Civil aviation medical standards are continuing to evolve from those established in the World War I era. For example, the whispered voice test standards, the uncorrected visual acuity standards, and other holdovers have been modified, and these and others are now undergoing further modification. U.S. civil pilot ECG's are all now being sent by telephone to the FAA, and, beginning in 1992, some Aviation Medical Examiners are sending the airman physical examinations to the FAA by telephone. By 1994, the vast majority of these examinations are to be sent electronically. As cognitive function is the primary factor in safe flight operations, computerized assessments of this aspect will be accomplished routinely in the next century, taking precedence over physical characteristics which in earlier times were given priority.