Type 1 diabetic class 1 medical
 

Hello everyone

I am a type 1 diabetic been for 19 years I'm now 20 my question is now that type 1 diabetics can optain class 1 medicals do you know of any one who has done it?

I ask because I will soon start flight training and if I think I can go commercial one day ill do my ppl but if I can't ill go NPPL (m) so how likely is it will airline want to employ a type one over someone with no conditions?

Thanks and happy flying

Type 1 diabetic class 1 medical
 

First, let me say good luck following your dreams, the sky is an awesome place to be.

We have one captain on our books who became diabetic. He is filling an office position and trying to get cleared back in, at least as a sim pilot. The problem as you rightly say in your case is that yours is pre-existing. I think it will be very tough for you competing against other applicants without diabetes. Recruiting staff are not famous for taking risks...

Op......airlines taking on a pilot is very uncommon with type 1......1 can lead to 2. As long as you know what you chances are and are wide open to the obstacles that lay ahead......otherwise best of luck and fair play to you.

Other way round, Type 1 is Insulin Dependant

Apologies....you get my gist.

As far as i know anyone who is insulin dependent cannot get a class I medical and although I'm not completely sure I think a class II is out of the question as well. A LAPL might be achievable in those European countries that do not require an EASA medical for it.

Took me three months to get my medical back when I was diagnosed with diabetes and the main part of it was proving that I cannot go into hypoglycemia, even with a doubled dose of my meds (metformin), without eating and very heavy exercise. And even so I now have quite a lot restrictions on both my license and medical.

Anybody know if the uk are issuing class 1 medicals for type 1 insulin dependent diabetes? From their website it looks like they are. Is there an agreement with EASA as according to easa part-med, type 1 diabetics are "unfit to fly".

Thanks

Out of 'Acceptable Means of Compliance and Guidance Material to Part-MED1':

AMC1 MED.B.025 Metabolic and endocrine systems

(g) Diabetes mellitus

Subject to good control of blood sugar with no hypoglycaemic episodes:

(1) applicants with diabetes mellitus not requiring medication may be assessed as fit;

(2) the use of antidiabetic medications that are not likely to cause hypoglycaemia may be acceptable for a fit assessment with a multi-pilot limitation.


@Denti,

do you have an OML restriction?

Yes, i have an OML restriction which weirdly enough showed up on my brand new EASA license as well, not only on the medical.

However, my medical was issued on the basis of JAR-FCL 3 just a few days before EASA PART MED came into force. Otherwise i still would be grounded as the current authority doesn't have the capacity to issue a special approval medical in less than half a year. AMCs were much faster during the JAR-FCL time.

Class 1 and 2 with Type 1 Diabetes
 

Folks, see CAA to issue medical certificates to pilots and air traffic controllers with insulin-treated diabetes | CAA Newsroom | About the CAA

In short, yes you can hold a Class 1 medical if you have Type 1. If you need more info see http:Pilots with Diabetes : private flying - Australia or PM me.

I work for a big orange European airline.

My FO the other day briefed me that he was a Type I Diabetic who injects insulin. He had to prick his finger and do a blood test every 20 minutes and at top of descent.

His Class One medical was restricted to Multi Pilot operations.

He was a male approx 24 years old.

Good Luck:ok:

Every 20 minutes? Ouch, my finger tips are shot and hurt immensely after only a few weeks of eight times a day, very glad that i have to do a full profile now only every couple days. Every 20 minutes must hurt like hell after some time, doesnt he have a continous blood sugar level monitor instead? I believe those are available nowadays.

Information about pre-flight and in-flight testing, and lots of other current (ie EASA) stuff of interest to all diabetics, can be found here
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/49/2013022...danceFeb13.pdf

This is an interesting discussion regarding type 1 diabetes. I have been type 1 now since 2004 & prior to that I was mid-way through my PPL. As my dream was to become a commercial pilot once I was diagnosed I gave up after realising that dream had been snatched from me.

At the time I worked at Stansted airport and was worried that my medical would be invalid & I would no longer be able to continue as a tug driver and work on the manoeuvring area. This was not the case I was still fully permitted to tow and dispatch multi-million pound aircraft around the airport. I was frustrated at the rules for diabetics regarding type 1 medical and believe that the law makers don't really understand the condition! I have never had a hypo in my life and if my sugar level starts to slowly drop your body gives you signs and I can take a chocolate bar or sugary drink without it Affecting any task I'm undertaking. Diabetics do not suddenly collapse with no warning if they correctly control the condition so it makes us no less safe to have in a cockpit as any other healthy pilot. Every time I visit my gp or nurse they do all the relevant checks and can't believe the control I have over my diabetes and they have even told me it's like I'm not even a diabetic!

I understand the rules have now been relaxed regarding diabetes & class 1 meds but for me it's almost too little too late. Commercial aircraft are always crewed by at least 2 pilots so if in the unlikely event I was rendered unable to continue my duty (which has not & would not ever happen) there is another pilot there to continue to operate the aircraft safely. The condition needs to be understood far more than it is!

Just to add to a post above.

I check my blood sugar levels 3 times per day which are morning, lunch & dinner.
Every 20 minutes seems very very excessive and I can't imagine the state of the chaps finger tips!

:ok:

I am a T1 diabetic pilot flying multi pilot ops with an airline in europe. I was convinced that my career had come to an end abruptly. Luckily I managed to regain a medical again after about 6 months. Happy ever since and flying without issues! Both my company and the CAA did a great job. Hope we can convince easa to amend part med.

Best of luck

Well done ! You did very well to get treatment sufficiently stabilised for class 1 certification in such a short space of time ! Are you doing the in-flight BS testing ? If so, how are you finding doing that ? :)

Yes I managed to get stable BS levels within 2 weeks after treatment. I think the most important thing is to understand what is affecting your BS so you can take appropriate action.

Whilst flying I stricly follow the CAA protocol. Brief the crew about the condition. Measure the BS levels 2 hrs before flight, 30 min before off blocks, every hour during flt and 30 min before ldg.

Every 6 months you need to provide the CAA with some data and once a year the basic renewal.

For me it is not a problem. Of course the fingertips might get a bit sore but I just consider myself very lucky to be flying again thanks to the UK CAA. I understand the risk but with the medical aids and treatment nowadays I cant see why this conditions should preclude medical fitness. I sincerely hope that my data will help the CAA to convince EASA as well.

We wouldnt measure blood sugars this frequently on a critially ill patient in theatre or ITU. Indeed I would consider it dangerous. Even with the most brittle diabetic, we only do readings every 4 hours or so although we vary the times.

Presumably the CAA arent so daft as to want these readings for the individual's safety so they must be collecting data for research. ie using the pilot as a guinea pig. Do they need informed consent for this? Can they refuse a medical because a pilot refuses to participate in research?

There are continuous measurement devices which would be more, um, humane

Some interesting issues here

Hi Radgirl,

What do you mean with we? Are you talking about pilots, doctors? Critically ill?

The system looks a lot like the Canadian system. They have been doing it for 10 years now. It is still early days so of course they need as much data as possible. The testing regime is designed to minimize hypo's. On non operational days I only measure 2 or 3 times a day.

For flying Continious glucose monitoring is a possibility but not as a primary source. Even with CGM you need do the conventional finger prick testing according to the schedule. It is still early days and I think that the protocol will become less strict (i.e. CGM, testing regime etc)

If you refuse to stick to the protocol the CAA will revoke the medical (understandably) I am more than willing to cooperate in order to make it easier for colleagues in the future!