[xMenace]

PeopleWithDiabetes.ca

Trailblazer in the Sky
His passion was flying airplanes. It still is.

Here is the remarkable story of Stephen Steele, a Canadian trailblazer who became the first Type I diabetic airline captain in the world.

He grew up knowing that the only thing he wanted to do was fly. At 16, he got his student pilot permit, and by 17 he had his private pilot's license. At 21, he got hired by Air Canada and thought he was living the dream…until one day, 8 years later, he was forced to surrender his pilot's license due to a diagnosis of Type I, insulin-dependent diabetes.

It took a couple of months to stabilize the diabetes, but meanwhile, Stephen had lost his job and was told he'd never fly again. Faced with this new reality and the need to find a new career, Stephen headed for law school and spent the next 5 years getting his law degree and opening his own law practice. During that time, however, he never lost his "spark" for flying and managed to stay on part-time with Air Canada as a simulator instructor, teaching pilots to fly the DC-9 aircraft.

Juggling both careers proved to be enormously time-consuming, however, so eventually he had to make a choice. Stephen knew that his heart was always in aviation, so he jumped at an opportunity to be a flight simulator instructor for Cathay-Pacific Airways and packed up his wife and two sons and moved to Hong Kong. The opportunities and experiences he and his family shared throughout their 8 years in Asia went beyond what they could have imagined, and little did they know how much the aviation field would change over the course of that time.

Watch & listen to the first video clip on the right as Stephen tells the story of how he got his chance to get back in the cockpit.

Stephen uses an insulin pump to control his blood sugars, and he tests his blood 14-15x daily when he is flying, and 6-7x when he isn't flying. He must stay on top of his health in order to live his dream and to ensure that all of his passengers remain safe in his care. Transport Canada makes sure of that, as the rules for pilots with Type I diabetes are very strict. Click on the second video on the right to hear Stephen speak about the kinds of guidelines and criteria that pilots with Type I diabetes must meet.

Stephen has been back flying with Air Canada since 2003, and is proud to have been part of such a ground-breaking move to allow people with Type I diabetes to fly. Australia and South Africa have agreed to follow Canada's protocols, and this opens up a whole new world of opportunity for people with diabetes around the world. With proper care and excellent control, there isn't anything a person with diabetes can't do, and Stephen Steele is a perfect example of that. It took him a long while to get his license back, but he says he wouldn't trade in all the experience he got as a result of being diagnosed with diabetes.

Stephen says that his diabetes hasn't been a burden for him, but rather an opportunity to expand his horizons and educate others through volunteering with the CDA, as well as educating his colleagues on the job. He speaks openly about his diabetes with his crew and flight staff - and while he used to get "surprised looks" in the early days, they all know him by now and know that he has his health well under control.

In this final video clip on the right, Stephen shares some final thoughts of encouragement for newly diagnosed diabetics on how diabetes doesn't have to hold you back from doing anything you set your mind to for yourself in your life.

Thank you, Stephen, for your passion and commitment, and for paving the way for the next generation of Type I diabetics who wish to pursue a career in aviation. Your tenacity is a shining example of living an unstoppable life with diabetes!

[morrisma]

Certainly is a powerful reminder of what we can do to live our dreams. Hats off.
Mike

[kgm0612]

Great story..........thanks for posting!

Karen

[davef]

Thanks for posting the story, it was actually mentioned on a Radio chat show here a few weeks back, when the operators of the National Rail/Train network would not employ a Type 2 as a general station operative as he might be required to shunt train engines. A specialist associated with the Diabetes Federation of Ireland called in a "tore strips of them operator" and cited the Air Canada pilot.

Great to see somebody with the courage to follow their dream!

[Mich]

Such a wonderful story. Thanks so much for sharing, John. It warmed my heart exactly 40 years after TWA sacked me on my first day of flight attendant training because I took insulin.

Things are lookin' up! Finally.

Mich

[Injecto]

AMAZING.....that gives me great hope.

Since being dxd I've looked into doing things before my life would "end" or start horrible complications. Flying has, despite my fear of letting someone else control the airplane, a huge passion of mine since I was a kid. I really want to take lessons and then I found out being a T1 hinders that ability, to some extent. This is just great news. Maybe one day I'll get my flying permit. Only problem is that in Canada I will only be allowed to fly up to a 4 seater airplane with a maximum of 1 passenger.

[xMenace]

Originally Posted by Injecto

AMAZING.....that gives me great hope.

Since being dxd I've looked into doing things before my life would "end" or start horrible complications. Flying has, despite my fear of letting someone else control the airplane, a huge passion of mine since I was a kid. I really want to take lessons and then I found out being a T1 hinders that ability, to some extent. This is just great news. Maybe one day I'll get my flying permit. Only problem is that in Canada I will only be allowed to fly up to a 4 seater airplane with a maximum of 1 passenger.

This pilot is Canadian dude. Get your control down, get the pilot's license, then worry about space shuttles and such. Small steps...

[Injecto]

Originally Posted by xMenace

This pilot is Canadian dude. Get your control down, get the pilot's license, then worry about space shuttles and such. Small steps...

I know he's Canadian, which is why I find the news so Amazing.
Hey, no shuttles for me, I just want to take my family on a plane trip, of course I've got nowhere to actually take them LOL...

[xMenace]

Originally Posted by Injecto

I know he's Canadian, which is why I find the news so Amazing.
Hey, no shuttles for me, I just want to take my family on a plane trip, of course I've got nowhere to actually take them LOL...

I love flying and I enjoy MS Flight Sim X, but I have no desire to get into any small plane let alone fly one. I think my one trip on Bear Skin Airlines in and out of Sioux Lookout did that to me.

[JJM335]

Good for the Canadians.

If he were a Brit, he wouldn't even be allowed a private pilot's licence to fly a glider.

[Moreno]

Very inspirational for me.

[Jan B]

Thank you John. What a guy in this piece.

This sounds like a safe program in Canada. My first thought when listening, was that I've never considered myself as having a disability. But on the other hand, I've accepted there are some things I'll never be "able" to do.