DOT/FAA/AM-18/4

Office of Aerospace Medicine

Washington, DC 20591

2016 Aerospace Medical Certification

Statistical Handbook

Valerie J. Skaggs 

Ann I. Norris 

Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Federal Aviation Administration

Oklahoma City, OK 73125

May 2018

Final Report
NOTICE

This document is disseminated under the 

sponsorship of the U.S. Department of 

Transportation in the interest of information 

exchange. The United States Government assumes 

no liability for the contents thereof.

___________

This publication and all Office of Aerospace 

Medicine technical reports are available in full-text 

from the 

Civil Aerospace Medical Institute’s publications 

website: http://www.faa.gov/go/oamtechreports
i

Technical Report Documentation Page

1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No.

DOT/FAA/AM-18/4

4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date

2016 Aerospace Medical Certification Statistical Handbook May 2018

6. Performing Organization Code

7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No.

Skaggs VJ, Norris AI

9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

P.O. Box 25082

Oklahoma City, OK 73125

11. Contract or Grant No.

12. Sponsoring Agency name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered

Office of Aerospace Medicine

Federal Aviation Administration

800 Independence Ave., S.W.

Washington, DC 20591 14. Sponsoring Agency Code

15. Supplemental Notes

16. Abstract

Introduction. The biennial Aerospace Medical Certification Statistical Handbook reports descriptive 

characteristics of all active U.S. civil aviation airmen and the aviation medical examiners (AMEs) that 

perform the required medical examinations. The 2016 handbook documents the most recent and most widely 

relevant data on active civil aviation airmen and AMEs. 

Methods. Medical certification records from 2011-2016 were selected from the Document Imaging 

Workflow System (DIWS), which is the FAA medical certification database. All medical data were 

abstracted from the most recent medical examinations, with the exception of medical conditions that were 

historical and current. Only those with a non-expired medical certificate remained in the dataset.

AME records were selected from the Designee Management System (DMS). The current status of each 

AME was determined as of December 31, 2016, retaining only those with an active status. 

Airman variables include age, issued and effective medical classes, height, weight, BMI, gender, select 

medical conditions, special issuances, and FAA region of residence. AME variables include AME type, age, 

gender, medical specialty, senior examiner status, and region.

Results. Airmen: As of December 31, 2016, there were 560,152 medically certified airmen age 16 and older, 

and 36.8%, 19.8%, and 43.5% were issued a 1st Class, 2nd Class, and 3rd Class medical certificate, 

respectively. Across all medical classes, the average age was 43 years, and 93.4% of the airmen were male. 

The mean BMI for both females and males was 24.1 and 27.2, respectively. Six percent of issued certificates 

required a special issuance. The most commonly reported medical condition was hypertension with 

medication, at 10.4%. 

Aviation medical examiners: Of the 2,955 active AMEs, 93.3% were civilian, 0.6% federal, 6.1% military, 

and 0.1% other. Of these, 47.7% reported their medical specialty as family practice. Their average age was 

60.8 years and 87.4% were male.

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.

17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement

Pilot Medical Certification, Pilot Demographics, 

Pilot Medical Conditions, Pilot Statistics, 

Aviation Medical Examiners

Document is available to the public through the 

Internet:

http://www.faa.gov/go/oamtechreports/

19. Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Classif. (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price

Unclassified Unclassified 44

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized
ii

CONTENTS

Section I. Aviation Medical Examiners.........................................................................................................................1

Table 1. FAA Aviation Medical Examiners by AME Type ......................................................................................2

Table 2. Designated FAA Aviation Medical Examiners for 2016 by Region ...........................................................3

Figure 1. Distribution of Newly Appointed FAA Aviation Medical Examiners in 2016 by Region.........................4

Figure 2. Distribution of Active FAA Aviation Medical Examiners in 2016 by Region ..........................................5

Figure 3. Medical Practice Specialty of Active FAA Aviation Medical Examiners .................................................6

Figure 4. Gender Distribution of Active FAA Aviation Medical Examiners............................................................7

Table 3. Senior Examiner Status of Active FAA Aviation Medical Examiners........................................................8

Figure 5. Senior Examiner Status of Active FAA Aviation Medical Examiners by Region .....................................8

Table 4. Age by Gender of Active FAA Aviation Medical Examiners .....................................................................9

Section II. Airman Medical Certification ....................................................................................................................10

Table 5. Number of Medical Applications Processed by Year................................................................................11

Table 6. Issued and Effective Medical Class by Region..........................................................................................12

Table 7. Issued Medical Class by State of Residence and Gender ..........................................................................13

Figure 7. Issued Medical Class by Region and Gender ...........................................................................................14

Table 8. Age as of 12/31/2016 of all Active Airmen by Effective Medical Class...................................................15

Table 9. Age Groups of all Active Airmen by Effective Medical Class..................................................................15

Figure 8. Age Groups as of 12/31/2016 of all Active Airmen.................................................................................16

