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Jex
26th Jun 2012, 12:39
G’day All,

I am an aviation enthusiast, but I am also a type 1 diabetic. I currently hold an RAAus licence with no restrictions, and a CASA Class 2 medical with the condition that I must fly with a safety pilot, and I seem to average about 40 hours of flying per year (although I wish it was more!)

I am posting this in a couple of forums, hoping to get in touch with as many fellow pilots as possible that are also insulin dependent diabetics. My goal is to set up an informal network or group of some description so that we can share experiences and information about flying with diabetes.

This seems a pertinent time to do so, given CASA’s recent changes to the Class 2 requirements for diabetics, and also their introduction of a new class of medical based on the Austroads unconditional motor vehicle driving licence standard (see this thread (http://www.pprune.org/dg-p-general-aviation-questions/488932-rpl-becomes-reality.html)).

If you are an insulin dependent diabetic with any interest in aviation I’d love to hear from you. If you are at all interested in sharing your experiences, or just keeping up to date, please send me an email to jex207 at gmail dot com ([email protected]) (or even a private message via pprune).

Cheers

Jex

VH-XXX
26th Jun 2012, 21:11
Roger Sarong is your man if anyone knows how to get hold I him these days?

Jex
26th Jun 2012, 21:30
Thanks XXX, I'm in touch with Roger. He has been very helpful in sharing his experiences.

cheers

Jex

mustafagander
26th Jun 2012, 22:17
Are you a pumper?

Jex
28th Jun 2012, 11:12
Thank you to those that have got in touch so far.

If any of you other ppruners know of a pilot with insulin dependent diabetes, please feel free to pass on my email and spread the word that I am trying to get in touch. Any help would be much appreciated!

cheers

Jex

p.s. mustafagander I sent you a PM

Stacko
29th Jun 2012, 20:52
RaaAus Licence with no restrictions....


CASA Licence requires a safety pilot...


Wow... I knew there were double standards when it came to RAA but that is quite frankly shocking.

harrowing
29th Jun 2012, 22:19
Jex,
I have sent you an email with a link to an article by a barrister in Canberra who has challenged the system. I did not put it on here as it is possibly considered a commercial link by the mods.
However, using Google and "Canberra barrister aviation diabetes" should work well.
Cheers

Jex
30th Jun 2012, 04:06
G'day Stacko,

Yes it's a good point that you highlight. Many pilots with insulin dependent diabetes have been safely and successfully flying aircraft under an RAAus licence for many years, yet they are unable to fly an identical aircraft if it is VH registered. This inconsistency has been raised during at least one of the cases put before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal by diabetic pilots.

The new medical standard recently announced by CASA appears as though it will go some way to to rectifying this, as it sounds like a well controlled insulin dependent diabetic pilot should be able to qualify. This will allow them slightly greater freedoms of aircraft choice whilst conducting essentially the same style of flying that they were enjoying under the RAAus.

Harrowing, thanks for the link, it makes for interesting reading!

cheers

Jex