[Chemist_Geek]

Medical Class : Second Medical Date: 08/2004

Could someone who knows more about pilot registration explain this? Does this mean he was issued some kind of extension on his pilot's license? After he failed to file registration papers for the plane?

A Second Class Medical Certificate is required to (legally) fly as an instructor, or any other flying for hire. It's valid for 24 calendar months, then another examination by a flight surgeon is necessary.

A medical certificate is in no way connected to a person's pilot certificate or aircraft registration.

[A Citizen Reporter]

Thank you!

[Turbopilot]

A Second Class Medical Certificate is required to (legally) fly as an instructor, or any other flying for hire. It's valid for 24 calendar months, then another examination by a flight surgeon is necessary.

Minor point: a second class medical is not required to instruct. If the person being instructed meets the legal requirements to make the flight alone (i.e. has the right ratings, medical, etc.) the instructor doesn't need any medical certificate, and if not (e.g. a new student) the instructor needs a third class.

Also, while a second class is good for 24 months, it only permits operations requiring a second class (i.e. flying for hire, other than in an airline environment) for the first 12 months. During months 13-24 it can only be used for operations requiring a third class medical.

Nevertheless, the aircraft if not the pilot made the flight illegal since the triennial papers never got to it in 2002. Without those, the registration and therefore the airworthiness certificate were invalid. To say nothing of the fact that the pilot may have been smuggling illegal aliens. At that point FAR violations are secondary. :-p