Figure 9. Age Groups as of 12/31/2016 by Effective Medical Class for all Active Airmen ...................................17

Table 10. Age at Exam Summary Statistics for Active Airmen by Issued Medical Class.......................................18

Table 11. Age Groups for all Active Airmen by Issued Medical Class...................................................................18

Figure 10. Age Group of all Active Airmen at Time of Exam ................................................................................19

Figure 11. Age Groups by Issued Medical Class for all Active Airmen at Time of Exam......................................20

Table 12. Age at Time of Exam by Issued Medical Class and Gender....................................................................21

Figure 12. Age Group at Time of Exam by Gender and Issued Medical Class.......................................................22

Table 13. Height (Inches) of all Active Airmen by Gender and Issued Medical Class ...........................................23

Table 14. Height (Inches) by Issued Medical Class and Gender .............................................................................23

Figure 13. Height (Inches) by Gender and Issued Medical Class............................................................................24

Figure 14. Height (Inches) by Issued Medical Class – Females only......................................................................25

Figure 15. Height (Inches) by Issued Medical Class – Males only..........................................................................26

Table 15. Weight (Pounds) of all Active Airmen by Gender and Issued Medical Class.........................................27

Table 16. Weight (Pounds) by Issued Medical Class and Gender...........................................................................27

Figure 16. Weight (Pounds) by Gender and Issued Medical Class..........................................................................28

Figure 17. Weight (Pounds) by Issued Medical Class – Females only....................................................................29

Figure 18. Weight (Pounds) by Issued Medical Class – Males only .......................................................................30

Table 17. BMI of all Active Airmen by Gender and Issued Medical Class.............................................................31

Table 18. BMI Category by Issued Medical Class and Gender...............................................................................31

Figure 19. BMI by Gender and Issued Medical Class.............................................................................................32

Figure 20. BMI by Issued Medical Class – Females only .......................................................................................33

Figure 21. BMI by Issued Medical Class – Males only...........................................................................................34

Table 19. Special Issuance by Issued Medical Class, Gender, Age, and BMI.........................................................35

Figure 22. Special Issuance by Issued Medical Class..............................................................................................36

Figure 23. Special Issuance by Age Group at Time of Exam..................................................................................37

Figure 24. Special Issuance by BMI Category ........................................................................................................38

Table 20. Top 15 Reported Medical Conditions......................................................................................................39

Table 21. Medical Conditions by Issued Medical Class..........................................................................................40

Table 21 (Continued). Medical Conditions by Issued Medical Class......................................................................41
1

2016 Aerospace Medical Certification Statistical Handbook

Introduction

The biennial Aerospace Medical Certification Statistical Handbook reports 

descriptive characteristics of all active U.S. civil aviation airmen and the aviation 

medical examiners (AMEs) that perform the required medical examinations. The 

2016 handbook documents the most recent and most widely relevant data on active 

civil aviation airmen and AMEs. 

Methods

Medical certification records from 2011-2016 were selected from the Document 

Imaging Workflow System (DIWS), which is the FAA medical certification database. 

All medical data were abstracted from the most recent medical examinations, with 

the exception of medical conditions that were historical and current. Only those with 

a non-expired medical certificate remained in the dataset.

AME records were selected from the Designee Management System (DMS). The 

current status of each AME was determined as of December 31, 2016, retaining only 

those with an active status. 

Airman variables include age, issued and effective medical classes, height, weight, 

BMI, gender, select medical conditions, special issuances, and FAA region of 

residence. AME variables include AME type, age, gender, medical specialty, senior 

examiner status, and region. 

Results

Airmen: As of December 31, 2016, there were 560,152 medically certified airmen 

age 16 and older, and 36.8%, 19.8%, and 43.5% were issued a first, second, and 

third class medical certificate, respectively. Across all medical classes, the average 

age was 43 years, and 93.4% of the airmen were male. The mean BMI for both 

females and males was 24.1 and 27.2, respectively. Six percent of issued 

certificates required a special issuance. The most commonly reported medical 

condition was hypertension with medication, at 10.4%. 

AME: Of the 2,955 active AMEs, 93.3% were civilian, 0.6% federal, 6.1% military, 

and 0.1% other. Of these, 47.7% reported their medical specialty as family practice. 

Their average age was 60.8 years and 87.4% were male.

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.
2

Section I. Aviation Medical Examiners

This section characterizes the aviation medical examiners during 2016. All analyses 

represent data through December 31, 2016. Data may slightly fluctuate by year from 

systematic changes and corrections to the records.

An aviation medical examiner (AME) is a physician authorized by the Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA) to perform airmen physical examinations for issuance of FAA 

medical certificates. These physicians are designated according to the geographical 

distribution of airmen. There are also military facilities (installations) designated to 

perform FAA airmen examinations of military personnel for issuance of second- and 

third-class certificates.

AME seminars are held in each region and at Oklahoma City’s Civil Aerospace Medical

Institute to acquaint these physicians with the regulations and procedures governing the 

issuance of FAA medical certificates.

