Reposted from Montgomery County Gazette
Rockville executive seeks to help diabetic pilots fly high
Written by Elizabeth Waibel
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
When Jason Harmon learned to fly a plane in high school, he hoped to join the Air Force.
“As a kid, I had always wanted to be a pilot,” he said.
But before he could join the military, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, which grounded his dreams of being a professional pilot. When Harmon got his diagnosis, Federal Aviation Administration rules barred those with diabetes from flying planes over concerns that if their blood sugar spiked or dropped, they could lose consciousness.
Jason Harmon (right) recently took part in a coordinated flight to raise support for pilots with diabetes. With him (from left) are pilots Chris Isler, Douglas Cairns, David Malone and Taylor Verett.
With his dreams of being a pilot a no-go, Harmon turned to computer programming and technology. The Monrovia man is now the founding partner and chief technology officer of Get Real Health in Rockville. The company makes applications to help people manage chronic health conditions such as diabetes and quickly share information with their health care providers.
In 1996, the FAA started allowing pilots to fly private planes as long as they adhered to a rigorous schedule of blood sugar checks. Now, Harmon wants to prove to the FAA that people with diabetes can control the condition and can fly commercial flights safely as well.
On July 29, he and four other pilots with diabetes flew four planes in formation from Omaha, Neb., to Madison, Wis., hoping to raise support for allowing diabetic pilots to fly commercial aircraft.
“It’s not one spectacular pilot with diabetes that is able to fly,” he said. “… Any pilot who has well-controlled diabetes can do these types of tasks.”
Read the full article