For decades, the FAA prohibited people with insulin-treated diabetes from operating airplanes. Commercial airline pilot came on the podcast John Roth shares how his type 1 diabetes diagnosis in 2015 abruptly grounded him and threatened to take away the career he spent nearly two decades building. What followed was a years-long fight to challenge outdated policies and help pave the way for pilots with type 1 to be in the cockpit.

John walks us through the emotional reality of losing a lifelong passion, navigating a T1D diagnosis, and advocating for change alongside other pilots and diabetes advocates. Using modern diabetes technology like continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to provide evidentiary and quantifiable measurements, the FAA changed its stance and John became one of the first 20 T1D pilots to have their license reinstated.

The discussion goes deep into the strict medical requirements pilots with diabetes must meet today, including CGM metrics, endocrinology evaluations, cardiac testing, and ongoing FAA reviews. John’s lifestyle and diabetes management is heavily influenced by these metrics as he needs to adhere to them to maintain his ability to fly. John explained how he manages diabetes while flying passengers across the country and what advice he would give to anyone facing barriers because of a chronic condition. This is a powerful story about resilience, advocacy, and the power of technology.

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