Rule number one:

Stop digging.

Thanks for your response. I think it's gonna be a tough battle for me since even though the DUI happened 3 and a half years ago, the probation only ended like 6 months ago.

Research the regionals, if none will take you (which have suitable bases for you) you can do corporate while you run the clock out. Might pay better than regionals anyway, although you might still want to do regionals when you can to progress your airline career. Depends on what the majors are looking for when you get to that point.

They're awful. It would take hours to explain it all.

But if they'll take you, that may be your best bet.

Think of it this way, anything that would motivate someone to choose Mesa(phx or dfw base, fast CA upgrade, opportunity for OT flying, pay) can be achieved better elsewhere.

As it was expressed above, if they'll take you, that might be your best bet. Some pills you just have to swallow and accept.

The first rule of aviation is RTFR, Read. The, *******ing. Rules. It’s a highly regulated industry, piles of paperwork, mountains of reading, and a assumption that you’ll do the work prior to showtime.

Would this show on an FBI check that someone had done on themself?

I believe that if you FOIA yourself, you should get anything that the airlines might see.

Be aware that regionals probably just do the bare minimum, ie SIDA check.

But majors (especially top-tier) may use commercial databases which capture court records at all levels (most of which are online) and resell that data. That could include expunged records, if they were captured before the expungement. The legality of using that sort of info varies by state.

Due to the complexity of the situation with court records and the federal Db, the conventional wisdom is if in doubt, disclose it. Generally it's better to not get hired, than to accept a job and then get fired later. Back in the day it was common to lose one regional new-hire per class to background issues which popped up during training. Less common at majors (some may do the checks before granting a class date).

You can always ask a lawyer, but get one who understands airline aviation issues.

If anybody knows for sure (varies by state anyway) I haven't heard from them.

This is good info, but bear in mind it does not address the FBI Db, which most private-sector employers do not have access to.

The FBI may does not expunge any records since their purpose is investigations and national security, not public records. Even if they're supposed, the judicial record system is a hodge-podge of systems run by low-paid government clerks at federal, state, and local levels. Ie, not necessarily reliable.