The Air Navigation Order 2005

Medical requirements

32.—(1) The holder of a licence granted under article 27, other than a Flight Radiotelephony Operator’s Licence, shall not be entitled to perform any of the functions to which his licence relates unless it includes an appropriate valid medical certificate issued under paragraph (3).

(2) Every applicant for or holder of a licence granted under article 27 shall upon such occasions as the CAA may require submit himself to medical examination by a person approved by the CAA, either generally or in a particular case or class of cases, who shall make a report to the CAA in such form as the CAA may require.

(3) On the basis of such medical examination, the CAA or any person approved by it as competent to do so may issue a medical certificate subject to such conditions as it or he thinks fit to the effect that it or he has assessed the holder of the licence as meeting the requirements specified in respect of the certificate and the certificate shall, without prejudice to paragraph (6), be valid for such period as is therein specified and shall be deemed to form part of the licence.

(4) A person shall not be entitled to act as a member of the flight crew of an aircraft registered in the United Kingdom if he knows or suspects that his physical or mental condition renders him temporarily or permanently unfit to perform such functions or to act in such capacity.

(5) Every holder of a medical certificate issued under this article who—

(a) suffers any personal injury involving incapacity to undertake his functions as a member of the flight crew;

(b) suffers any illness involving incapacity to undertake those functions throughout a period of 21 days or more; or

(c) in the case of a woman, has reason to believe that she is pregnant;

shall inform the CAA in writing of such injury, illness or pregnancy, as soon as possible in the case of injury or pregnancy, and as soon as the period of 21 days has expired in the case of illness.

(6) The medical certificate shall be deemed to be suspended upon the occurrence of such injury or the expiry of such period of illness or the confirmation of the pregnancy; and—

(a) in the case of injury or illness the suspension shall cease upon the holder being medically examined under arrangements made by the CAA and pronounced fit to resume his functions as a member of the flight crew or upon the CAA exempting, subject to such conditions as it thinks fit, the holder from the requirement of a medical examination; and

(b) in the case of pregnancy, the suspension may be lifted by the CAA for such period and subject to such conditions as it thinks fit and shall cease upon the holder being medically examined under arrangements made by the CAA after the pregnancy has ended and pronounced fit to resume her functions as a member of the flight crew.