Table 1. FAA Aviation Medical Examiners by AME Type

AME 

Type

2016

Number

(Percent of Total)

Civilian 2,756

(93.3)

Federal 17

(0.6)

Military 180

(6.1)

Other 2

(0.1)

Total 2,955
3

Table 2. Designated FAA Aviation Medical Examiners for 2016 by Region

Region

Newly Appointed

Number

(Percent of Total)

All Active

Number

(Percent of Total)

Alaskan 2

(1.7)

49

(1.7)

Central 4

(3.3)

165

(5.6)

Eastern 10

(8.3)

321

(10.9)

Federal/Military/Official 34

(28.1)

198

(6.7)

Great Lakes 7

(5.8)

399

(13.5)

International 17

(14.1)

305

(10.3)

New England 4

(3.3)

94

(3.2)

Northwest Mountain 9

(7.4)

281

(9.5)

Southern 15

(12.4)

562

(19.0)

Southwest 13

(10.7)

332

(11.2)

Western-Pacific 6

(5.0)

249

(8.4)

Total 121 2,955
4

Figure 1. Distribution of Newly Appointed FAA Aviation Medical Examiners in 2016 by Region 
5

Figure 2. Distribution of Active FAA Aviation Medical Examiners in 2016 by Region
6

Figure 3. Medical Practice Specialty of Active FAA Aviation Medical Examiners 

Specialty Percent

Family Practice 47.7

Internal Medicine 18.1

Aerospace Medicine 9.5

Other 9.1

Occupational Medicine 6.4

General Surgery 2.4

Ophthalmology 2.2

Emergency Medicine 2.1

Otorhinolaryngology 1.3

Orthopedic Surgery 1.2

Total Count 2,955
7

Figure 4. Gender Distribution of Active FAA Aviation Medical Examiners
8

Table 3. Senior Examiner Status of Active FAA Aviation Medical Examiners

Senior Examiner

Number

(Percent)

Yes 1,947

(65.9)

No 1,008

(34.1)

Total 2,955

Figure 5. Senior Examiner Status of Active FAA Aviation Medical Examiners by Region
9

Table 4. Age by Gender of Active FAA Aviation Medical Examiners

Number Mean Median Standard

Deviation Minimum Maximum

Overall 2,955 60.8 61.7 11.5 28.7 93.5

Gender

Female 373 54.5 55.2 11.5 28.7 86.2

Male 2,582 61.7 62.5 11.2 29.2 93.5

Figure 6. Age Group of Active FAA Aviation Medical Examiners 
10

Section II. Airman Medical Certification 

The Aerospace Medical Certification Division is the central screening facility and 

repository within the Federal Aviation Administration for the collection, investigation, 

adjudication, and analysis of medical data.

Activities of the Aerospace Medical Certification Division are presented in this section. 

Data are presented by calendar year and represent the most recent medical 

examination data for all active civil aviation airmen in the United States and its 

territories, as of December 31, 2016. Data may slightly fluctuate annually from 

systematic changes and corrections to the records.

Class issued represents the medical class certificate that was issued at the time of the 

examination. As of July 24, 2008, if the airman is under 40, first- and second-class 

certificates are valid for 1 year, and third-class certificates are valid for 5 years. If the 

airman is 40 and older, first-class certificates are valid for 6 months, second-class for 1 

year, and third-class for 2 years. The length of certificate validity varies for those 

requiring a special issuance.

Effective medical class is determined by class issued, the age of the airman, time since 

exam, and whether the airman had a time-limited certificate. A certificate can be issued 

as a higher class (i.e. first-class) and become valid as a lower class certificate (e.g.,

third-class) as the validity period expires for each higher class.

All medical data were abstracted from the most recent medical examinations, with the 

exception of medical conditions. Medical conditions are determined by whether the 

airman has ever reported the condition on any past or current medical examination. 

Body mass index (BMI) classifications are as follows: Underweight (less than 18.5), 

Normal (18.5 to 24.9), Overweight (25 to 29.9), and Obese (greater than or equal to 30).
11

Table 5. Number of Medical Applications Processed by Year

Year

Number of 

Applications

Percent Change From 

Previous Year

2006 440,271 N/A

2007 452,594 2.8

 *2008 425,275 -6.0

2009 397,176 -6.6

2010 394,723 -0.6

2011 400,131 1.4

2012 396,361 -0.9

2013 394,517 -0.5

2014 391,733 -0.7

2015 393,476 0.4

2016 398,254 1.2

*Policy change July 24, 2008 lengthened the time of 

certificate validity for those under 40 years of age.
12

Table 6. Issued and Effective Medical Class by Region 

Region *

First Second Third Total Active Airmen

Effective Class Effective Class Effective Class Effective Class

1st 

Class 

Certified 1 2 3

2nd 

Class 

Certified 2 3

3rd 

Class 

Certified 3

Total 

Airmen 

Certified

Percent 

of Total 

Airmen 1 2 3

Alaskan 2,106 1,672 142 292 1,910 1,239 671 3,686 3,686 7,702 1 1,672 1,381 4,649

