Flying (as a pilot) with diabetes: possible?

[Thomas]

@T1Allison

How many FUDers treat a 100 with 20 grams of carbs? That seems odd, I think.

Sure. 20 carbs.

And 2-1/2 units of insulin.

[Eric]

Oh, I guess I don’t have to worry about their chart.

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@Thomas

Sure. 20 carbs.

And 2-1/2 units of insulin.

I was thinking the same thing.

[Chris]

The real problem with having a special medical clearance and making your living at it, is that they can decide to change the rules at any time and take your livelihood away. I didn’t pursue flying commercially because after all of the years flying helicopters my hearing was borderline, and at the time the most common way to have your medical yanked was to lose enough hearing that they won’t certify you. Career over…don’t pass go, don’t collect $200…

[T1Allison]

Definitely

[Thomas]

@Chris

I didn’t pursue flying commercially because after all of the years flying helicopters my hearing was borderline, and at the time the most common way to have your medical yanked was to lose enough hearing that they won’t certify you.

I may have heard that if one hits the little button every 2~3 seconds that one’s score on the hearing test comes out higher than one might have otherwise guessed.

[T1Allison]

I helped two different pilots whose disgruntled ex-wives called in an anonymous tip to the FAA safety hotline that their ex’s had unreported sleep apnea…which was before CPAP machines were allowed.

I was amazed at the resourcefulness of those women. It definitely threw a wrench into things for the pilots.

[Chris]

Yeah, that might actually work, but man, when locked into a booth with the whooshing sound of the silence in your ears, actually hearing those little beeps and boops is a tough thing to do. Especially when you have a competent examiner. And the Army if nothing else, had competent examiners.