Eric Friedman - Exemption/Rulemaking

Dr. Steven Edelman, representing the non-profit organization Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD), supports Captain Eric Friedman's petition for exemption. He argues that establishing clear, stable standards for insulin-treated pilots will increase aviation safety, improve government efficiency, and prevent pilots from being sidelined by administrative delays.

Quinton Weiskittel, an insulin-dependent diabetic pilot, supports Eric Friedman's petition for an exemption from specific FAA medical certification regulations. He argues that the current discretionary process is inefficient and outdated, and that a formal exemption would provide regulatory certainty, improve safety by reducing administrative burdens, and reflect modern medical advancements in diabetes management.

The commenter argues that the FAA's medical certification process is non-transparent and unfairly bars stable individuals, such as those using insulin, from flying. They advocate for allowing these individuals to fly based on their track record of safety and demand greater public accountability from the FAA.

The commenter is requesting that the agency promptly process and issue the exemption requested in the petition. They argue that the petition's core requirements—including safety standards and the removal of regulatory deadlines—remain valid.

An aspiring pilot supports the petition to streamline the FAA's medical certificate issuance process. The commenter argues that the current requirements are unnecessarily complex, burdensome, and confusing, and that an exemption would improve efficiency and safety for both applicants and FAA employees.

The commenter, an insulin-dependent diabetic pilot, requests that the FAA approve the exemption. They argue that insulin-dependent diabetics have safely operated aircraft for decades and that first-class medicals have been issued to them since 2020 without incident.

The commenter, an individual pilot, urges the FAA to grant the exemption because the current process for obtaining a medical certificate for individuals with insulin-controlled diabetes is overly burdensome and unpredictable. They argue that the current "special issuance" process creates significant stress and potential job loss due to long wait times and uncommunicated standards, and that diabetic pilots should be able to obtain certificates as routinely as non-diabetic pilots.