4 Feb
Flying with Diabetes: Douglas Cairns
Douglas was a RAF jet flying instructor at the age of 25 when he was suddenly grounded by type 1 diabetes. However, his passion for flying continued in 2001 with a private pilot licence to fly with insulin treated diabetes in the USA.
ALT Douglas was a RAF jet flying instructor at the age of 25 in 1988 when he was suddenly grounded by type 1 diabetes. With zero countries around the world allowing any pilot a licence in 1988, Douglas changed career to the asset management industry. However, his passion for flying continued unabashed and in 2001 he returned to aviation with a private pilot licence to fly with insulin treated diabetes in the USA. Therein began a new flying career of setting challenging aviation records, aiming to raise positive awareness of flying with diabetes which could help persuade aviation authorities around the world to enable pilots with insulin-treated diabetes to fly.
Douglas’ talk will cover a number of his challenging diabetes awareness-raising flying projects, including a round the world flight in 2002 in a Beech Baron (with 220 extra gallons of fuel on board for the longest flight), a record-setting flight to the North Pole in 2011 and landing on the polar ice at Russia’s Borneo Ice Camp