Ear, nose, throat, and equilibrium

To qualify for a third-class medical certificate, you must meet hearing and equilibrium standards. For hearing, you have three options: understand conversational speech from 6 feet away with your back turned, achieve at least 70% on a speech discrimination test, or pass a pure tone hearing test meeting specific thresholds at various frequencies.

You cannot have any ear, nose, throat, or mouth conditions that interfere with flying, could be worsened by flying, or prevent clear communication. This includes issues with your middle or inner ear, sinuses, vocal cords, or related structures.

You also cannot have conditions that cause or may cause vertigo or balance problems. This matters because spatial disorientation is dangerous in flight, and pilots must be able to communicate clearly with ATC and passengers. The AME will evaluate whether any existing conditions meet these standards during your medical examination.

*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.*