Since early this year, private pilots in Luxembourg—and across Europe—have been subjected to intrusive, overreaching medical requirements under Annex III to ED Decision 2025/002/R, turning routine medical checks into a bureaucratic nightmare. AOPA Luxembourg denounces this as medical overkill that fails to enhance safety but risks alienating passionate aviators.
The Medical Assault According to Dr. Lechat
As outlined by aeromedical examiner Dr. A. Lechat, in a message sent to Belgian pilots :
- Cardiovascular risk assessments using SCORE2:
- Every 5 years (age 40–49), 3 years (50–59), 2 years (60+); pilots must present a full lipid blood profile.
- Sleep apnoea screening (STOP‑BANG questionnaire)
- Digital contrast sensitivity tests (e.g. Zeiss Vision Screening)
- Mandatory reporting of any medical change, however minor
- Second opinions or multidisciplinary reviews required before renewing Class 1/2 medicals
Ignore or delay this — and you risk losing your medical certificat
The Facts Speak Louder Than Bureaucracy
Evidence consistently shows medical issues are negligible in GA accidents:
- FAA data pin cardiovascular incapacitation at under 0.3% of GA accidents
- Australia’s ATSB found only 0.6% of incidents involved medical causes
- Most GA accidents result from pilot error, fuel mismanagement, or mechanical failure, not medical conditions
Therefore, these sweeping medical checks are not evidence-based regulation, but rather an exercise in bureaucratic excess.
While Europe Adds Barriers, the U.S. Opens the Skies
On 22 July 2025, the FAA finalized the MOSAIC rule, effectively revolutionising US GA by:
- Replacing weight limits with performance criteria (stall 54–59 kt, cruise max 250 kt)
- Permitting legacy four-seat aircraft (Cessnas, Pipers) to qualify as LSAs
- Allowing flight with only a driver’s licence—no medical certificate required
As Peter Prukl of AOPA Spain says:
“This means most legacy 4‑seater Cessnas, Pipers etc. will now fall under LSA… And best of all: NO MEDICAL REQUIRED – JUST A DRIVER’S LICENCE!”
🇫🇷 France Leads by Example
Thanks to the EASA 2018 opt‑out (Regulation EU 2018/1139, Art 2(8–11)), France operates its national ULM framework (Arrêté du 4 mai 2000) allowing microlights up to 500 kg without any mandatory medical check—just a self‑declaration of fitness.
🇱🇺 Luxembourg’s Lost Opportunity
Lacking its own ULM legislation as 16 other European countries managed to publish, our Luxembourg pilots are forced to fly French-registered aircraft to escape EASA’s medical overreach. Yet EASA continues to tighten medical protocols, ignoring the clear evidence and safe alternatives proven in the US and France.
Our Demand: No More Red Tape
AOPA Luxembourg calls on EASA and national authorities to:
- Immediately rollback these excessive medical requirements for private pilots
- Adopt a risk-based, proportionate system, following the FAA and French models
- Implement a Luxembourg ULM framework, enabling local registration under fair, evidence-based rules
Europe’s airspace should be welcoming to responsible pilots—not blocked by cholesterol tests and sleep questionnaires.
Pilots Are Not Patients
It’s time to end the medical madness and restore freedom, trust, and proportionality to recreational aviation.