Treat this as a credentialing process with gates, not an exam with a syllabus. First confirm you meet every minimum criterion: GMC registration and licence, GP or acceptable specialist registration, one aviation medicine or flying experience option, a pass in an approved aviation medicine course, and suitable premises. Then request the Proposed Location Form, complete 5 days of mandatory training at a UK Aeromedical Centre, and plan from the start for maintenance duties: Class 2 CPD, minimum annual examinations and audit visits. Meeting the criteria does not guarantee certification, because the CAA prioritises applications where UK licence holders actually need examiners.
What this certification authorises
The credential lets a doctor perform UK CAA Class 2, LAPL and cabin crew medical examinations and give aviation medicine advice.
Aeromedical examiners (AMEs) are doctors with specialist aviation medicine training. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) certificates them to carry out aircrew and air traffic controller medical examinations and to give aviation medicine advice where needed.
Class 2 AME privileges cover three assessment types at once: Class 2 medical certificates, LAPL medical certificates and cabin crew medical assessments. You are not employed by the CAA; you work independently once certificated, and Class 2 or LAPL medicals at any stage can be undertaken with any UK AME.
That breadth is the practical point of this credential: a single authorisation serves private pilots, light aircraft pilots and cabin crew, each assessed against different rules. The sections below follow the actual CAA pathway from eligibility through training to maintenance.
Sources: Guidance on AME Certification | UK Civil Aviation Authority — Certification criteria, training, charges and maintenance sections; Aeromedical certification overview | UK Civil Aviation Authority — Medical certificates for pilots and ATCOs; cabin crew medical reports
Minimum criteria for initial certification
All of the CAA's listed criteria must be met, including GMC registration, GP or acceptable specialist listing, one aviation medicine or flying experience option, a pass in an approved course, and suitable premises.
The CAA publishes a minimum criteria list for UK Class 2 AME privileges covering Class 2, LAPL and cabin crew medical examinations. Every item is required; there is no partial approval.
The aviation medicine requirement is a one-of-four choice inside an otherwise all-required list. You need one of: a Diploma or Master's in Aviation Medicine from King's College London or the University of Otago, at least one year of full-time (or part-time equivalent) aviation medicine practice such as care of aircrew or air ambulance work, a Private Pilot's Licence (PPL A/H), or completion of the UK CAA Approved Introduction to Multi-crew Jet Operations (IMJO) Course.
Separately, you must have attended and completed the full course and passed the final exams of either the UK CAA Approved Basic Course in Aviation Medicine (BCAM, King's College or the UK Military Aviation Medical Examiner course) or a Diploma or Master's in Aviation Medicine. Finally, you need premises suitable for UK CAA medical examinations, with the necessary equipment and procedures.
Even meeting every criterion is not a guarantee. The CAA receives more applications than stakeholder need requires and prioritises UK locations where licence holders have a geographical need for examinations, so a strong application can still be declined.
Practice check
A consultant cardiologist holds full, unrestricted GMC registration with a licence to practise, is on the Specialist Register, and has passed the final exams of the UK CAA Approved Basic Course in Aviation Medicine. She has suitable premises but holds no pilot licence, no aviation medicine diploma and no aviation medicine practice history. Does she meet the UK CAA minimum criteria for Class 2, LAPL and cabin crew AME privileges?
Show answer
Not yet. She satisfies the GMC registration, licence, Specialist Register, course-exam and premises criteria, but she still needs one item from the aviation medicine or flying experience option: a Diploma or Master's in Aviation Medicine, at least one year full-time (or part-time equivalent) of aviation medicine practice, a PPL (A/H), or the UK CAA Approved IMJO Course.
Assumption: cardiology counts as one of the 'acceptable Adult Clinical Medicine Specialities' the CAA names; if unsure, confirm with the CAA before applying. The criteria list is conjunctive - all items must be met - but the aviation medicine item is itself a one-of-four choice, and the course-exam criterion is separate from it, so passing BCAM does not substitute for the aviation medicine or flying experience requirement.
- Full, valid, unrestricted UK GMC registration and a Medical Licence to Practise
- On the GMC register in General Practice, or on the Specialist Register for an acceptable adult clinical medicine specialty
- One of: aviation medicine Diploma or Master's, one year full-time (or part-time equivalent) aviation medicine practice, a PPL (A/H), or the UK CAA Approved IMJO Course
- A pass in the final exams of the UK CAA Approved BCAM (King's College or UK Military MAME Course) or an aviation medicine Diploma or Master's
- Suitable premises with the necessary equipment and procedures
Mandatory training and charges
After your application and facilities form are accepted, you complete 5 days of CAA-approved mandatory training at a UK Aeromedical Centre, and charges apply at both the CAA and the training centre.
Once the CAA has assessed your AME application and AME Facilities Form as acceptable, you must complete 5 days of CAA Approved Mandatory Training at a UK Aeromedical Centre. Before you arrange the training, the centre will require a confirmatory letter from the CAA.
