GACA Class 1 medical — step by step.

Booking a GACA-approved AME

GACA publishes the list of approved Aero-Medical Examiners on gaca.gov.sa. Major medical centres in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam each host at least one. Book at least 3 weeks ahead of your training schedule — you do not want a deferral the week you start dual instruction.

What's tested

• Cardiology — resting ECG, blood pressure, family cardiac history.
• Ophthalmology — visual acuity, colour vision, refractive correction limits.
• Audiology — pure-tone audiometry across the speech range.
• Lab — urine analysis, sometimes haemoglobin and basic chemistry.
• History review — undisclosed conditions and medications are the most common cause of delays.

Validity periods

Validity depends on age and the privileges exercised. Indicative periods, subject to verification:

Age	Single-pilot commercial	Multi-crew commercial
< 40	12 months	12 months
40–60	12 months	6 months
> 60	6 months	6 months

[VERIFY] confirm exact wording and intervals against current GACAR Part 67 and any AIC updates.

Common deferrals — and how to clear them

• Refractive error above class limits — corrective surgery (LASIK / PRK) is acceptable after a stability period; bring full optometry records.
• Borderline blood pressure — bring a 24-hour ambulatory monitor reading rather than relying on a single clinic measurement.
• History of asthma or sleep apnoea — bring specialist letters confirming current control and medication.

Revalidating without drama

Schedule the revalidation 30–45 days before expiry. Bring the previous certificate, your logbook (for total hours), and an updated medication list. If anything has changed clinically — new prescription, surgery, hospital admission — disclose it; the AME finding it later is far worse than declaring it early.