I didn’t do a PMD as I got the impression (not sure whether it was an official announcement, or rumour, or whatever) that one would not be allowed to hold a Class 2 medical and a PMD at the same time.
The CAA Medical dept obviously hate the PMD because it reduces their sphere of influence. At this point the various insiders usually tell you that all the relevant personnel they know are far too professional to have such prejudices, but it’s just basic organisational theory and I’m yet to see anything that suggests the CAA are immune. If anything, they carry more prejudices and less objective critical reasoning ability than the average organisation.
You can definitely have a Class 2 issued while having the PMD on file at the CAA.
Presumably, therefore, if that Class 2 lapses, you will just revert to the PMD.
I am not aware of anyone having applied for the PMD while having a valid Class 2, but this is not a valuable data point 
The CAA Medical dept obviously hate the PMD because it reduces their sphere of influence.
That may be the case, but I had always wondered whether the PMD was a pragmatic response to a shortage of AMEs. I can see the value in maintaining a network of people to call on for medical advice, but for younger people without a significant medical history the system probably adds little value.
There is overwhelming evidence from the US Sport Pilot medical that the AME medical system adds no safely value at all.
It remains an ICAO requirement for international flight, however.
I agree about the response to a shortage of AMEs but is there really a shortage? I can think of at least 5 within 1hr drive. What is certainly true is that nearly all pilots stick to the same AME until he retires or dies, and travel to him/her totally regardless of distance or cost.
The CAA Medical dept obviously hate the PMD because it reduces their sphere of influence
I’m not sure that is at all obvious. The letter in the first post seems to be the CAA medical department suggesting that pilots go get a PMD instead of a class 2. I’m not sure they’d do that out they hated it.
When I had an FAA Class 3, it was done along with my EASA Class 2 at Aberdeen, by an AME with dual authorisation.
It would be bizarre if an AME in Scotland could do an FAA medical but be prevented from doing an EASA/CAA (Brexit) one.
Malibuflyer wrote:
Got the impression that it is more common that pilots use this for insurance fraud having their medical paid by the health insurance as “checkup”.
From a doctor’s perspective, there is zero incentive to do this, as you get paid much more for the medical – directly from the pilot – than you get from health insurance for the checkup, which is < 20 € IIRC. Obviously, if you are privately insured, it is different because they can put that 2,3x Steigerungsfaktor on your bill, which might make it more cost effective.
MedEwok wrote:
From a doctor’s perspective, there is zero incentive to do this, as you get paid much more for the medical – directly from the pilot – than you get from health insurance for the checkup, which is < 20 € IIRC. Obviously, if you are privately insured, it is different because they can put that 2,3x Steigerungsfaktor on your bill, which might make it more cost effective.
Fully agree! For members of public health insurance that makes no sense at all.
However, a significant share of the private pilot population is privately insured. And for those it is not about the Steigerungsfaktor (which is a mere calculator factor) but about the ability to charge each service individually in the first place (w/o such things like Regelleistungsvolumen, max quarterly point values, etc.). Therefore a regular checkup is in the same ballpark of cost as a medical.
And btw.: I positively know at least 2 German health insurers that have a rule “Bi-yearly checkup at a physician that is not visited outside of these checkups and has an AME qualification…” in the ruleset of their fraud detection engines and follow up on customers trying to charge these bills.
Maoraigh wrote:
When I had an FAA Class 3, it was done along with my EASA Class 2 at Aberdeen, by an AME with dual authorisation. It would be bizarre if an AME in Scotland could do an FAA medical but be prevented from doing an EASA/CAA (Brexit) one.
Bizarre but true it appears.
I just scheduled an FAA 3rd Class for next week. $125 this time, up from $85 in 2004 which is under 3% inflation so not too bad on that basis. I still don’t like paying for no benefit especially since my long term AME who would do it on the way home from work in 15 minutes has now retired and I have to drive across town for the new guy. I don’t do Basic Med on the off chance that I might fly out of the US.
I get a real physical with extensive blood work etc periodically and don’t consider the aviation procedure useful, never mind comparable.
It would be bizarre if an AME in Scotland could do an FAA medical but be prevented from doing an EASA/CAA (Brexit) one.
The two medical authorisations are totally separate. Most European AMEs do EASA medicals only however, because (reportedly) getting into the FAA medical position is possible only if another FAA AME drops out. It is similar to the FAA 145 approval; hard to get in Europe unless somebody big in the US can “swing it” for you.
