What is a class 1 medical, how do I get one, do I need an EASA or UK medical, what are the differences between the numbers of medicals. These are just a few of the questions I had when I was learning about the things I needed before starting a career as a pilot. Firstly I want to say that I would highly suggest getting a medical done before starting training because in the rare case you struggle to get this medical at least you wouldn't have spent £100,000 on a training course.

What is a class 1 medical?
- It is the highest level of aviation medical certificate required for professional pilots. If you want to fly commerically you will need to aquire one of this. There are different types of medicals depending on what country you are in, for the UK and for a UK only license you will need a CAA class 1 medical, if you are based in Europe within the EU you will likely need an EASA class 1 medical. For anyone based in the UK it is a bit complex due to Brexit; if you only want to fly from the UK on 'G' registered aircrafts you will only need a CAA UK medical, however if you are based in the UK flying any other aircraft that is not 'G' registered you will need an EASA and UK medical. To keep it simple a 'G' registered aircraft just means it is licensed as a UK aircraft, similar to driving a car with a UK number plate. I have a whole other post talking about the differences between EASA and UK if you want a more in depth explanation.

How do I obtain a class 1 medical?

- There are different aviation medical centres you can visit that will be able to conduct a class 1 medical, it cannot be completed through your GP. When I did my initial class 1 medical I visited Heathrow Medical based near to Heathrow Airport as it was a convenient location. I got my initial medical done whilst flying at my local airfield during 2023. When I visited the Heathrow Medical website the price quoted was £650 for the initial (in 2023). I booked an appointment via the website and they told me everything I needed to bring with me, such as my full medical history and because I wear glasses I needed to bring my current glasses as well as the prescription from my opticians. Heathrow Medical have significantly increased their prices for an initial class 1, as of May 2026 they are quoting £957 for an initial UK class 1. Something to note is that if anything comes up during your appointment you will need to cover the cost of any referrals. As was the case for me I needed a referral for more specific testing and this has to be conducted via the contacts they provide which is through private healthcare. My initial medical ended up costing me £1050 due to this extras.

Another place I have visited for my medical is called CentreLine Aviation Medical Services. They charge £984 for an initial UK class 1 medical but they have a few different locations so this could be more convenient for you. I have visited their location in central London for my renewal and I will definitely be going back due to the price difference for the renewal appointments.

What can I expect at my Initial appointment?

Having to get a class 1 can be stressful depending on your medical history. But below is a list of what is included in the price. Something to note is that for a renewal medical not all of these tests are completed. The initial medical took me probably 2 hours (a lot of waiting around). The blood test for me was just a finger prick test so nothing to worry about! Due to me having a glasses prescription the vision assessment took a bit longer and they signed me off with the note that I need to wear my glasses whilst flying.
- It typically includes:
Full medical history review
Physical examination
ECG (heart function test)
Audiogram (hearing test)
Vision and eye health assessment
Lung function testing
Blood and urine tests
Depending on the licence authority (CAA, EASA) the process may vary.

My initial was completed at Heathrow Medical. I needed my full medical history and because I didn't provide the full unredacted medical record they couldn't complete the full process, so I had to go back to my GP surgery and write a letter explaining what I needed and why. It was a nightmare and my GP surgery made it so difficult, however Heathrow Medical just said to me that once I got the correct records I could email it over to them for the doctor to review. My best advice to you would be to ask your GP for the 'full, unredacted medical history'.

What are the different classes of medical?

- When you are looking to book your appointment you will see options for initial UK, EASA (maybe FAA as well) class 1 medical, UK class 2 and 3, EASA class 2 and 3, and maybe even cabin crew medicals.
Class 1 is the highest standard needed for commerical pilots
Class 2 is needed if you have a PPL or if you are a private pilot (not being paid to fly passengers, recreational flying).
Class 3  is for Air traffic controllers mainly
Cabin crew medicals are needed by the airlines for all cabin crew

What is an EASA and UK medical?
- They are conducted in a similar way but they are issued by different aviation authorities. A UK medical is issued under the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). An EASA medical is issued under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

The requirements for an EASA medical are the same as the UK requirements, so if you can pass one you can pass the other. I only have a UK CAA medical however many people I know carry both the EASA and UK medicals. For me there wasn't much point getting an EASA medical because I can't see myself working for a non UK airline and equally I don't have the unrestricted right to live and work within Europe. Some people have both purely to keep all their options open in terms of an airline job, so really the decision is up to you if you want to get both or just the UK CAA medical.

Once you have successfully got your initial class 1 medical you will need to get it renewed every year. When I got my initial done I didn't get it renewed the following year, purely because I was getting a PPL and I only needed a class 2 medical for this. If you let your class 1 medical expire it will lapse into a class 2 medical, and all you need to do is get it renewed, and you can book this online at your chosen aviation medical practise. You will see two different options: renewal or revalidation. A revalidation happens before your medical expires so your class 1 is continuously active. A renewal happens after your medical has already expired. So it was a class 1 and then it has dropped down to a class 2 medical, and so you book a renewal to bring it back up to a class 1. I let my first class 1 lapse to a class 2 and so I booked a renewal appointment, which really isn't much different to a revalidation in my experience, its more for paperwork purposes. And then for the rest of your career as a pilot you will need to revalidate your class 1 medical every year. Hence why its important to look after your physical health as a commerical pilot.