My experience as a type I diabetic

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onwards

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onwards
Hi all,

Just found and joined this forum. I am posting here so there is placeholder of sorts for anyone who, like me, has type I, insulin dependent diabetes, and still wants to become a private pilot.

I received a special issuance class 3 medical last November, took my first instructed flight on December 6th 2010, and passed my checkride on June 23rd 2011.

It IS possible. Happy to offer any assistance I can to anyone else who has this condition and the dream of flying.
 
onwards said:
Hi all,

Just found and joined this forum. I am posting here so there is placeholder of sorts for anyone who, like me, has type I, insulin dependent diabetes, and still wants to become a private pilot.

I received a special issuance class 3 medical last November, took my first instructed flight on December 6th 2010, and passed my checkride on June 23rd 2011.

It IS possible. Happy to offer any assistance I can to anyone else who has this condition and the dream of flying.
Click to expand...
Congratulations, and welcome to PoA! Feel free to start a thread over in Hangar Talk to tell us a little bit about yourself, and we'll try to keep this thread for your intended purpose!
 
Onwards, you might as well just write me an email. There are 1,300 private pilots flying iwth insulin dependent diabetes. I have issued the initial certification for 14 of those, or 1%.

My email from this site works. It can be done, but you have to be ......ORGANIZED.
 
I am a type 1 diabetic. I regularly get A1C testing and have had 6.9, 7.0 and 7.1 readings over the last year and a half. I use an insulin pump and have a glucose sensor that I calibrate using a finger stick glucose meter reading 3 to 4 times a day. Since I get 360 glucose readings a day using the sensor there are readings that go as low as 65 and as high as 220. I've been doing this for many many years. Its been 10 years since I've had a hypoglycemic event.
Will the submission of the A1C lab data be sufficient for the class 3 exam or will the evaluation board require all of the day to day glucose sensor readings?
Some of the rulings I have read state a blood glucose test every hour during flight. Can I just use the insulin pump glucose sensor reading and not deal with finger sticks?
 
Im sorry, I don't think (I may be wrong) there is anyone left on this board with the direct expertise to give definitive advice.
 
Dennis McKim said:
I didn't see that the OP was asking for help.
Click to expand...

The OP wasn't asking for help back in 2011.

The person who resurrected this thread this morning, however, is asking fir help. See Post #4.

I hope it works out for you. It's possible, but you will need knowledgable, experienced help. Reach out to Dr. Bruce Chien at his website posted above.
 
Unregistered said:
I am a type 1 diabetic. I regularly get A1C testing and have had 6.9, 7.0 and 7.1 readings over the last year and a half. I use an insulin pump and have a glucose sensor that I calibrate using a finger stick glucose meter reading 3 to 4 times a day. Since I get 360 glucose readings a day using the sensor there are readings that go as low as 65 and as high as 220. I've been doing this for many many years. Its been 10 years since I've had a hypoglycemic event.
Will the submission of the A1C lab data be sufficient for the class 3 exam or will the evaluation board require all of the day to day glucose sensor readings?
Some of the rulings I have read state a blood glucose test every hour during flight. Can I just use the insulin pump glucose sensor reading and not deal with finger sticks?
Click to expand...

A1Cs in that range will be acceptable to the FAA reviewer. You are not required to submit the glucose sensor readings. By the way, the FAA loves insulin pumps for type 1 DM!

I would defer to Dr. Chien as to whether the CBGM readings could replace the hourly in-flight fingerstick requirement...though I suspect not, given the accuracy of the CBGM sensor is not that great, and is more useful to detect trends than to obtain a precise value.
 
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 365 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.
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