2022 Aerospace Medical Certification Statistical Handbook
FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-23/38
Title and Subtitle: 2022 Aerospace Medical Certification Statistical Handbook
Report Date: November 2023
Authors: Skaggs VJ, Norris AI
Abstract: Introduction: The biennial Aerospace Medical Certification Statistical Handbook reports descriptive characteristics of all active U.S. civil aviation airmen. The 2022 handbook documents the most recent and most widely relevant data on active civil aviation airmen.
Methods: Medical certification records from 2017–2022 were selected from the Document Imaging Workflow System, which is the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) medical certification database. All data used in this handbook was sourced from each airman’s most recent medical examination, with the exception of the data for medical conditions, which were derived from a comprehensive compilation of both recent and historical medical certificates. Only those with a non-expired medical certificate remained in the dataset. Airman variables include age, issued and effective medical classes, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), sex, select medical conditions, special issuances (SIs), and FAA region of residence.
Results: As of December 31, 2022, 589,242 medically certified airmen were age 16 and older, and 50.1%, 15.8%, and 34.1% were issued a first-, second-, and third-class medical certificate, respectively. Across all medical classes, the average age was 39.6 years, 90.8% were male, and 9.2% were female. The mean BMI for female and male airmen was 24.3 kg/m2 and 27.1 kg/m2, respectively. Nearly 5.9% of issued certificates required an SI. The most-reported medical condition was hypertension treated with medication, reported among 6.3% of the population.
Summary: This report contains widely requested data on the active U.S. civil airman population. This report is updated biennially and is used by the aerospace community, including FAA leadership, aerospace researchers, advocacy groups, legislative staff, and the general public.
Key Words: Pilot Medical Certification, Pilot Demographics, Pilot Medical Conditions, Pilot Statistics, Aviation Medical Examiners
No. of Pages: 39