Use a continuous glucose monitor and submit six months of recorded glucose data, along with time-in-range details.Submit A1C (or glycated hemoglobin) results covering a year.The agency soon issued guidance for aviation medical examiners as well as a document called “Diabetes Mellitus Type I or Type II Insulin Treated–CGM Option,” which outlines the new step-by-step protocols pilots with this condition must take to maintain medical certification. However, the FAA announced a change in policy in late 2019, noting that it would begin allowing pilots with insulin-treated diabetes to apply for first- and second-class medical certificates. In 2010, Jackson decided to go on long-term disability and treat his diabetes with insulin, although he stayed connected to aviation by serving as a technical director to the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) and as the organization’s representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization. High levels of glucose create a condition called hyperglycemia, and, if left untreated, it can lead to serious complications, including a diabetic coma. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a chemical that regulates the amount of glucose (or sugar) in the bloodstream. I even exercised twice a day just to keep my numbers down, but it just wasn’t working anymore,” he said, adding that his blood sugar levels were slowly rising and that he had to make a long-term health choice. “I’d tried all the FAA-allowed medications along with drastic low-carb and vegan diets. “I was initially grounded,” he said, “but was able to manage my condition with oral medications and continued flying until 2010.”īy that point, Jackson made a personal decision to leave the cockpit. Mike Jackson (Delta), who’s flown for his carrier since 1991 but was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2006. In October 2019, Federal Air Surgeon Michael Berry explained the agency’s change in policy in a written court filing: “Recent advances in technology and diabetes medical science have allowed the FAA to develop an evidence-based protocol that can both identify a subset of low-risk applicants whose glycemic stability is sufficiently controlled and also ensure these pilots can safely maintain diabetic control for the duration of a commercial flight.” Mike Jackson (Delta), who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, returned to the cockpit this fall after a 10-year hiatus.Įarlier this year, the FAA announced that an individual with insulin-treated diabetes who meets certain standards and follows the approved protocols can apply for the medical certificate required to fly for a U.S.-based airline.
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