An Aviation Medical Examiner is a physician designated by the FAA under 14 CFR Part 183 to perform airman medical examinations and issue medical certificates. Only an AME can do it — your own doctor cannot, however well they know you — and the authoritative way to find one is the FAA's own designee locator at faa.gov/pilots/amelocator, which is the FAA's tool, not ours.
This page is about choosing well and arriving prepared, because not all AMEs are equivalent and a badly matched appointment costs you months. If you want the regulatory picture first — which class you need and how long it lasts — start at FAA medical certificate classes. For the Los Angeles context around training and where the medical fits, our page on the FAA medical certificate in Los Angeles covers that ground.
Why We Do Not Publish A List Of Doctors
You will find pages that list named examiners near Van Nuys. We do not, for a simple reason: the FAA designation is held by the physician, not the practice, and designations lapse, transfer and change class authorization without notice. A list published today is misleading within a year, and being sent to a doctor who can no longer issue the class you need is worse than having no list at all.
The FAA maintains the only current record, updates it as designations change, and lets you filter by distance and by specialty. Use that. What we can usefully add is how to read the results and what to ask before you commit an afternoon.
Using The FAA AME Locator
The FAA's locator lets you search by geography and narrow the results by the criteria you select. Around Los Angeles a search centered on the San Fernando Valley returns plenty of designated examiners within a short drive of Van Nuys Airport, and widening to the whole LA basin returns a great many more. A few practical points about reading the results.
- Not every AME is authorized for every class. Some perform third class examinations only. If you need a first class you must confirm the authorization before booking, and ideally confirm there is an electrocardiogram machine on site if the age-based requirement in 14 CFR 67.111(b) applies to you.
- Senior AMEs hold an additional designation permitting first class examinations. If the airlines are the plan, that is the designation to look for.
- HIMS AMEs are specifically trained to handle substance-related and certain mental health histories. The FAA publishes a separate roster of them alongside the locator. If your history includes a substance issue or a psychiatric diagnosis, go to a HIMS AME from the outset rather than to a general examiner who will defer the file.
- Distance is worth less than fit. A thirty-minute drive to an examiner who handles your situation routinely beats a ten-minute drive to one who has to send the file to Oklahoma City.
Six Questions To Ask When You Call
Every one of these takes ten seconds to answer and can save you a wasted appointment.
- "Are you authorized to issue the class I need?" First, second or third. Say which.
- "Do you have an ECG on site?" Only relevant for first class applicants at or over 35, but it decides whether you make one visit or two.
- "What do you charge, and does that include everything?" The FAA does not set fees. Around Los Angeles a third class examination typically runs $120 to $200; first and second class examinations usually cost more. Ask whether an ECG is extra.
- "I have X in my history — do you handle that routinely, and what should I bring?" This is the most valuable question on the list. An examiner who deals with your situation regularly will tell you exactly which specialist letters and test results to arrive with, which can be the difference between issuance on the day and a deferral.
- "How far ahead are you booking?" Lead times around Los Angeles vary from days to several weeks, and they lengthen in the spring.
- "Do you want anything sent before the appointment?" Some examiners prefer to review records in advance, which shortens the visit.
A word on the fourth question. Asking an examiner about a condition is not the same as applying. An informal conversation creates no record and closes no doors. A submitted application does: a denial removes both BasicMed and the sport pilot driver's-license provision in 14 CFR 61.23(c) as fallbacks. If your history contains anything the FAA regulates closely, have the conversation before you submit anything.
What To Do Before The Appointment
Complete FAA Form 8500-8 through the FAA's MedXPress system and bring the confirmation number. The examiner cannot open your file without it, and cannot begin the examination without your file. Our MedXPress guide covers the form field by field, including the three-year history of visits to health professionals that takes most people the longest to assemble.