All Aeromedical Centres charge for this mandatory training, and fees vary, so contact each centre directly. Charges payable to the CAA are set out in the CAA's Scheme of Charges (Personnel Licensing), which is the document to check for current amounts.
The medicals you would perform
Class 2 and LAPL certificates cover different licence types, and cabin crew need an aero-medical assessment before first assignment to duties.
Knowing which certificate serves which licence is core to the work. Class 2 medical certificates are needed for a private pilot licence (aeroplane and helicopter), for sailplane and balloon pilots on commercial flights, and for commercial passenger ballooning above defined passenger thresholds. LAPL medical certificates serve light aircraft pilot licence holders and balloon or sailplane licences issued under their respective annexes, with several cases where a pilot medical declaration can be used instead.
Cabin crew work differently: a crew member needs an aero-medical assessment before being first assigned to duties on an aircraft. An AME can conduct it, or an occupational health medical practitioner (OHMP) authorised in advance by the CAA. The resulting cabin crew medical report is usually valid for a maximum of 60 months, sometimes shortened when medical history warrants earlier review.
There are also routes outside AME involvement that you should understand as context: a LAPL medical certificate may in defined cases be issued by the applicant's GP if the GP holds the entire NHS record and registers with the CAA, and a pilot medical declaration can replace a certificate for some licence types.
| Licence | Minimum medical requirement |
|---|---|
| CPL, MPL and ATPL | Class 1 medical certificate |
| PPL (A) and (H) | Class 2 medical certificate |
| PPL (G) | Pilot medical declaration |
| SPL and BPL holders on commercial flights | Class 2 medical certificate |
| LAPL (H) | LAPL medical certificate |
| SPL and BPL non-commercial | Pilot medical declaration |
Sources: Aeromedical certification overview | UK Civil Aviation Authority — Medical certificates for pilots and ATCOs; cabin crew medical reports; Medical certificates for UK licences | UK Civil Aviation Authority — Licence-to-certificate requirements table
Keeping your certification
You must complete refresher training, record Class 2 CPD, perform a minimum number of examinations each year, and pass initial and periodic audits.
Certification has ongoing duties. AMEs must attend mandatory aeromedical refresher training provided or required by the CAA. To maintain Class 2 certification you need at least 20 hours of aeromedical CPD in each 3-year certification period, recorded on the AME e-learning platform, assessed by the CAA and subject to regular audit.
There is also an activity threshold. AMEs must currently undertake a minimum of 10 UK CAA aeromedical examinations every year, and from the start of 2027 this rises to a minimum of 50 examinations every year. If you plan to build AME work around existing clinical commitments, factor that future threshold into your planning now.
Audits are on-site and mandatory: an initial audit and routine visits every 3 years, covering facilities, equipment, policies, procedures, CPD records and the certification cases you manage, including a medical examination you perform while observed by the CAA auditor. 'For cause' audit visits can also be required.
Extending to Class 1 and Class 3 privileges
Class 1 privileges require examination experience, an advanced course, further training, an audit and an upgrade examination; Class 3 adds ATC-specific requirements.
To extend from Class 2 to Class 1 privileges, as a minimum you must have completed at least 30 UK CAA Class 2 medical examinations in the preceding 3 years with evidence of the knowledge and skills needed for Class 1 work, passed the final exams of the UK CAA Approved Advanced Course in Aviation Medicine (ACAM) or hold an aviation medicine Diploma or Master's, completed 2 days of mandatory training at a UK Aeromedical Centre if the initial 5 days were not already done, undergone a UK CAA audit with an observed aeromedical examination at your premises, and passed the UK CAA Class 1 Upgrade Examination.
Class 3 privileges, for air traffic controller examinations, require observing the ATCO working environment at an ATC tower for at least half a day, completing the UK CAA Class 3 training requirements, and passing the UK CAA Class 3 Upgrade Examination. Class 3 maintenance carries its own rules, including tower visits or ATCO-related lectures totalling at least 3 hours of CPD per 3-year period.
How to apply and your next steps
Request a Proposed Location Form from the CAA, return it with evidence of which criteria you meet, and prepare for the facilities assessment and mandatory training.
To be considered, request a Proposed Location Form from amesupport@caa.co.uk and return the completed form with an email stating which of the minimum criteria you currently meet. This location-first step reflects the CAA's prioritisation of geographical need.
A sensible preparation order: audit yourself against every criterion before writing to the CAA; identify gaps such as the aviation medicine or flying experience option and close them first; confirm your premises meet the equipment and procedure expectations before submitting the AME Facilities Form; and budget for centre training fees and the CAA Scheme of Charges.
Finally, plan for the long term. CPD recording, the rising minimum examination count and periodic audits are part of holding the credential, so talk to certificated AMEs or Aeromedical Centres about realistic caseloads before you commit.
- Request the Proposed Location Form from amesupport@caa.co.uk
- Return it with an email listing the criteria you currently meet
- Prepare premises and the AME Facilities Form for CAA assessment
- Arrange the 5 days of mandatory training after receiving the CAA confirmatory letter
Sources
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