Central 5,172 3,617 442 1,113 4,912 3,095 1,817 12,105 12,105 22,189 4 3,617 3,537 15,035

Eastern 19,676 14,206 1,257 4,213 11,564 6,615 4,949 28,396 28,396 59,636 11 14,206 7,872 37,558

Great Lakes 26,936 19,425 1,462 6,049 12,573 7,519 5,054 34,258 34,258 73,767 13 19,425 8,981 45,361

New England 6,253 4,668 396 1,189 3,225 1,896 1,329 9,629 9,629 19,107 3 4,668 2,292 12,147

Northwest-Mountain 20,994 15,512 1,384 4,098 13,781 7,900 5,881 25,264 25,264 60,039 11 15,512 9,284 35,243

Southern 47,985 34,751 3,526 9,708 23,313 14,439 8,874 48,504 48,504 119,802 21 34,751 17,965 67,086

Southwest 23,489 16,811 1,690 4,988 15,062 9,465 5,597 30,038 30,038 68,589 12 16,811 11,155 40,623

Western-Pacific 26,702 18,470 1,807 6,425 17,669 10,464 7,205 38,512 38,512 82,883 15 18,470 12,271 52,142

US Total 179,313 129,132 12,106 38,075 104,009 62,632 41,377 230,392 230,392 513,714 92 129,132 74,738 309,844

International 26,688 9,741 1,689 15,258 6,704 2,496 4,208 12,983 12,983 46,375 8 9,741 4,185 32,449

Total 206,001 138,873 13,795 53,333 110,713 65,128 45,585 243,375 243,375 560,089 100 138,873 78,923 342,293

