Thread: Legal issues
View Single Post
Old 09-12-2014, 06:24 PM
  #5  
rickair7777
Prime Minister/Moderator
 
rickair7777's Avatar
 
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 39,097
Default

Originally Posted by ccstemberg View Post
I have a friend, that was given a withheld judgement for a felony charge. If he successfully completes his probation. The charges will be dismissed.

He has asked me if I know is it completely out of the question for him to become an airline pilot? I know part of the ATP is to have good moral values.
The FAA rarely seems to enforce the good moral character clause. I would imagine that would require a serious felony conviction, or a lengthy criminal history.

If this is some sort of pre-trial thing it should not affect one's ability to hold an ATP or pilot cert. It might affect your ability to hold a medical if it was substance related like a DUI. Also actual criminal convictions could cause the FAA to deny a medical based on psychiatric grounds, but I doubt anything short of felony conviction(s) for intentional crimes would trigger that, ie theft, fraud, violence, etc.


Originally Posted by ccstemberg View Post
Such as the airlines background check process, and how far back they look, etc.
The background check is complicated, do a search here on APC. Some airlines ask only about convictions, others may ask about arrests. But the conventional wisdom is to be honest, even if you think they won't find out about a non-conviction incident...unlike most civilian employers they get to look at the FBI's database which includes arrests for serious crimes.

Also the TSA has certain standards, but you would need actual convictions to have an issue there. Their rules are straightforward.

Lawyer advice is usually a great idea, but in aviation you have to be careful...if you talk to a generic labor lawyer he may tell you that you don't have to report certain things and that employers will never find out. Unfortunately the usual rules do not all seem to apply precisely to airlines, and sometimes airlines might bend the rules to avoid hiring someone with "issues". If you talk to a lawyer about employment issues, make sure they have airline experience.
rickair7777 is offline