Diabetic Aviation Professionals Association

People fly further.

DAPA is a peer-led community for pilots, flight attendants, air traffic controllers, and every aviation professional living with diabetes. Built by people who fly with it — grounded in safety, discipline, and respect for the standards of the industry.

Explore Life on the Line

Same sky. More possibilities.Different paths. Same destination.

Gabriel Urdaneta, DAPA founder, seated in an Airbus A320 flight deck

Gabriel Urdaneta Founder · A320 First Officer · Living with Type 1

Just diagnosed? Take a breath. Here's what's true, and what to do this week. Start here

Built for

Airline Pilots Corporate & Charter Pilots Student & Aspiring Pilots Cabin Crew Air Traffic Control Maintenance & Ground Ops Aeromedical & Specialized Roles

What DAPA is

Community. Knowledge. Opportunity.

Aviation safety, professionalism, and chronic-condition management can coexist at the highest standards of the industry. DAPA exists to reinforce that — and to make the path clearer for the next person walking it.

Community

A trusted peer network where aviation professionals connect openly, share lived experience, and learn from one another without judgment.

Knowledge

Credible, experience-based insight into medical certification pathways, operational readiness, and long-term career sustainability.

Opportunity

Improving awareness today and, as DAPA grows, increasing the visibility and professional representation of aviation professionals living with diabetes.

Who DAPA is for

Every seat in the operation.

From the flight deck to the tower to the hangar floor — if you keep aircraft moving safely and manage diabetes while you do it, DAPA is for you.

Two pilots in a flight deck reviewing paperwork before departure — **Flight Deck**Airline, corporate & charter

Cabin crew and pilots standing together beside a Boeing 787 — **Cabin Crew**Flight attendants & pursers

Air traffic controller working in an airport control tower at dusk — **Air Traffic Control**Tower, approach & en route

Aircraft maintenance technician inspecting landing gear — **Maintenance & Ground**Technicians, dispatch & ramp

Aviation careers & diabetes

Diabetes is no longer an automatic no.

Advances in medical monitoring, treatment, and regulatory policy have made it possible for qualified individuals living with diabetes — including insulin-dependent Type 1 — to pursue professional aviation careers.

Certification pathways are structured and require medical oversight.
Personal responsibility and disciplined health management are part of the job.
DAPA is an independent peer community — not a regulator, and it does not provide medical or legal advice.

How the FAA medical works Read the FAQ

A higher tomorrow.

Be part of a growing peer community of aviation professionals living with diabetes. Connect, share experience, and stay informed as DAPA evolves.