LIVING
Flying high
Douglas Cairns lost his career as an RAF pilot when he was
diagnosed with diabetes. Since then, he’s been fighting to
get back his license to fly. He tells his story here.
Describing his life before diabetes, anywhere in the world, either privately,
Douglas Cairns says, “I was always sporty militarily or commercially. “My flying career
and from my early teens I had an ambition was over,” says Douglas. “I did not have
to fly jets in the RAF.” So much for any to leave the RAF but did have to stop
young boys dream, but Douglas was born flying. I could possibly have stayed as an
and brought up in the Scottish Highlands Admin or Supply officer, but I had joined
with RAF jets flying overhead. He went to to fly and decided to leave and pursue a
Edinburgh University and joined the air different career.” So Douglas left the RAF
squadron there and started to learn to fly – and his dream – behind.
at age 19. He says of that time, “I couldn’t
have been happier.” He was chasing his Changing the rules
dream – and catching it. It wasn’t until 1996 when he went to
Douglas was sponsored by the RAF Thailand where there was an airfield
since the latter part of his University outside of Bangkok where some
career to finish his course. He then went instructors, many of which had military
into officer training, flying training, then backgrounds, were prepared to fly with
straight on to be being a jet instructor. He Douglas and let him take the controls in
was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 25 the cockpit. “They knew my situation,”
years old, which threw a major spanner in says Douglas, “I went out a few times
the works…. each month and I thought it was
The diagnosis came about after he absolutely great. They were just small
had a dose ‘flu at Christmas in 1988. He planes with single engines – not jets – but
recovered but was tired and hungry and it was fantastic to be back flying.” In the
thirsty – all the classic symptoms – but UK, Douglas had been checking regularly
he initially tried to ignore his symptoms, as to his circumstances in terms of getting
thinking it was the after effects of the ‘flu. a pilot’s licence again, but had been told
He recalls, “The RAF mentality is not one that there was no chance of his ever being
of getting ill and not recovering! I was not able to fly again. But while in Thailand,
feeling awful, just not great, but I was losing nearly ten years after having to leave the
weight.” Back at base they did do an initial RAF, an American instructor at the airfield
test on Douglas and he was told that it was told him that the rules had changed in
probably diabetes. In February 1989 he the USA and that it was now possible
was put forward to another RAF hospital to fly with Type 1 diabetes, under certain
where a very adroit doctor confirmed, “You circumstances.
are a diabetic and you were a pilot.” “I ended up chasing my dream again
Even today, more than twenty years -- going to the US where I passed a third
later, Douglas remembers these as class medical and then supplied records
very harsh words. At that time it was as to my diabetes control, the absence of
not possible to fly with a legal licence hypos and any diabetes complications,”