Who is responsible for determining whether a pilot is fit to fly for a particular flight, even with a current medical certificate?

• A. The pilot
• B. The medical examiner
• C. The flight instructor
• D. Air Traffic Control

Answer: (A)

Your medical certificate shows you met the required medical standards at the time of the examination, but it does not transfer the duty to decide if you’re fit to fly a specific flight. The pilot must do that assessment for every flight. If you’re feeling ill, fatigued, or taking medications that could impair your ability, you must not fly, even with a current certificate. Conditions can change after the exam, so the responsibility to judge fitness for the moment lies with you, the pilot.

If you start a flight and symptoms develop, or you realize you’re not at your best, you should land as soon as practicable. The medical examiner provides the initial qualification, and an instructor can supervise training and safety concerns, but the per-flight fitness decision rests with the pilot. Air Traffic Control isn’t the arbiter of medical fitness.