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| MedXPress confirmation number | The examiner retrieves your application with it |
| Government-issued photo identification | Identity verification; the name must match your application |
| Glasses or contact lenses you normally wear | Vision is tested corrected; the standard is 20/40 third class, 20/20 first and second |
| A written list of current medications and doses | Accuracy matters more than memory |
| Specialist letters and test results for anything in your history | The single most effective way to avoid a deferral |
| Your pilot certificate, if you hold one | Routine verification |
| Payment | Usually due on the day and usually not covered by health insurance |
What Happens In The Appointment
A straightforward third class examination takes about thirty to forty-five minutes, most of it conversation rather than examination. The examiner reviews your declarations, then works through the 14 CFR Part 67 standards: distant and near vision in each eye separately, color vision, hearing by conversational voice at six feet or by audiometry, blood pressure and pulse, a urinalysis for sugar and protein, height and weight, and a physical examination covering the listed body systems. A first class examination adds the electrocardiogram where the age rule applies, and the tighter vision standard.
At the end the examiner issues, defers or denies. Issuance is by far the most common outcome, and you leave with the printed certificate in your hand. Deferral means the decision is outside the examiner's authority and the file goes to the FAA's Aerospace Medical Certification Division; it is not a refusal, and it frequently ends in issuance. Denial is rare and consequential.
Timing It Around Training At Van Nuys
You do not need a medical certificate to begin. Under 14 CFR 61.23(b) no medical is required to receive flight training when an authorized instructor is the pilot in command, which is why a discovery flight needs nothing but identification. The medical becomes mandatory before your first solo, typically somewhere between hour ten and hour twenty-five of a private pilot course.
Our advice to every student here is the same: book the medical in the first month. Not because you need it yet, but because if there is a complication you want to discover it while you have spent a few hundred dollars rather than several thousand, and because deferrals are measured in months. Students with a clean history routinely leave the examiner's office with the certificate and never think about it again. Students with something in their file are glad they started early.
Related Reading
- FAA medical certificate classes — which class you need and how long it lasts.
- FAA medical certificate in Los Angeles — the local picture around Van Nuys.
- FAA MedXPress guide — complete the form before you book.
- Third class medical certificate — requirements, cost and validity.
- What disqualifies you from being a pilot — read before submitting an application.
- Student pilot resources — the full first-year paperwork sequence.
Aviation Medical Examiner FAQ
What Is An Aviation Medical Examiner?
A physician designated by the FAA under 14 CFR Part 183 to perform airman medical examinations and issue medical certificates. Only a designated AME can perform an FAA medical; a general physician cannot, although a state-licensed physician can perform the separate BasicMed examination under 14 CFR Part 68.
How Do I Find An AME Near Los Angeles?
Use the FAA's designee locator at faa.gov/pilots/amelocator and search by distance. It is the only record that stays current as designations change. Confirm by phone that the examiner is authorized for the class you need before booking.
How Much Does An AME Charge In Los Angeles?
The FAA does not set fees. A third class examination typically runs $120 to $200 in the Los Angeles area, with first and second class examinations usually costing more because of the additional items. It is generally not covered by health insurance.
Can My Own Doctor Do My FAA Medical?
Not for a medical certificate. Only a designated Aviation Medical Examiner can issue one. Your own doctor can, however, perform the BasicMed comprehensive medical examination under 14 CFR 68.5 if you already qualify for BasicMed.
What Is A HIMS AME?
An Aviation Medical Examiner with additional training for substance-related histories and certain mental health conditions. The FAA publishes a roster of them alongside the locator. If your history falls into those areas, start with a HIMS AME rather than a general examiner.
Do I Need A Medical Before My First Flight Lesson?
No. Under 14 CFR 61.23(b) no medical certificate is required to receive flight training when an authorized instructor is acting as pilot in command. You need it before your first solo flight, so book it in the first month of training.
Start Flying While You Sort The Paperwork
The medical and the flying do not have to happen in that order, and waiting for an appointment is no reason to delay your first hour. A discovery flight is $229 for 60 minutes from Van Nuys, you fly it yourself, and it needs no medical certificate. If you want help planning the whole sequence — medical, student pilot certificate, written exam, first solo — book a free consultation. Call (818) 330-1318 any day between 9 AM and 9 PM. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406.