Lucky winner of Type 1 Diabetes before Solo..

[groundpoundn2000]

First off hello everyone from Alaska...

I am in a bit of a pickle and need advice before i continue. 3 months ago i was in Fayetteville NC in flight school and made it all the way up to my Solo and i got called into the Docs office to be told i had type 1 Diabetes at the age 31 ( from an Anthrax shot back on the boat in 2001)... The Army has moved me to Alaska since then to only medically retire me...So back to NC i go. I contacted my flight school and they are willing to let me finish my training to get my Private but i am concerned that when i redo my medical, They will see when they look at the dates that i flew solo in Command after knowingly having this disease. I have read on here about Doc Bruce and doing medical with him but just not sure what is the proper way to go about this...My goal is Private only and I have a plane in sight but really need to clear this up...

BTW I am looking at a pump in the next couple months or they are talking about the new patch for control... Thank you again for the advice..

 

[bbchien]

Letter from treating doc saying: no hypoglycemias in the past year, no more than one in the past 5 years. Statement that you have no known CV disease, renal disease, neurologic disease, eye disease.

Educated: can make good decisions as to diet and treatment.

Capable of monitoring: CFI letter saying you have been seen to maintain control of the a/c and test your blood sugar.

Two HbA1cs 90 days apart, for practical purposes they have to be below 8.

Opthalmologist's dilated exam, no diabetic retinopathy. If there is some, you need good looking Humphrey Visual field maps.

If over 40, Stress treadmill to 9 minutes and 90% of age related Vmax heart rate, have to possess the tracings and it has to be negative.

This is one that airmen generally don't succeed at alone, or take 3 rounds at and 9 months to get the first issuance. Please don't try this one without an AME who has done a couple of these before. The most CRITICAL part of this is willingness to travel to the person whomever you use. A good one, when equipped with all of the above, can get you approved ON THE PHONE (though it keeps getting harder).

 

[groundpoundn2000]

Thank you Bruce. I will get on this ASAP..My concerns may be with the hypo. Until they put me on insulin(Lantus and Novolog) MY average daily readings were over 400. I have also been to ER twice here on base in the past 2 months for Hypo..Now after seeing a nutritionist i am carb counting and everything is in the low 100's..Hoping those 2 don't ruin my next 5 years...

Apart from that, would you recommend me holding off on completing my school or do this medical first without my private? Thank you again...

 

[bbchien]

Ugh. those two do ruin your next 5 years.

 

[Henning]

There's still Pt 103 ultralights and gliders, both of which are a lot of fun if not quite as practical, plus a boatload cheaper.

 

[groundpoundn2000]

Yeah, I just keep thinking of just finishing my private and take my chances for the next 5 years but i think once i admit to having it on my medical, they may go back to see how far and then ill be done for sure....So its either chance it forever or suck up the next five years... Dang and i have an RV in my crosshairs and i am ready to get in now... Ohhh Decisions....

 

[DaleB]

Yeah, I just keep thinking of just finishing my private and take my chances for the next 5 years but i think once i admit to having it on my medical, they may go back to see how far and then ill be done for sure....So its either chance it forever or suck up the next five years... Dang and i have an RV in my crosshairs and i am ready to get in now... Ohhh Decisions....

There is no decision to make. If you break rules, you break rules, and it will bite you. Better to have to wait five years (or get a Sport Pilot certificate, and upgrade later) than to have them yank your medical AND your certificate when (not if) they do find out.

So fly an RV-12 instead of a 7 or an 8 for a while.

 

[Henning]

Yeah, I just keep thinking of just finishing my private and take my chances for the next 5 years but i think once i admit to having it on my medical, they may go back to see how far and then ill be done for sure....So its either chance it forever or suck up the next five years... Dang and i have an RV in my crosshairs and i am ready to get in now... Ohhh Decisions....

Well, mind you I'm not recommending anything here, but if you don't apply for anything and have your own plane, there's not much of a bust that can happen, nor much to keep you from flying.

 

[frfly172]

Go light sport.

 

[TMetzinger]

If you haven't applied for a medical yet, I recommend:

• Get your condition under control.
• Learn to fly light sport with a CFI-ASE, not a CFI-LSA (unless they've changed the regs so that time given by a CFI-LSA counts towards a private)
• Keep flying. Get additional instruction as needed (Instrument is all dual anyway).
• When you've been well controlled for five years, work with Bruce to get your standard medical, then go do whatever work is needed and get your private certs and ratings.