Percent of Total 

Certified Airmen 36.8 19.8 43.5 100.0 24.8 14.1 61.1

*63 airmen with unknown region
13

Table 7. Issued Medical Class by State of Residence and Gender 

State of Residence *

Issued Medial Class

First Second Third Total Airmen

Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male

Alabama 59 1,195 72 2,175 199 3,270 330 6,640

Alaska 197 1,909 149 1,761 363 3,323 709 6,993

Arizona 460 6,636 233 3,391 510 6,492 1,203 16,519

Arkansas 43 899 32 1,261 140 2,280 215 4,440

California 1,102 14,018 836 10,582 2,363 25,765 4,301 50,365

Colorado 515 6,387 185 2,489 575 5,947 1,275 14,823

Connecticut 80 1,513 49 639 146 2,177 275 4,329

Delaware 31 465 10 236 39 481 80 1,182

District of Columbia 9 129 10 86 39 274 58 489

Florida 1,380 22,215 580 9,476 1,780 18,769 3,740 50,460

Georgia 357 7,457 150 2,788 425 6,048 932 16,293

Hawaii 181 1,364 76 713 84 560 341 2,637

Idaho 50 867 85 1,363 147 2,046 282 4,276

Illinois 393 5,584 173 2,181 389 5,859 955 13,624

Indiana 183 2,919 81 1,342 256 3,841 520 8,102

Iowa 29 674 34 931 142 2,591 205 4,196

Kansas 68 1,300 70 1,448 255 3,156 393 5,904

Kentucky 106 2,111 32 845 157 2,119 295 5,075

Louisiana 47 1,269 49 1,421 124 2,241 220 4,931

Maine 28 480 45 526 77 1,053 150 2,059

Maryland 104 1,781 105 1,491 399 3,497 608 6,769

Massachusetts 132 1,929 66 980 308 3,646 506 6,555

Michigan 306 4,153 100 1,806 359 5,416 765 11,375

Minnesota 316 4,434 128 1,825 316 4,510 760 10,769

Mississippi 49 1,000 34 923 107 1,780 190 3,703

Missouri 130 2,225 77 1,680 253 3,807 460 7,712

Montana 61 670 74 966 148 1,614 283 3,250

Nebraska 41 705 13 659 121 1,780 175 3,144

Nevada 187 2,531 118 1,553 216 2,193 521 6,277

New Hampshire 80 1,377 56 577 83 1,177 219 3,131

New Jersey 172 2,687 83 1,262 206 3,417 461 7,366

New Mexico 38 551 61 902 143 1,593 242 3,046

New York 312 4,316 153 2,344 519 6,741 984 13,401

North Carolina 259 4,555 121 2,334 389 5,640 769 12,529

North Dakota 41 1,383 41 790 79 1,162 161 3,335

Ohio 240 4,377 123 1,980 432 6,198 795 12,555

Oklahoma 92 1,524 93 1,834 312 3,708 497 7,066

Oregon 139 1,766 158 2,340 294 3,466 591 7,572

Pennsylvania 253 4,485 182 2,436 391 5,700 826 12,621

Rhode Island 20 287 11 115 37 395 68 797

South Carolina 86 1,995 53 1,100 184 2,728 323 5,823

South Dakota 29 348 21 580 73 951 123 1,879

Tennessee 207 4,105 122 2,129 292 4,081 621 10,315

Texas 875 18,151 528 8,881 1,374 18,123 2,777 45,155

Utah 180 3,179 139 2,040 133 2,095 452 7,314

Vermont 22 305 10 151 36 494 68 950

Virginia 279 4,267 156 2,556 454 5,319 889 12,142

Washington 520 6,381 265 3,251 630 7,153 1,415 16,785

West Virginia 16 287 24 338 59 765 99 1,390

Wisconsin 122 2,108 92 1,310 325 4,092 539 7,510

Wyoming 23 256 26 400 76 940 125 1,596

US Territories 63 1,037 37 587 81 852 181 2,476

International 1,517 25,171 371 6,333 899 12,084 2,787 43,588

Total 12,229 193,717 6,592 104,107 17,938 225,409 36,759 523,233

*160 airmen missing state
14

Figure 7. Issued Medical Class by Region and Gender 
15

Table 8. Age as of 12/31/2016 of all Active Airmen by Effective Medical Class

Effective Medical Class Number of 

Airmen Mean Median Standard Deviation

First 138,875 44.3 45.7 12.9

Second 78,926 49.8 50.5 13.9

Third 342,351 43.1 39.7 17.2

All Classes 560,152 44.3 43.6 15.9

Table 9. Age Groups of all Active Airmen by Effective Medical Class

Age Group

(as of 12/31/2016)

Effective Medical Class

Number

(Percent)

First Second Third

16-19 3,980

(2.87)

1,421

(1.80)

10,854

(3.17)

20-24 8,226

(5.92)

3,022

(3.83)

45,465

(13.28)

25-29 11,355

(8.18)

3,823

(4.84)

48,501

(14.17)

30-34 14,527

(10.46)

4,771

(6.04)

37,150

(10.85)

35-39 15,535

(11.19)

5,172

(6.55)

30,760

(8.98)

40-44 13,640

(9.82)

8,893

(11.27)

25,301

(7.39)

45-49 17,115

(12.32)

11,156

(14.13)

20,069

(5.86)

50-54 19,740

(14.21)

11,287

(14.30)

23,633

(6.90)

55-59 19,321

(13.91)

10,025

(12.70)

27,114

(7.92)

60-64 12,378

(8.91)

7,823

(9.91)

26,637

(7.78)

65+ 3,058

(2.20)

11,533

(14.61)

46,867

(13.69)

Total 138,875 78,926 342,351
16

Figure 8. Age Groups as of 12/31/2016 of all Active Airmen
17

Figure 9. Age Groups as of 12/31/2016 by Effective Medical Class for all Active Airmen
18

Table 10. Age at Exam Summary Statistics for Active Airmen by Issued Medical Class 

Issued Medical Class Number of Airmen Mean Median Standard Deviation

First 206,024 40.5 40.2 14.2

Second 110,728 43.8 43.5 16.2

Third 243,400 44.7 45.3 18.0

All Classes 560,152 43.0 42.8 16.5

Table 11. Age Groups for all Active Airmen by Issued Medical Class

Age Group

(at time of exam)

Issued Medical Class

Number

(Percent)

First Second Third

16-19 15,717

(7.63)

6,383

(5.76)

17,597

(7.23)

20-24 22,554

(10.95)

10,928

(9.87)

30,196

(12.41)

25-29 22,241

(10.80)

11,110

(10.03)

22,653

(9.31)

30-34 22,574

(10.96)

11,064

(9.99)

19,411

(7.97)

35-39 19,544

(9.49)

10,705

(9.67)

19,702

(8.09)

40-44 17,484

(8.49)

7,960

(7.19)

11,247

(4.62)

45-49 21,847

(10.60)

9,941

(8.98)

16,954

(6.97)

50-54 23,595

(11.45)

11,014

(9.95)

21,372

(8.78)

55-59 21,896

(10.63)

10,293

(9.30)

23,980

(9.85)

60-64 14,457

(7.02)

8,484

(7.66)

22,619

(9.29)

65+ 4,115

(2.00)

12,846

(11.60)

37,669

(15.48)

Total 206,024 110,728 243,400
19

Figure 10. Age Group of all Active Airmen at Time of Exam
20

Figure 11. Age Groups by Issued Medical Class for all Active Airmen at Time of Exam
21

