WAIT, WAIT, WAIT...HOLD ON!

DO NOT RUSH OUT AND CONFESS TO THE FAA!

1) First go get a good DUI lawyer, try to get it killed or plead down.

2) Only if ACTUALLY convicted (EDIT: You probably have to report it if they suspend your license also) do you have to notify the FAA, and you have 60 days following the conviction to do so. You have to notify the FAA in two ways:
- Notify the FAA security folks within 60 days (see part 61)
- Report it on your next medical. IMPORTANT: If you happen to have a medical within 60 days, that does NOT count as notifying the FAA security folks, you have to do that seperately.

The FAA may want you to get evaluated for a substance abuse problem at he time of your next medical...this will invlove one or more Psychiatric types and will costs thousands of dollars.

The FAA will suspend/revoke your license for two or more DUI's within the same three year period.

That covers the FAA, now as far as getting hired down the road, these are the factors:

Factors In Your Favor:
- Only one DUI (non-collision)
- Few if any traffic tickets
- No criminal mischief
- Young (under age 25 when it happened)
- Time passed since event.

Factors Against You
- Multiple DUIs (Find a new career)
- Over age 30 (if you haven't learned by now, you never will)
- Multiple traffic tickets
- Recent tickets
- Criminal history

A student pilot needs to do a thorough self-evaluation and make a REALISTIC determination as to whether to continue commercial training...this is SERIOUS stuff, and will put you at a disadvantage in the hiring arena. Yeah, I know, everybody knows a space-shuttle captain who got selected by Nasa despite his 11 DUI's...but that was back in the day when real men were EXPECTED to get DUI's. You can probably/maybe get a job at a regional, but if hiring slows, the first resumes they toss are the DUI's. He will be taking a big risk with his time and money.

If he decides to continue with flying, he needs to be honest when the airlines ask "were you ever ARRESTED for anything"...regardless of conviction or plea-bargain status, you can never undo the arrest. Be prepared to succinctly explain what happened and what you learned from it...then shut up.