Regulations and Government
FAA Delays Aeromed Certification Policy Change
But new color vision testing will still go into effect January 1
A screenshot of a slide from FAA presentation
Screenshot of YouTube post of AME Grand Rounds special session posted December 16

The FAA yesterday delayed making stark changes to policies for aviation medical examiners (AMEs) that were set to take effect on January 1 and impact pilots seeking to get or renew an aeromedical certificate. But it will go ahead with rolling out its new, computerized color vision test requirements next month.

Previously, the FAA announced it would shift to issuing initial denials instead of deferrals for medical certificate applications that require additional information. Late on December 18, the FAA said it would postpone this process change until March 1 after receiving feedback from aviation stakeholders. This extra time will allow the agency to educate the pilot community and host a listening session in January with various aviation associations, the FAA noted.