Table 12. Age at Time of Exam by Issued Medical Class and Gender

Age 

Group

Issued Medical Class

First Second Third Total Airmen

Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male

16-19 1,797 13,920 850 5,533 2,625 14,972 5,272 34,425

20-24 1,946 20,608 911 10,017 3,549 26,647 6,406 57,272

25-29 1,822 20,419 935 10,175 2,201 20,452 4,958 51,046

30-34 1,530 21,044 849 10,215 1,709 17,702 4,088 48,961

35-39 1,174 18,370 761 9,944 1,379 18,323 3,314 46,637

40-44 950 16,534 460 7,500 696 10,551 2,106 34,585

45-49 1039 20,808 459 9,482 978 15,976 2,476 46,266

50-54 958 22,637 463 10,551 1,194 20,178 2,615 53,366

55-59 683 21,213 396 9,897 1,253 22,727 2,332 53,837

60-64 300 14,157 283 8,201 1,060 21,559 1,643 43,917

65+ 33 4,082 227 12,619 1,301 36,368 1,561 53,069

Total 12,232 193,792 6,594 104,134 17,945 225,455 36,771 523,381
22

Figure 12. Age Group at Time of Exam by Gender and Issued Medical Class 
23

Table 13. Height (Inches) of all Active Airmen by Gender and Issued Medical Class

Issued Medical Class* Number of 

Airmen

Mean Median Standard 

Deviation

First

Females 12,231 65.4 65.0 2.6

Males 193,786 70.5 71.0 2.7

Second

Females 6,594 65.3 65.0 2.7

Males 104,133 70.5 70.0 2.7

Third

Females 17,942 65.2 65.0 2.8

Males 225,445 70.5 70.0 2.8

All Classes

Females 36,767 65.3 65.0 2.7

Males 523,364 70.5 71.0 2.7

*21 airmen missing height

Table 14. Height (Inches) by Issued Medical Class and Gender

Height*

Issued Medical Class

First Second Third Total Airmen

Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male

<59 54 119 46 92 161 208 261 419

59 55 46 38 58 106 116 199 220

60 213 86 120 95 397 244 730 425

61 389 98 228 78 665 183 1,282 359

62 849 182 526 114 1,418 332 2,793 628

63 1,208 426 679 272 1,895 682 3,782 1,380

64 1,814 1,309 1,005 723 2,529 1,772 5,348 3,804

65 1,786 3,012 921 1,627 2,570 3,663 5,277 8,302

66 1,847 6,988 963 3,830 2,531 8,418 5,341 19,236

67 1,523 12,016 783 6,378 2,150 14,167 4,456 32,561

68 1,119 18,652 539 9,978 1,476 21,584 3,134 50,214

69 652 23,740 358 12,962 960 27,015 1,970 63,717

70 413 29,384 189 15,952 540 34,578 1,142 79,914

71 182 26,040 101 14,309 284 30,945 567 71,294

72 84 28,385 60 15,230 144 32,571 288 76,186

73 22 17,114 20 8,904 52 19,168 94 45,186

74 15 13,081 12 6,782 34 14,635 61 34,498

75 2 6,872 1 3,471 11 7,677 14 18,020

76 1 3,970 2 2,062 10 4,607 13 10,639

77 1 1,404 0 706 4 1,673 5 3,783

78+ 2 862 3 510 5 1,207 10 2,579

Total 12,231 193,786 6,594 104,133 17,942 225,445 36,767 523,364

*21 airmen missing height
24

Figure 13. Height (Inches) by Gender and Issued Medical Class
25

Figure 14. Height (Inches) by Issued Medical Class – Females only
26

Figure 15. Height (Inches) by Issued Medical Class – Males only
27

Table 15. Weight (Pounds) of all Active Airmen by Gender and Issued Medical Class

