Two pilots yesterday broke a world record after landing their small planes in Malta from London in just under 13 hours.

While any pilot would have reason to celebrate, for Douglas Cairns, 53, and Karl Beetson, 27, this feat of endurance is of greater significance as both have type one diabetes. The condition often limits pilots’ opportunities to fly as few countries allow them to operate aircraft, fearing impaired judgement caused by fluctuating sugar levels.

By making it from London to Malta between sunrise and sunset, including three refuelling stops on the way, the pair have set a World Aviation Speed Record, flying the tiny Vans RV8 and Vans RV4.

The attempt was part of a series of projects by Flying with Diabetes – an organisation set up by the two men to raise awareness about living with the condition, sharing their experiences with flying to show that diabetics can still lead a normal life.

In 2002, Mr Cairns flew around the world to raise money for research on diabetes, stopping in Malta on the way.

If something who has diabetes sees that you can achieve something like this, they could start believing that they could be anything they wanted to be

He was Royal Air Force pilot before losing his flying instructor’s job when he was diagnosed as a diabetic in 1989, while Mr Beetson was forced to abandon a childhood dream of becoming a commercial pilot at the age 17 after his own diagnosis.

“We decided to go for the London to Malta route as a lot of people, tourists for instance, can relate to the distance covered. It’s a trip many people from both the UK and Malta make regularly,” Mr Beetson said.

They planned the route extensively, taking into consideration alternatives in cases of unplanned scenarios such as abrupt weather changes.

“In fact, we were worried the strong winds that hit Malta in the past couple of days could cause some delays but the wind direction actually worked in our favour,” Mr Cairns said.

While proud of their achievement, the pair said they were mainly interested in getting their positive messages to as many people as possible rather than celebrating their feat.

“Not everyone wants to be a pilot like I did, but if something who has diabetes sees that you can achieve something like this, they could start believing that they could be anything they wanted to be,” Mr Beetson said.

As dealing with the condition has become easier, aviation authorities around the world have started to allow pilots to fly private planes and the pair said they hoped that by setting this world record, they could help push for more countries to allow diabetic pilots to fly.