Does anyone have info on commercial airplane flight and CGMS? I have wireless systems both with the glucose sensor and my glucometer. I seem to recall something somewhere about disabling one,the other,or both but can’t remember where. I use MiniMed 722 pump and CMGS and OneTouch UltraLink meter. I don’t want to get to the airport and have to do anything weird. I have never had an issue with the pump and TSA. This is first trip with CGM.
Sam, I’ve taken several trips, one international, with MM722, CMGS & UL meter and had no problems. I even wore my CMGS when I had an CAT scan by mistake and had no problem. Readings were slightly off for a few days, but other than that everything is working fine. I did set the new international time at the stopover, so that was fine, too. Enjoy your trip with your new toy(s)!
Cheers, Margaret
Thanks Margaret, That is what I wanted to hear. I have been pumping for about 15 years and had the CGMS for about 15 months now. We fly cross country about every 4 years to visit wifes’ family, so this is first trip with the latest electronics.
In the introduction portion of the user guide it says “Do not use the RF meter to send your blood glucose reading to the pump while on an aircraft. Manually enter your blood glucose. do not use the sensor feature while on an aircraft.” I am not sure why, but it has to do with teh radio frequency that is used for the sensor and meter communication.
I just asked the same thing a few weeks ago over in the Freestyle forum:
http://www.tudiabetes.org/group/freestylenavigatorusers/forum/topics/anyone-in-the-us-flown-wearing
To echo what everyone there said: no problems. I left the sensor in my arm. In SFO I went through the detector with the receiver in my pocket and it did not set off the alarm. In ATL the receiver did set off the alarm, so I handed it to the baggage screening operator, told her it was a medical device and asked that it be hand-screened instead of x-rayed. They complied with no issues.
What??You read the instructions??
I knew I had seen this somewhere, so I will go back and re-read what they say. I think that like cellphones, the CGMS would probably NOT be an issue, but I like to be squeaky straight when traveling by air. It is absolutely no problem to shut down the receiving end of the meter sensor, so that is what I will do.
Thanks for pointing out the obvious…read the instructions!
Sorry that I missed this. More info is always good. I am certainly going to leave the transmitter on and just disable the receiver during flight. Since my receiver is also the insulin pump, I can’t take that off very easily. As I said, I have flown for 15 years with the pump and I can remember only one time the security person say “you need to remove your pager” at which point I said " it is an insulin pump" and with a small display of the tubing coming out, was passed right thru. It has never set off the walk-thru device! My wife travels with a power wheelchair, which is enough of an issue to get thru TSA and pilots.
I just went through the training for my daughters pump. The only part of the manual that I did read was the beginning where it lists all the precautions like don’t bring it with you into an MRI unit. Stuff to keep her safe. 
I wear the Freestyle Navigator CGMS and don’t disable it during flights. I’ve worn it a year and a half now and have yet to have a problem.
Thanks Melissa, I will decide at flight time what to do. Flight is just a few hours so cutting off the wireless works is not a problem.
How is maternity life going for you? I trust all is well. Sam
Thanks, Sam. Maternity life resulted in a beautiful little girl who’s now 10 weeks old. Thanks for asking.
I fly often and never remove my sensors, turn off my receiver, or do anything else different than any other day. I do send the receiver through the x-ray machine. Never had any issues with any of this (I use a Dexcom 7+). The transmitter’s range is ~5’, and since I’m never sitting in the pilot’s lap, I don’t see what the problem could be.
We made the trip and I too did nothing as far as the pump and CGMS transmitter and went thru TSA twice without incident. Thanks for all the input. For anyone flying domestic flights I am sure that this is a non-issue.
Delta airlines told me they treat CGM transmitter/receiver and RF pump/meter pairs like hearing aids. When the regulations were written, wireless diabetes management devices were not available.
My question is international travel. Radio frequencies are agreed to internationally for some uses - aviation, maritime, amateur, etc, but others are each country’s choice - police, farmers, package delivery and so on. What happens when you go to some country where the units are working on a “restricted frequency” and you are detained for causing interference with the “secret police” or similar government agency. Or worse yet, their transmissions cause weird responses from your technology.
I travel quite often. My wife and I just got back to the states from a 2 week trip to the Medeterrenean. I use both the Dexcom 7plus and the Omnipod. I never shut either one down. On the way back from Rome the flight attendant asked me to put my blackberry away since we were in our final approach to JFK airport. I told him what is was and he went on his merry way.
Have any pump and/or CGM users flown recently with all the scans and pat downs? I called Mini Med yesterday and was told they are still trying to get information as to whether these scanning devises are safe for pumps. They have advised me to remove my pump and CGS and have them wanded before going thru the scan process.
it is because the frequency can mess with the planes equipment is what i have been told
Verbiage I received is turn off RF per the manufacturer. FAA Flight Surgeon and Delta’s Flight Surgeon both stated RF on diabetes equipment is the same as hearing aids (go figure). The conjecture about why we are told to turn them off is no manufacturer has had the guts (or money) to have them FAA tested.
One ponder, some countries monitor airport arrivals for RF devices looking for terrorists and other spies. If the RF from the pump is in the wrong frequency band, users may find themselves in Deep Trouble. I know Medtronic uses two different frequency sets - one for North America and the other for the rest of the world for this reason, etc.
Just food for thought.