Issued Medical Class* Number of 

Airmen Mean Median Standard Deviation

First

Females 12,229 145.4 140.0 29.1

Males 193,783 190.6 187.0 33.6

Second

Females 6,594 148.6 142.0 31.6

Males 104,126 195.2 192.0 34.7

Third

Females 17,943 146.0 140.0 29.2

Males 225,433 193.3 190.0 34.8

All Classes

Females 36,766 146.3 140.0 29.6

Males 523,342 192.7 190.0 34.4

*44 missing weight

Table 16. Weight (Pounds) by Issued Medical Class and Gender

Weight*

Issued Medical Class

First Second Third Total Airmen

Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male

<100 120 50 54 21 191 63 365 134

100-109 480 171 246 79 685 164 1,411 414

110-119 1,213 774 577 280 1,683 657 3,473 1,711

120-129 1,981 2,087 1,006 841 2,755 2,139 5,742 5,067

130-139 2,162 4,922 1,136 2,174 3,194 5,094 6,492 12,190

140-149 1,848 8,872 924 3,937 2,749 9,363 5,521 22,172

150-159 1,379 14,480 716 6,356 2,094 15,555 4,189 36,391

160-169 974 19,640 550 9,413 1,437 22,009 2,961 51,062

170-179 629 24,201 423 11,857 1,042 26,758 2,094 62,816

180-189 465 25,640 291 13,484 730 29,490 1,486 68,614

190-199 325 23,219 205 12,627 422 26,901 952 62,747

200-209 183 19,296 142 10,980 281 22,974 606 53,250

210-219 131 15,324 85 9,015 197 17,995 413 42,334

220-229 115 11,394 79 7,111 153 13,912 347 32,417

230-239 80 7,989 39 5,062 113 10,275 232 23,326

240-249 57 5,341 34 3,573 80 7,042 171 15,956

250-259 32 3,708 32 2,490 49 5,053 113 11,251

260-269 20 2,364 19 1,690 29 3,306 68 7,360

270-279 13 1,527 7 1,071 22 2,262 42 4,860

280+ 22 2,784 29 2,065 37 4,421 88 9,270

Total 12,229 193,783 6,594 104,126 17,943 225,433 36,766 523,342

*44 airmen missing weight
28

Figure 16. Weight (Pounds) by Gender and Issued Medical Class
29

Figure 17. Weight (Pounds) by Issued Medical Class – Females only
30

Figure 18. Weight (Pounds) by Issued Medical Class – Males only
31

Table 17. BMI of all Active Airmen by Gender and Issued Medical Class

Issued Medical Class* Number of 

Airmen Mean Median Standard Deviation

First

Females 12,228 23.9 22.9 4.4

Males 193,778 26.9 26.5 4.2

Second

Females 6,594 24.5 23.4 4.9

Males 104,125 27.6 27.1 4.5

Third

Females 17,940 24.1 23.2 4.6

Males 225,423 27.3 26.8 4.5

All Classes

Females 36,762 24.1 23.2 4.6

Males 523,326 27.2 26.7 4.4

*64 airmen missing BMI 

Table 18. BMI Category by Issued Medical Class and Gender

BMI*

Issued Medical Class

First Second Third Total Airmen

Female Male Female Male Female Male Female Male

Underweight 546 1,905 255 761 763 1,901 1,564 4,567

Normal 7,960 64,185 3,970 29,110 11,286 69,032 23,216 162,327

Overweight 2,615 88,917 1,535 47,561 4,094 101,185 8,244 237,663

Obese 1,107 38,771 834 26,693 1,797 53,305 3,738 118,769

Total 12,228 193,778 6,594 104,125 17,940 225,423 36,762 523,326

*64 airmen missing BMI 
32

Figure 19. BMI by Gender and Issued Medical Class
33

Figure 20. BMI by Issued Medical Class – Females only
34

Figure 21. BMI by Issued Medical Class – Males only
35

Table 19. Special Issuance by Issued Medical Class, Gender, Age, and BMI

Special Issuance

Yes

(Percent)

No

(Percent)

Class Issued

First 10,392

(5.04)

195,632

(94.96)

Second 6,263

(5.66)

104,465

(94.34)

Third 18,758

(7.71)

224,642

(92.29)

Gender

Female 1,009

(2.74)

35,762

(97.26)

Male 34,404

(6.57)

488,977

(93.43)

Age at Exam

16-19 434

(1.09)

39,263

(98.91)

20-24 566

(0.89)

63,112

(99.11)

25-29 713

(1.27)

55,291

(98.73)

30-34 1,023

(1.93)

52,026

(98.07)

35-39 1,282

(2.57)

48,669

(97.43)

40-44 1,538

(4.19)

35,153

(95.81)

45-49 2,848

(5.84)

45,894

(94.16)

50-54 4,359

(7.79)

51,622

(92.21)

55-59 5,853

(10.42)

50,316

(89.58)

60-64 6,118

(13.43)

39,442

(86.57)

65+ 10,679

(19.55)

43,951

(80.45)

BMI*

Underweight

6,563

(3.54)

178,980

(96.46)

Normal 13,009

(10.62)

109,498

(89.38)

Overweight 15,722

(6.39)

230,185

(93.61)

Obese 115

(1.88)

6,016

(98.12)

Total

35,413

(6.32)

524,739

(93.68)

*64 airmen missing BMI
36

Figure 22. Special Issuance by Issued Medical Class 
37

Figure 23. Special Issuance by Age Group at Time of Exam
38

Figure 24. Special Issuance by BMI Category
39

Table 20. Top 15 Reported Medical Conditions

Pathology Description Number Percent

Hypertension with medication 58,364 10.42

Other miscellaneous allergic conditions* 34,709 6.20

Hernias – inguinal, femoral, umbilical, hiatal 26,213 4.68

Urolithiasis – stones or calculus of kidney, ureter, bladder 21,457 3.83

Other esophagus, stomach, and duodenal conditions –

severe gastritis, esophageal reflux, achalasia, GERD, 

gastroplasty, dysphagia, dyspepsia, thrombus abdomen 

aorta#

21,104 3.77

Male genital system – prostatic, varicocele, hydrocele, 

transurethral resection of prostate (TURP), 

spermatocele, benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH)

19,207 3.43

Other lower extremities conditions – operations, 

fractures, dislocation, knee replacement, knee 

reconstruction, ACL reconstruction§

16,250 2.90

Other skin conditions – includes acne, abnormal 

pigmentation, vitiligo, psoriasis, keratosis, neurofibroma, 

(basal cell carcinoma), adenoma, ganglio neuroma, 

fibroma, fibroadenoma, neuroma, Morton’s neuroma, 

hemangioma‡

15,323 2.74

Ruptured intervertebral disk, nucleus pulposus, spinal 

fusion, laminectomy and spinal stenosis, compression 

disc, other back surgeries

13,373 2.39

Hayfever 12,783 2.28

Asthma 11,408 2.04

Other general heart pathology (abnormal ECG, open 

heart surgery, etc.). Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, 

ablation, AV block, right bundle branch block, left bundle 

branch block†

10,983 1.96

Hypothyroidism, underactive thyroid, euthyroid, 

hashimoto 10,737 1.92

Other shoulder conditions--operations, trauma, recurrent 

dislocations, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff surgery, etc.