 

[gprellwitz]

If you haven't applied for a medical yet, I recommend:

• Get your condition under control.
• Learn to fly light sport with a CFI-ASE, not a CFI-LSA (unless they've changed the regs so that time given by a CFI-LSA counts towards a private)
• Keep flying. Get additional instruction as needed (Instrument is all dual anyway).
• When you've been well controlled for five years, work with Bruce to get your standard medical, then go do whatever work is needed and get your private certs and ratings.

Hiding or lying about this should not even be a consideration.

 

[Unregistered]

First off hello everyone from Alaska...

I am in a bit of a pickle and need advice before i continue. 3 months ago i was in Fayetteville NC in flight school and made it all the way up to my Solo and i got called into the Docs office to be told i had type 1 Diabetes at the age 31 ( from an Anthrax shot back on the boat in 2001)... The Army has moved me to Alaska since then to only medically retire me...So back to NC i go. I contacted my flight school and they are willing to let me finish my training to get my Private but i am concerned that when i redo my medical, They will see when they look at the dates that i flew solo in Command after knowingly having this disease. I have read on here about Doc Bruce and doing medical with him but just not sure what is the proper way to go about this...My goal is Private only and I have a plane in sight but really need to clear this up...

BTW I am looking at a pump in the next couple months or they are talking about the new patch for control... Thank you again for the advice..

You sure you got that from the anthrax vac?

Just curious what your diet and body type like?

 

[Skylane81E]

If you haven't applied for a medical yet, I recommend:

• Get your condition under control.
• Learn to fly light sport with a CFI-ASE, not a CFI-LSA (unless they've changed the regs so that time given by a CFI-LSA counts towards a private)
• Keep flying. Get additional instruction as needed (Instrument is all dual anyway).
• When you've been well controlled for five years, work with Bruce to get your standard medical, then go do whatever work is needed and get your private certs and ratings.

Agreed

 

[bbchien]

As an additional disincentive, when you finally apply for a 3rd class, in 5 years, successfully, and they discover your PP-ASEL checkride was during the diabetic period, you will loose your PVT ASEL.

 

[poadeleted20]

There's still Pt 103 ultralights and gliders, both of which are a lot of fun if not quite as practical, plus a boatload cheaper.

For anything requiring an FAA license, only if your diabetes is well-controlled and your treating physician agrees it's safe for you to fly. If you're still having hypoglycemic events requiring trips to the ER, you cannot call yourself legal to fly even a glider or LSA. See 14 CFR 61.51 for details. In fact, you're probably not safe to fly an ultralight, either, but that's not an FAA regulatory issue.

 

[poadeleted20]

Well, mind you I'm not recommending anything here, but if you don't apply for anything and have your own plane, there's not much of a bust that can happen.

Henning's statement is utter nonsense. If the FAA catches you flying in such a situation (and there is any number of ways they can do that), they will revoke every FAA certificate you have, and it will be a long time (if ever) before they give you another. Further, if you get caught flying after that, they can take a lot of money from you, and if that doesn't stop you, they can actually have you put in jail. So, there is most definitely something of a bust which can happen. Further, if anyone else gets hurt as a result , you can lose everything you own (starting with that airplane you have).

..., nor much to keep you from flying

If you don't have a conscience and don't care about the consequences of your actions, I suppose that's true -- at least until it goes so far they put you in jail.

 

[BrianR]

OP - you shouldn't be flying anything right now with average daily fingerstick readings over 400 and two episodes of hypoglycemia requiring emergency department visits. Heck, you shouldn't even be driving until you get this under better control.

The pump and continuous glucose monitoring are the way to go.

(Type 1 DM x 48 years, and PP-ASEL)

 

[Unregistered]

WOW.... So many replies, Thank you all....
You know even with the flight school willing to let me come back and finish for my private. I have decided to just take my written now and go see Doc Bruce when i get back and after a year submit for my medical. If that does not work, I will do so every year until they let me fly again. Also yes i am certain i got this disease from Anthrax, There is a study that was done back when they started giving out the vaccine and 68% of white males have contracted type 1 diabetes 10-15 years later. This was coming form the VA doc doing my final medical before my retirement for diabetes... Also i am a current paratrooper in the army and have held the PT badge forever 290+...That and no person on either side of the family has it. Furthermore i am 31 yo.....Not normal to get it this late in the game... I guess i will also pass on this awesome plane i got my heart set on and stick with 2 wheels until the day comes again.... Thank you guys again and God Bless...

 

[TMetzinger]

Good luck to you... I promise, at your age, those five years will go by in the blink of an eye.