Your BasicMed exam. At your hangar.
BasicMed from a retired USAF Senior Flight Surgeon who is also an aircraft owner and active pilot.
Mobile FAA BasicMed physical examinations for private pilots throughout the North Bay, East Bay, and greater Sacramento. Flat $200 professional fee plus travel by distance. I come to you.
Aviation-native physician
USAF Reserve veteran (26 years). Retired Senior Flight Surgeon (18 years). Aircraft owner and active pilot. I speak your language and I understand what a CMEC actually is.
I come to you
Your hangar or your home. No waiting rooms, no medical office, no time off from flying.
Published price. No surprises.
Flat $200 professional fee. Travel fee is posted below by distance. You pay before I open the checklist. Cash or check; payee instructions are sent when the appointment is confirmed.
A 45-minute, in-person physical under 14 CFR Part 68.
BasicMed is a distinct statutory pathway under 14 CFR Part 68 that lets most private pilots operate without an FAA medical certificate. It uses the Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist (CMEC, FAA Form 8700-2). I do not submit your completed CMEC to the FAA; you retain the signed checklist as required by the rule.
You keep the signed checklist. You complete the free online medical education course at AOPA or Mayo Clinic, whichever you prefer. Completing the examination and medical education course does not by itself establish eligibility to fly. Pilots must meet all applicable BasicMed requirements and operating limitations.
- History review and medications reconciliation
- Vital signs, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and neurologic exam
- Vision, hearing, and equilibrium screen (bring your glasses if you fly with them)
- The checklist is signed when the examination and medical review support completion. Additional records, testing, or specialist evaluation may be needed.
Flat fee. Travel by distance. No add-ons.
Payment is due before the exam begins. Cash or check to the practice business account. Payee instructions are sent when the appointment is confirmed. A receipt is provided.
A pre-exam records review may be needed for extensive FAA or specialist records and will be quoted in advance.
North Bay, East Bay, and greater Sacramento.
North Bay & East Bay
- Vallejo · Benicia · American Canyon
- Napa & Napa County Airport (KAPC)
- Fairfield · Vacaville · Suisun City
- Concord · Martinez · Pleasant Hill
- Walnut Creek · Buchanan Field (KCCR)
Sonoma, Marin & Yolo
- Santa Rosa · Petaluma · Sonoma
- Novato · Gnoss Field (KDVO)
- San Rafael
- Davis · Woodland
- Rio Vista (O88)
Greater Sacramento
- Sacramento · Elk Grove · Folsom
- Roseville · Rocklin
- Executive (KSAC) · Mather (KMHR)
- McClellan (KMCC) · Franklin (F72)
Outside this area? Ask. I regularly travel Northern California and can sometimes coordinate a BasicMed exam at your home field if the schedule aligns.
Every 4 years. Not every 2.
A BasicMed exam is valid for 48 months for pilots of any age. A third-class FAA medical expires every 24 months once you turn 40. Over twenty years of flying, that’s five BasicMed exams instead of ten Class 3 renewals.
- No MedXPress paperwork
- No FAA scrutiny of your medical file
- No risk of a deferral to Oklahoma City
- No airline-track requirements you don’t need
For most private pilots over 40, BasicMed costs less over a decade than a recurring Class 3 — and it removes the paperwork and deferral risk that keeps some pilots grounded for months at renewal.
A physician who actually flies.
I'm John Hart Jr, MD — an internal medicine and hospital medicine physician in Vallejo, California, a USAF Reserve veteran of 26 years, and a retired Senior Flight Surgeon with 18 years of aeromedical experience.
I hold California physician licensure and own and fly my own aircraft. BasicMed sits squarely inside my clinical and aeromedical wheelhouse — I know what the CMEC is asking, why it's asking it, and how to document it correctly so you don't hear about it again.
Malpractice coverage is in force and includes BasicMed examinations within my declared scope of practice.
The questions pilots actually ask.
Do I qualify for BasicMed?
Most private pilots do. You need to have held a valid FAA medical certificate (any class) issued at any point after July 14, 2006, and you cannot have had your most recent medical revoked, suspended, or denied without subsequent issuance. If you have a specific special-issuance history, we can talk through it before you book — some conditions require FAA special issuance before BasicMed applies. See the FAA BasicMed page for the full eligibility rules.
How is BasicMed different from a Class 3 medical?
BasicMed is a distinct statutory pathway under 14 CFR Part 68, not a renamed Class 3. The clinical assessment substantially overlaps with a Class 3, but the differences are meaningful: (1) BasicMed is conducted by a state-licensed physician using the CMEC (FAA Form 8700-2); it is not an FAA medical certificate and does not require an Aviation Medical Examiner; (2) you retain the signed CMEC — the completed form is not submitted to the FAA; (3) you complete a free online medical education course every two years through AOPA or Mayo Clinic; and (4) BasicMed carries its own operating limitations (aircraft weight, passengers, altitude, speed, domestic operations) that a Class 3 does not.
What do I need to bring?
Government photo ID, your current glasses or contacts if you wear them to fly, a current list of medications, and your last FAA medical certificate if you have it handy. If you have prior special-issuance letters or CACI documentation, bring those too.
Where do you do the exam?
Your hangar or your home. If you'd prefer a specific location, ask — I'm flexible about venue as long as it's private, quiet, and California.
How long does it take?
About 45 minutes on-site for a straightforward exam, plus a few minutes at the end to walk through the online education course requirement. Complex histories run longer. A pre-exam records review may be needed for extensive FAA or specialist records and will be quoted in advance.
Do you also do FAA Class 1, 2, or 3 medicals?
Not today. I'm not an FAA-designated AME, so I do not issue traditional Class 1, 2, or 3 medical certificates. BasicMed is a separate physician-conducted pathway. If you need a first-class medical for airline or ATP work, I can recommend AMEs in the region.
Can I cancel?
Yes. If you cancel more than 48 hours in advance, full refund. Inside 48 hours, a flat $50 cancellation fee is retained and the rest is refunded. If I can't make it for any reason, you get everything back.
Text or email. I'll come to you.
Tell me your home base, your rough availability, and any medical history you think we should discuss first. I typically respond within a business day.
Vallejo, CA 94591