Ear, nose, throat, and equilibrium

To qualify for a second-class medical certificate, you must meet hearing, speech, and balance standards.

For hearing, you can satisfy the requirement through any one of three tests: hearing conversational voice from 6 feet away with your back turned, achieving at least 70% on a speech discrimination test in one ear, or meeting specific pure tone audiometry thresholds. You only need to pass one of these tests, not all three.

You cannot have any ear, nose, throat, or voice condition that interferes with flying, gets worse during flight, or prevents clear communication. This ensures you can effectively use the radio and communicate with ATC and passengers.

Finally, you cannot have any condition that causes or may cause vertigo or balance problems. This is critical because spatial disorientation is dangerous in flight, and pilots must maintain equilibrium awareness, especially when flying by instruments or in challenging conditions.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and consult a CFI.*