Notice of Intent To Discontinue Use of Paper Applications for Airman Medical Certification

The Federal Aviation Administration is providing public notice regarding its intent to discontinue use of the paper version of FAA Form 8500-8, the application form used to apply for FAA medical certification. Maintaining FAA Form 8500-8 for applicants to complete manually is burdensome not only in terms of the cost involved, but also in terms of the complex logistics and use of Agency resources involved. This burden becomes all the more compounded when the form must be revised, reprinted, and redistributed (worldwide). The FAA launched an on-line FAA Form 8500-8 application known as "FAA MedXpress" beginning in 2007. Since 2007, "FAA MedXpress" has evolved considerably, streamlining FAA medical certification into a much more efficient and seamless process, thereby rendering the paper process both redundant and obsolete. Discontinuing print of FAA Form 8500-8 will save considerable resources and improve the efficiency of the airman medical certification process.