Can I become a commercial Airline pilot with Type 1 Diabetes

AmarChana · Mar 13, 2017

Hello! I am turning 18 in the near future and have had T1D for nearly 4 years. I am looking to start flight training soon through the Private Pilots License and ultimately become a Commercial Pilot in the future. My question is, can I become a Commercial Pilot if I have T1D. I understand that this article: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/About_u...-diabetes-allowed-to-fly-commercial-aircraft/ says pilots with diabetes allowed to fly commercial aircraft, however does this mean that if you are a pilot and hold a license and you develop T1D while you hold your license that you can go back into commercial operations or does it mean that anyone with T1D can become a commercial pilot and fly commercial aircraft? @ScottyD

plutoniumcard · Mar 14, 2017

Scotty

Might be worth directing queries to the Civil Aviation Authority?

http://www.caa.co.uk/search/?query=diabetes pilots

Good Luck.

Tony

bulkbiker · Mar 14, 2017

There is a member here who is a Type 1 pilot.
unfortunately I can't recall his profile name and tried to search but nothing obvious.. can anyone else remember?

azure · Mar 14, 2017

AmarChana said:
Hello! I am turning 18 in the near future and have had T1D for nearly 4 years. I am looking to start flight training soon through the Private Pilots License and ultimately become a Commercial Pilot in the future. My question is, can I become a Commercial Pilot if I have T1D. I understand that this article: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/About_u...-diabetes-allowed-to-fly-commercial-aircraft/ says pilots with diabetes allowed to fly commercial aircraft, however does this mean that if you are a pilot and hold a license and you develop T1D while you hold your license that you can go back into commercial operations or does it mean that anyone with T1D can become a commercial pilot and fly commercial aircraft? @ScottyD

Tagging @ScottyD for you @AmarChana

GrantGam · Mar 14, 2017

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/post-meal-spike.109831/#post-1280551

Here's a thread where @ScottyD talks a bit about commercial flying with diabetes. A bit of light reading until you hear from him directly

AmarChana · Mar 14, 2017

Thanks for the help guys! I'm about to call the CAA

bulkbiker · Mar 14, 2017

AmarChana said:
Thanks for the help guys! I'm about to call the CAA

Good luck! Hope it's a productive call.

douglas99 · Mar 14, 2017

https://www.caa.co.uk/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=4294973794

Like any critical job/sport, you find you need to run high, rather than risk a hypo.
(Decompression at altitude, - you actually need to remove your pump and carb load!)

TheBigNewt · Mar 14, 2017

In the US a Type 1 can get a private pilot's license, but you have to keep a glucose log before and after flights and turn it in to the FAA. My brother here has an Air Transport license (can fly commercial airliner) I'll try and ask him. If I had to guess I would say no. Just like you can't join the military with Type 1.

azure · Mar 14, 2017

TheBigNewt said:
In the US a Type 1 can get a private pilot's license, but you have to keep a glucose log before and after flights and turn it in to the FAA. My brother here has an Air Transport license (can fly commercial airliner) I'll try and ask him. If I had to guess I would say no. Just like you can't join the military with Type 1.

The OP is in the UK.

Here is more from @ScottyD - a pilot with Type 1:

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/a-big-thank-you.110672/

.

TheBigNewt · Mar 14, 2017

Google: UK yes, since 2012. Canada yes, since 2001. US is a big fat NO. Class 3 license only.

azure · Mar 14, 2017

TheBigNewt said:
Google: UK yes, since 2012. Canada yes, since 2001. US is a big fat NO. Class 3 license only.

We don't need Google - we have our very own Type 1 pilot here

douglas99 · Mar 14, 2017

azure said:
We don't need Google - we have our very own Type 1 pilot here

Scotty is a reinstated T1 pilot, the op was asking if it was possible to start out as T1.

azure · Mar 14, 2017

douglas99 said:
Scotty is a reinstated T1 pilot, the op was asking if it was possible to start out as T1.

But they're both in the UK

TheBigNewt · Mar 14, 2017

azure said:
But they're both in the UK

I think what he meant was is it different if you're already a pilot and get diabetes compared to you are already have it and want to be a pilot. I seriously doubt there's a difference. The good part in commercial there's a copilot for most flights. Maybe not bush pilots and floats and stuff but most flights.

AmarChana · Mar 14, 2017

Thank you so much for the help guys! I tried calling the CAA today and there wasn't a line for medical enquiries so I wrote them an email instead, I hope its good news

Deleted member 308541 · Mar 14, 2017

@AmarChana

You might get some good info from the professional pilots forum here http://www.pprune.org/

They also have a section for medicals and health here. http://www.pprune.org/medical-health-62/

AmarChana · Mar 14, 2017

@Tipetoo Thank you! I'll be sure to have a look

AndBreathe · Mar 15, 2017

AmarChana said:
@Tipetoo Thank you! I'll be sure to have a look

AmarChana, you might find this forum a useful place to make contacts:

http://www.pprune.org/medical-health/517777-type-1-diabetic-class-1-medical-2.html

Whilst this thread doesn't definitively answer your question, posts are relatively recent, and there may be better threads, using different search criteria. You would be talking to others with working knowledge of commercial flying though.

Good luck with it. It's good to have an aim in life.

AmarChana · Mar 15, 2017

@AndBreathe Thank you! I've posted in the pprune forums

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