Stan --
what sort of "memorandum" is this? You mean like the proverbial "certificate, suitable for framing?" -- if so, like you said, very nice gesture from the PRA.
Ed --
the link Jeff posted is the straight skinny from the FAA. I also rely on the Virtual Flight Surgeons website when I have questions about this. The FAA takes diabetes mellitus terribly seriously because it
can cause sudden incapacitation and it
has done so, resulting in accidents. But the disease has a wide range of consequences and so FAA has a wide range of responses.
Here's VFS's diabetes page:
https://aviationmedicine.com/articl...layArticle&articleID=34&navID=67&contentID=67
It gets quite involved, but the gist of it is:
- If you control it with diet and exercise, you will not need a special issuance. Even for Class I or II. (CFI only needs Class III). You probably won't get there first time -- they'll want to be sure your disease is under control, firsy.
- If you take oral meds and your diabetes is stable and under control, you can get a Class I or II on special issuance, or a Class III (right now, those are borderline special issuance or not).
- If you require insulin they would not issue any medical a few years ago. Now a Class III special issuance is available, but it comes with a lot of strict requirements.
For those of us who do not have diabetes, the best thing is to be young, and when that option's gone, lose weight and keep the weight off. Overweight is strongly correlated with both onset and seriousness of diabetes, and while the FAA is gradually liberalizing many requirements, this is one that is going to be with us for some time, because any problems with blood sugars can make someone zonk out in very short order.
Once you have diabetes, my understanding is that you've got it for good and all you can do is manage it and control it.
Finally, you can still exercise some privileges without a medical (yes, even if one's denied). For example, an instructor can still teach IF his student is already rated on the aircraft and can act as PIC, say, if he's pursuing an advanced rating. I said "some" things, I didn't say they were very useful... plus, I'd discuss any plans to do something like that in advance with my ops inspector because it may be legal, but the FAA might still violate you, and they have the last word.
I hope that this was helpful.
cheers
-=K=-