook reports descriptive characteristics of all active U.S. civil aviation airmen and the aviation medical examiners (AMEs) that perform the required medical examinations. This information has not been published since 1998, so in response to recent need, we reinstated the annual report. The 2010 annual handbook documents the most recent and most widely relevant data on active civil aviation airmen and AMEs. Methods. Medical certification records from 2006-2010 were selected from the Document Imaging Workflow System (DIWS) which is the FAA medical certification database. All medical data were abstracted from the most recent medical examinations with the exception of medical conditions which were historical and current. Only those with a non-expired medical certificate remained in the dataset. AME records were selected from the Aviation Medical Examiner Information System (AMEIS). The current status of each AME was determined for each year of the study period from 2008-2010, retaining only those with an active status. Airman variables include age, issued and effective medical classes, height, weight, BMI, gender, select medical conditions, special issuances, and FAA region of residence. AME variables include AME type, age, gender, medical specialty, pilot license status, senior examiner status, and region. Results. Airmen: As of December 31, 2010, there were 598,642 medically certified airmen age 16 and older, and 30.9%, 22.1%, and 47.0% were issued a Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 medical certificate, respectively. Across all medical classes, the average age was 44 years and 93.5% of the airmen were male. The mean BMI for both females and males was 24.2 and 27.3 respectively. Six percent of issued certificates required a special issuance. The most commonly reported medical condition was hypertension with medication, at 11%. AMEs: Of the 3,651 active AMEs, 93% were civilian, 2.4% federal, and 4.6% The original document contains color images.