1. Who we are and what this site is
Diabetic Aviation Professionals Association ("DAPA," "we," "us") is a peer-led community for pilots, flight attendants, air traffic controllers, and other aviation professionals living with diabetes. This website exists to share information, lived experience, and community. It is provided for general informational and educational purposes only.
2. Not medical advice
Nothing on this website is medical advice, and nothing here creates a physician–patient relationship. DAPA is not a medical provider. We do not diagnose, treat, or manage any condition, and we do not recommend any medication, device, dosage, target, diet, or routine for you.
Content describing glucose targets, insulin timing, device settings, nutrition, exercise, travel, or in-flight procedures reflects the personal experience of individual members within their own treatment plans. It is shared to illustrate how some people approach these situations — not as a standard, a recommendation, or something to copy. Your management plan must come from your own treating physicians. Do not change your treatment because of anything you read here.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call your local emergency number immediately. Do not use this website or contact DAPA for urgent medical situations.
3. Not legal, regulatory, or aeromedical certification advice
Nothing on this website is legal advice, and nothing here creates an attorney–client relationship. DAPA is an independent organization. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), any Aviation Medical Examiner (AME), any aviation authority, any airline or employer, or any pilot union.
Where we describe FAA medical certification requirements, including the Special Issuance pathway for insulin-treated diabetes, we are summarizing publicly available FAA documents in plain language. Those documents, as published by the FAA at the time you read them, are the only authority. Requirements change without notice; our summaries may be incomplete, out of date, or interpreted differently by the FAA in your case. Where anything on this website differs from current FAA guidance, the FAA's guidance controls. Decisions about your medical certification must be made with your AME and your treating physicians.
4. Your responsibility as an aviation professional
You alone are responsible for your fitness for duty, your compliance with 14 CFR 61.53 and every other applicable regulation, the terms of any medical certificate or Authorization for Special Issuance you hold, your employer's policies, and your operational decisions. Nothing on this website relieves you of those responsibilities or substitutes for your own judgment, your medical team, or the applicable rules.
Checklists, kit lists, and operational examples on this website are illustrative. Using them does not make an operation safe or compliant, and DAPA has no knowledge of your aircraft, operation, medical condition, or circumstances.
5. Accuracy, completeness, and currency
We try to be accurate, and we cite our sources. But this website is provided "as is" and "as available." We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, about the accuracy, completeness, reliability, currency, or suitability of any content. Information may contain errors or become outdated. We may change, correct, or remove content at any time without notice.
6. Community content and personal experience
Some content reflects the personal experiences and opinions of DAPA's founder, members, or contributors. These are individual perspectives. They are not verified, not medical or professional opinions, and not endorsed by DAPA as correct or appropriate for anyone else. Your experience will differ.
7. Third-party websites and services
This website links to external websites, including the FAA, medical organizations, aeromedical consultants, and device manufacturers. Those sites are not under our control. A link is not an endorsement, and we are not responsible for their content, accuracy, availability, or privacy practices.
Our "Join DAPA" form sends your signup to Kit (kit.com), the email platform that hosts our member list, and our contact form is delivered by FormSubmit (formsubmit.co). Information you enter in those forms is processed by those services under their own terms and privacy policies. Please do not send us medical records, certificate numbers, or other sensitive personal or health information through the website.
8. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, DAPA and its founder, officers, volunteers, contributors, and members shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or exemplary damages — including without limitation personal injury, loss of medical certification, loss of employment or income, regulatory action, or any other loss — arising from or related to your access to, use of, or reliance on this website or its content, or any action you take or decline to take because of it. Your sole remedy for dissatisfaction with this website is to stop using it.
9. Intellectual property
The DAPA name, logo, and original content on this website belong to DAPA. You may read, print, and share content for personal, non-commercial use with attribution. You may not reproduce it commercially or present it as your own. FAA documents referenced on this website are public U.S. government works; photographs may be subject to their own licenses.
10. Changes to these terms
We may update this page from time to time. The "last updated" date above reflects the current version. Continued use of the website after a change means you accept the updated terms.
11. Contact
Questions about this page can be sent to info@dapaaviation.org.
