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That's quite a surprising change in regulations
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... rs-375440/
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... rs-375440/
CAA to issue medical certificates to pilots on insulin
- Thread starter phoenix
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I just hope these pilots are using just their basal insulin to control their bg levels whilst in flight otherwise they should use cgm or do fingerprick tests every 20mins.
borofergie
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You don't actually think that pilots still actually fly the plane, do you?
Most of the time they're just punching co-ordinates into the auto-pilot, reading papers and playing on their iPads.
Most of the time they're just punching co-ordinates into the auto-pilot, reading papers and playing on their iPads.
Robinredbreast
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phoenix said:
Yes it is surprising. I read the article and it didn't say whether it was for all types of diabetes, Type 1, Insulin Dependant or Type 2, with some function of the pancreas + tablets and Insulin. I suppose, like all things you have to look hard to read between the lines :wink: of some of these regulations. RRB
Hi. It's not quite as simple as it looks. The criterior are very similar to a class 2 driving medical. I'm on tablets and type 2. I have to provide graphs to prove my control, with no hypo's recorded. Any hint of loss of control and I would be grounded. any hypo would ground me for at least 3 months, or until i can prove control.
I have to maintain levels between 6 and 15 mmol during flight, which is higher than I normally have. The advantage with the big jets they have a co pilot. I'm on my own if anything goes wrong.
I think the complications will ground me before the diabetes, eg eyesight or neuropathy . p.s I don't have any complications yet yet
I have to maintain levels between 6 and 15 mmol during flight, which is higher than I normally have. The advantage with the big jets they have a co pilot. I'm on my own if anything goes wrong.
I think the complications will ground me before the diabetes, eg eyesight or neuropathy . p.s I don't have any complications yet yet
Good for the UK. I am a Brit living in the US. The FAA has been issuing medical certificates for pilots with type 1 diabetes since 1995, and no accidents have occurred in which diabetes was identified as a contributing factor. I have been one of approximately 400 pilots with type 1 since I got my licence in 2010. The fact that until now I can only fly solo (i.e. without passengers) under an NPPL has deterred me significantly from ever returning to the UK, although, in general, the US is a WAY better place to fly - with a private licence I can fly at night, through New York City's crowded airspace (I've only ever been refused once due to controller workload), and to a hundred airfields within 100 nm of my base at Morristown (KMMU).
Type1pilot, in the UK you can fly with passengers using a NPPL, this is what I do right now. You just need your GP to sign you off for a group 2 DVLA medical and you're good to go.
Anyway, some of the answers on this thread are, frankly speaking, quite worrying. Everyone should welcome the fact that people with diabetes can fly an airliner, especially those with diabetes. It is a statement to how therapy has improved over the past 20 years. Plus, it's a positive message for the entire diabetes community. A well-controlled diabetes isn’t an obstacle to pretty much every profession (or dream) out there.
As it can be easily imagined, the regulation is quite restrictive. It requires testing every hour whilst in flight, plus 30 mins before departure and 30 mins before landing. CAA medical staff will periodically check the in-flight testing results. For commercial pilots there's a requirement of producing these stats every 6 months plus testing requirements for HB1AC, colesterol etc. etc. Any signs of suboptimal control or hypo unawareness will lead to immediate grounding.
Anyway, some of the answers on this thread are, frankly speaking, quite worrying. Everyone should welcome the fact that people with diabetes can fly an airliner, especially those with diabetes. It is a statement to how therapy has improved over the past 20 years. Plus, it's a positive message for the entire diabetes community. A well-controlled diabetes isn’t an obstacle to pretty much every profession (or dream) out there.
As it can be easily imagined, the regulation is quite restrictive. It requires testing every hour whilst in flight, plus 30 mins before departure and 30 mins before landing. CAA medical staff will periodically check the in-flight testing results. For commercial pilots there's a requirement of producing these stats every 6 months plus testing requirements for HB1AC, colesterol etc. etc. Any signs of suboptimal control or hypo unawareness will lead to immediate grounding.
zibi1 said:
It is indeed a very positive result. Although I am no pilot myself, I have met a handful of the people being licensed and the standard applied to their licence condition is the most stringent on the planet. This is not some reckless abandonment of safety standards by the CAA, but making their rules more evidence-based and scientific. Blanket bans encourage non disclosure and the risk of a far more fragile control - see the history here: http://irfduk.net/a-not-so-short-history/
