End Descrimination By The FAA Toward Diabetics

My name is Christopher Hanrahan, I am an FAA licensed pilot who is also a type 1 diabetic. In 2015 the Federal Aviation Administration changed their rules saying that Class 1 and Class 2 medical certificates would be issued to individuals who have type 1 diabetes or who utilize insulin to treat their illness. Myself, along with around 200 other pilots, both men and women, some of whom are veterans put in our applications to receive a Class 1 or Class 2 medical and to date not a single one of our applications have been approved or denied, they have simply been ignored because we have insulin treated diabetes. The importance of a Class 1 or Class 2 medical is because it enables to work for a an airline (part 121 carrier) or a charter company (part 135). Without these medical certificates we are unable to begin our careers with an airline or as is sadly the case simply return to work after being diagnosed with this illness. Insulin treated diabetics have been safely flying for airlines in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand for many years now and regularly operate aircraft into US airspace, land and takeoff from US airports and carry US citizens safely all over the world every single day, some of you may very well have flown on a flight which was operated by pilot with insulin treated diabetes. The purpose of our fund raising is to bring a lawsuit against the FAA for their blatant discrimination and disregard for our civil rights as US citizens. We hope to compel the FAA through legal action to begin the process of following their own rules and issue our medical certificates so that individuals such as the several men and women who I have spoken to with children can simply be given the ability to return to their jobs as airline pilots. While we all hoped the FAA would act prior to having to get the courts involved it appears that will not happen and we are now being forced to take legal action, any donation you can make, no matter how small will be going to help return Americans, many of whom are veterans and have families, to work, you will also be helping me accomplish a lifelong dream of being able to be an airline pilot. I would like to also make it clear that ANY and ALL funds not utilized in legal actions will be donated directly to the JDRF research fund to help find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. I, along with everyone else involved thank you for your donations from the bottom of our hearts, you are truly helping to make a change in the lives of group of hardworking great Americans who have a treatable disability. Thank you!