Marketing for Senior AMEs: How to Reach More First-Class Pilots

The short answer

Why do first-class pilots matter to a Senior AME?

Only Senior AMEs can examine applicants for a first-class medical; regular AMEs are limited to second and third class (FAA Order 8520.2). That makes first-class pilots the part of the market where a Senior AME has the least competition.

• A first-class medical is required to exercise airline transport pilot privileges (FAA), so these are mostly airline, charter and corporate pilots, flying for a living.
• First-class privileges last 12 months under age 40 and 6 months at 40 and over (14 CFR 61.23). A captain over 40 needs a new exam twice a year.
• The first-class exam adds an electrocardiogram at 35 and every year after 40 (FAA), which Senior AMEs are equipped to do.

Put together: one first-class pilot over 40 who stays with your practice is about ten exams in five years. The returning-pilot calculator shows what that is worth at your own exam fee.

How do pilots choose an AME?

Here is what AMEs tell us, consistently:

• Most new pilots come by word of mouth. A pilot asks another pilot who they use.
• Once they find an AME they like, they stay, often for many years, unless something forces a change.
• Many put the exam off until the last minute. Pilots are less proactive about their medical than you might expect.
• When they do switch, something forced it: they moved, their AME retired or stopped seeing their class, they couldn't get an appointment in time, or their medical ran out while they were working away from home.
• Some airlines steer their pilots toward particular AMEs they have a relationship with.

The takeaway: you rarely win a first-class pilot away from an AME they're happy with. You win them at the moment they need someone new, and that moment is often close to their expiration date. Your practice has to be in front of them right then, and able to see them quickly.

Where are the first-class pilots near you?

The FAA's public airmen file lists every pilot's medical class and expiration month, so you can see exactly how many first-class pilots live near you and when they come due. The certificate file also shows who holds an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate. Here's how to use it, step by step.

One thing to know if you practice near a hub airport: many airline pilots don't live near the base they fly from. They commute, sometimes from hundreds of miles away. The FAA file lists where pilots live, not where they're based, so look at the pilots living within your radius rather than assuming the airport's crews are local. A wider radius often makes sense for first class, because these pilots will drive further for an AME they trust.

How can a Senior AME reach more first-class pilots?

1. 1

   Make referrals easy

   Word of mouth already works, so help it along. Ask pilots you've examined, especially long-time ones, to mention you to colleagues. Give them something to pass on: a card, or a short link to your booking page. A pilot recommending you is far more persuasive than anything you say about yourself.

2. 2

   Build relationships with operators near you

   Airlines, charter (Part 135) operators, corporate flight departments and flight schools near you all employ pilots who need medicals on a schedule. A relationship with a chief pilot or flight department manager can bring a steady group of pilots. This is direct relationship work done by you and your staff; it isn't something PlaneLists does for you.

3. 3

   Be bookable at the last minute

   Because so many pilots wait, the practice that can see them this week often gets them, and then keeps them. Make that easy:

   • Online scheduling, so a pilot can book at 10 p.m. without calling, ideally showing your openings this week.
   • An accurate listing in the FAA's AME locator and a Google Business Profile with your hours, phone and booking link. That's where a pilot in a hurry looks.
   • A short “before your exam” note on your booking page: complete the FAA's MedXPress application first and bring the confirmation number and a photo ID. The application is valid for 60 days, and you need the confirmation number to import it (FAA). A rushed pilot who arrives without it can't be examined, and a smooth first visit is what turns them into a regular.
4. 4

   Reach them before their medical expires

   Pilots outside your referral circle won't hear about you by word of mouth. A postcard timed to their renewal puts your practice, and a QR code to your booking page, in their hands before they start looking. Select first class (or first and second) so it goes to the pilots you most want.

5. 5

   Keep the ones you have

   Loyalty is the whole value of a first-class pilot, so protect it. A reminder before their next renewal, sent by you, keeps a procrastinating pilot from booking whoever has an opening that week.

When should you reach pilots who wait until the last minute?

Medicals expire at the end of the month, and many pilots act late. Mail during the month before their expiration month, so your card is on the counter when they finally reach for the phone. Mailing during the expiration month itself is usually too late for planners, but can still catch the last-minute pilot who has nowhere to go.

How do you know what's working?

• Ask every new pilot how they heard about you, and write it down.
• Track how many first-class exams you do each month, and how many are new pilots.
• Note which new pilots come back for their next renewal. That is the number that pays.

Can PlaneLists do this for you?

PlaneLists AME handles way 4 every month. We find the pilots within your radius whose medicals expire in the months you choose, filtered to first class (or first and second), and mail each one a postcard designed for your practice, with a QR code to your booking page. Self-Service is $149 a month, and postcards are $0.97 each, printed and mailed.

Full details are on the pricing page.

Common questions