A dozen aviation groups are throwing their support behind a new proposal from the FAA to update its approach to medical certification of pilots with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).
Currently, a pilot with an established medical history or clinical diagnosis of diabetes that requires insulin or any other hypoglycemic drug for control has a disqualifying medical condition and must go through the FAA authorization for special issuance of a medical certificate.
In a recent notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), the FAA describes proposed amendments to §§ 67.113(a), 67.213(a) and 67.313(a), which regulate first-class, second-class and third-class medical certificates, to allow those with diabetes controlled through non-insulin medications to receive a medical certificate after evaluation by their aviation medical examiner (AME) without a special issuance authorization.
The agency’s proposal reduces the medical certification burden for both the FAA and applicants. If the proposed amendments are enacted, the agency estimates this change could save between $39.7 million and $80.19 million over five years.
“The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) applauds the FAA’s efforts to update their regulations and standards to meet today’s science,” said Mark Larsen, NBAA’s director of safety and flight operations. “This notice highlights the FAA’s perspective that pilots with diabetes, with their condition controlled by non-insulin medication, are fit for duty without the need to undergo additional FAA review.”
In their comments on the proposal, aviation industry advocacy groups wrote: “NIDDM is now well-understood and effectively managed by modern medicine. It is a prime example of a condition that AMEs can be entrusted to certify or to defer under the privileges of their designation by applying an appropriate aeromedical standard, without the need for a special issuance authorization.”
You can read the full comments to the FAA here.
“NBAA appreciates the collaborative approach the FAA’s Office of Aerospace Medicine has demonstrated over the last several years,” said Larsen. “By engaging with industry stakeholders and considering current medical evidence, the FAA has taken another step forward modernizing medical certification requirements. As a result, the agency is making meaningful and effective changes to its policies while maintaining an acceptable level of safety.
“These reforms can streamline the certification process for qualified pilots, reduce unnecessary administrative burdens for applicants and the FAA, and allow aeromedical resources to remain focused on cases that require special review,” he added.
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