Medical Certification for Pilots of Commercial Suborbital Spaceflights

AD Hoc COMMITTEE OF THE AEROSPACE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. Medical certification for pilots of commercial suborbital spaceflights. Aviat Space Environ Med 2009; 80:824-6. The Aerospace Medical Association convened a Working Group on October 31, 2008, with the objective of preparing a position statement on medical certification for pilots of commercial suborbital flights. The discussion concerned two areas: medical standards and the content of the medical examination. The Working Group found that the current medical standards for the Federal Aviation Administration Class I certificate were reasonable for crews flying suborbital profiles. It further recommended that the medical examination include a history and physical examination as well as urinalysis, hemoglobin/hematocrit, hemoglobin A1c, and ECG.