The Dreaded DUI
 

I am going to throw myself out there, hoping that it helps someone out there becuase I know what it feels like.

My Story: 6 years ago I was at a gathering at bar. I had 3 beers, got a call from someone in my family who said someone was in the hospital, I left the bar to go to the hospital and got pulled over on the way there. I got no sympathy from the cop (as I shouldnt I was driving over the legal limit) and I ended up with a driving while impaired charge. Call me what ever you want or tell me I am stupid, I have already said the same things to myself over and over again, the fact is people have done much worse that i have that night and not got caught. I simply got caught.
I almost gave up aviation at that point but I love to fly so I kept going. After a lot of dissapointing moments and a lot of flight instructing, I got an interview with Pinnacle Airlines and they hired me I thank them to this day for that. They were very helpful about the situation becuase i was honest with them.

If you have been in my situation here is what you need to do.
Check which airlines will hire you at the regioinal level.
Mesaba requires 5 years for example
Pinnacle and Skywest will hire you in less time but you have to get the approval of Canada.
The canada process is very painful. YOu can't enter canada with a DUI on your record. you have to get special paperwork to enter and exit canada. Its called a temporary resident permit if its been less than 5 years, and a perminent rehabiltation if its been more than 5. Go to this website for guidance but it costs 200 bucks. http://geo.international.gc.ca/can-a...issible-en.asp

The canadian thing is long, frustrating, and they may not approve you the first time but you have to do it.

Be honest at your interivew, tell them what happened. Tell them you made a mistake and how you learned from it. DO NOT LIE, they will find out what you did.

This is obvious, but dont do it again!!!! A second offence and you can forget about it.

I personally am at the point where I want to move on to the majors, preferably Delta. It has been 6 going on 7 years since my mistake, and I have to put it on Airline Apps application. Will I get an interview, who knows, all I can do is keep on trying.

We all make mistakes, some are worse than others. Unfortunately those of us who make this mistake carry it with us forever. If you have any questions or if you have gone through this, please ask or tell on here, or give me a pm if you are uncomfortable posting on here.

Thanks for sharing. I'm sure this info may help some guys out there who think all may be lost.

Im still working on my ratings, finished my A.S and im now doing my B.S. Last night i had an accident with a colombian woman who ran a red light... she was with her husband and her 4 year old kid, and i was the Dominos Pizza Driver.... to make it short, she blamed me that i ran the light in yellow turning to red.... there were no cameras or witnesses... so who do you think the police believed? the pizza delivery guy on a honda civic or the big happy family on the big BMW X5..... yes you guessed right, the ticket was issued on me.

Im totally depressed, all i can do the whole day is see what my ticket says: DRIVER RAN INTO A RED LIGHT AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT.... the worst thing is that my light was not even yellow, it was GREEN GREEN GREEN... if some day in the future i get to the point where i can apply for an airline... how is that going to affect me??? i mean who will want to hire a "crazy driver who just loves to run into red lights and crash people".... now i dont have a car, and i must wait until tuesday cause my insurance company is closed for the long weekend... great :(

I was arrested for DUI about 7 years ago, but later the case was dismissed. The arrest still shows up on my FBI file, so it will be something that is uncovered during a background. I don't have to admit to any convictions or driver/pilot license issues, but when they ask if there is anything else that I would like to add, I bring it up then. It will be found during a background, and I'm not the type to cover it up anyway.

Honesty is the best policy. If the first airline I tell chooses not to hire me for it, I will continue to apply until one does. I'll fly boxes in lower Alabama if necessary.....

Thank you for your honesty and I’m sure it will benefit others. I to have made the mistake of driving impaired, the only difference between you and I is that I was fortunate enough to make it through my years of ignorance & stupidity unscathed. For the better part of the last decade I have had no problems calling my wife or a cab seeing that I am fearful of just how fragile our careers are and that I can not and will not take another’s innocent life.

I am fortunate and I count my blessing everyday for my clean record. Sorry that you where one of the unfortunate but the fact remains that you and I both, as well as most others, deserve what you got and it’s good that we crack down on those drive under the influence. Many have died and many more will due to the stupidity of others.

For those who have lost loved ones because of drunk drivers I am sorry and I feel you pain. Nothing can ever replace the void in your life.

We must all educate and be educated.

Couldn't you have fought it..got an attourney involved..something?

Get an attorney, and file suit against them for everything they have. If you can prove it, which you should be able to if you truly were not at fault, you OWN them. Good luck, this is an issue, as you describe it, worth fighting in court.

Maybe she is here illegally.

It just happened last night... and this is long weekend... my insurance agent is off until tuesday... my car is on my garage all screwed up... i wanted to call my insurance first before calling a lawyer... i really dont know what to do... right now im simply trying to deal with my depression... i just feel impotence... how could something that looked so obvious to me (She freaking ran a RED LIGHT!!!!) could turn into an INJUSTICE like this???.... i feel totally destroyed... that woman screwed me up... unbelievable... im even doubting about MYSELF now, and thinking that maybe im just crazy and i can easily confuse a green light with a red light... even though im not suffering any daltonism...

If what you say is true, you need a lawyer. This could screw up any chances of getting a flying job for a long, long time. Find one that specializes in this area.