Douglas Cairns

After graduating from Edinburgh University in Scotland in 1985, Douglas spent four years in the Royal Air Force where he completed his fast-jet flying training on Hawks and instructor qualification on Jet Provosts. Afterfive months instructing at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire, he was diagnosedwith Type 1 Diabetes in 1989 and was unable to fly in the RAF.

Douglas subsequently left the RAF in 1989 and changed his career to fund management. After gaining experience with Schroder Investment Management Limited in London, he moved to Thailand in 1996 where he was the Chief Investment Officer and latterly the Chief Executive Officer of Schroder Asset Management Limited, a joint venture in Bangkok.

In 1997, Douglas began flying again in Thailand at the Thai Flying Club – http://www.thaiflyingclub.com - with a qualified flying instructor on board. In 1999, he discovered that it was possible to obtain a US Medical licence to fly solo privately in the USA by meeting certain medical requirements. He obtained his US Private Pilot Licence (PPL) in December 2000. He also gained a “Special Pilot Licence” in Australia in February 2001 and validated his USA licence to fly in Thailand.

Ultimately Douglas wants to show that clinical conditions such as Type 1 Diabetes should not limit the scope of people's dreams and ambitions. He also wants to raise awareness of Diabetes and show that a Type 1 Diabetic can safely fly around the world by keeping blood sugar levels within the regulatory limits prescribed by the US FAA.