Aeromedical Institute

The Aeromedical Institute (AMI) is a unique medical facility of the Air Force and Air Defence, specializing in the medical and psychological assessment of pilots and paratroopers, with the goal of enhancing the safety of flight operations and parachute jumps.

The AMI is composed of the administration, the Department of Aviation Physiology, the Department of Medical-Psychological Expertise, the Aeromedical Commission, and the Support Department.

The Head of the Aeromedical Institute is Lieutenant Colonel Nenad Bačević.

Institute’s Tasks

The main tasks of the Aeromedical Institute include:

Selection and physiological training of pilots, paratroopers, and aircrew,
Regular annual systematic and specialist examinations, and determining flying and parachuting fitness,
Theoretical and practical instruction in the field of aviation medicine, as well as scientific research,
Development and periodic testing of protective flight equipment,
Coordination and development of aeromedical regulations,
Improvement of flight safety through the investigation of aviation accidents and the proposal of safety measures,
Medical examinations for candidates for peacekeeping missions,
Medical examinations of civilian pilots for Class 2 certification.

Tradition of the AMI

The Aeromedical Institute was founded on November 11, 1945. Initially, it functioned as a small specialized hospital intended for sick and injured pilots.

Selection and physiological training of aircrew began in 1946. Among the specific aeromedical training devices used were a hyperbaric chamber and later an ejection seat trainer.

Testing with a human centrifuge began in 1978, and the simulation of vestibular illusions in pilots using a spatial disorientation device began in 1987.

In 1981, a three-year specialization in aviation medicine was established and officially recognized by the Ministry of Health. This specialization is conducted at the Medical Faculty of the Military Medical Academy.

Since 1996, the Institute has been providing treatment using hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

The AMI was relocated to a new facility at Batajnica Air Base in 1988. After the destruction of the facility in Batajnica, on July 15, 1999, the AMI became part of the Institute of Preventive Medicine of the Military Medical Academy and was renamed the Institute for Aviation Medicine.

On February 15, 2010, the Institute was returned to the Air Force and Air Defence structure, and its original name — Aeromedical Institute — was restored.