9,872 1.76

Sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome 9,839 1.76

* Excludes hayfever and asthma

# Excludes ulcers, gastrectomy, lapband staple bypass, gastric bypass, hernias, esophageal varices

‡ Excludes dermatitis, pilonidal cyst, significant scarring, melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma

§ Excludes deformity of toes, foot, or leg, diseases (synovitis, arthritis, bursitis, osteomyelitis, neoplasms, polymyaglia 

rheumatica, etc.), rheumatoid arthritis, unstable knee (locked knee, herniated meniscus, no patella)

† Excludes cardiomyopathy, pacemaker, cardiac stents, cardiac angioplasty
40

Table 21. Medical Conditions by Issued Medical Class

Issued Medical Class Total First Second Third

Vision

Color vision 

deficiency¥

1,624

(0.79)

1,445

(1.30)

5,493

(2.25)

8,562

(1.53)

Monocular vision 276

(0.13)

327

(0.30)

1,042

(0.43)

1,645

(0.29)

Transplants

Lung transplant 1

(0.00)

0

(0.00)

2

(0.00)

3

(0.00)

Heart transplant 1

(0.00)

0

(0.00)

4

(0.00)

5

(0.00)

Liver transplant 7

(0.00)

8

(0.01)

23

(0.01)

38

(0.01)

Kidney transplant 45

(0.02)

19

(0.02)

93

(0.04)

157

(0.03)

Cardiac

Myocardial infarction 650

(0.32)

344

(0.31)

1,798

(0.74)

2,792

(0.50)

Coronary angioplasty 

with a stent

939

(0.46)

486

(0.44)

2,829

(1.16)

4,254

(0.76)

Coronary angioplasty 

procedure

222

(0.11)

131

(0.12)

770

(0.32)

1,123

(0.20)

Coronary artery 

bypass surgery

374

(0.18)

193

(0.17)

1,326

(0.54)

1,893

(0.34)

Implanted pacemaker 101

(0.05)

78

(0.07)

361

(0.15)

540

(0.10)

Aortic valve 

conditions*

657

(0.32)

382

(0.34)

1,225

(0.50)

2,264

(0.40)

Mitral valve 

conditions#

835

(0.41)

422

(0.38)

1,433

(0.59)

2,690

(0.48)

Hypertension with 

medication

15,525

(7.54)

11,496

(10.38)

31,343

(12.88)

58,364

(10.42)
41

Table 21 (Continued). Medical Conditions by Issued Medical Class

Medical Class Issued Total

First Second Third

Alcohol and 

Drugs

Alcohol 

abuse/dependence

2,432

(1.18)

977

(0.88)

1,614

(0.66)

5,023

(0.90)

Drug 

abuse/dependence

963

(0.47)

497

(0.45)

734

(0.30)

2,194

(0.39)

Alcohol/Drug case 

monitored

1,394

(0.68)

88

(0.08)

16

(0.01)

1,498

(0.27)

Alcohol-related 

offense‡

11,044

(5.36)

6,565

(5.93)

12,061

(4.96)

29,670

(5.30)

Drug-related 

offense/misuse§

758

(0.37)

579

(0.52)

974

(0.40)

2,311

(0.41)

Other 

conditions 

of interest

Sleep apnea 3,154

(1.53)

2,140

(1.93)

4,720

(1.94)

10,014

(1.79)

Applied for SSRI use 233

(0.11)

117

(0.11)

488

(0.20)

838

(0.15)

SSRI special 

issuance

119

(0.06)

31

(0.03)

115

(0.05)

265

(0.05)

Diabetes† 1,483

(0.72)

1,433

(1.29)

4,659

(1.91)

7,575

(1.35)

¥ Color vision deficiency at initial screening test

* Includes aortic valvular disease, aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation, aortic 

 insufficiency, bicuspid aortic valve, also replacement, ruptured aorta or lacerated, aortic bruit

# Includes mitral valve disease, mitral stenosis, mitral regurgitation, mitral insufficiency. Does not include valve replacement.

‡ Includes DUI, DWI, public intox, wet/reckless, .04-.09 blood alcohol

§

Includes drug offenses and positive drug test other than Drug Industry Program (Failed Drug Testing)

† Controlled by hypoglycemic drugs or insulin