Background check
 

I'm new to this forum and have been doing a lot of research and still haven't been able to find the answer I was looking for so I decided to try here. About 7 years ago I was charged with a DUI, there were other charges that were given to me when I was arrested, but overall the other charges were dropped since I completed classes etc and the only thing that I was charged with was a DUI. My question is, when I apply somewhere as a pilot and they do a 10 year background check and take fingerprints - will they be able to see everything that I was charge for when I was arrested or just be able to see what is currently on my record (DUI)?

1st interview, list every single charge and note that they were dropped. Specify exactly what you were "convicted" of.

If that doesn't work, I might try the next company with only what was not completely expunged.

The best thing you can do is be completely upfront and 100% honest. You need to be aware though, that your past incidences will make your future in the airlines pretty doubtful. I do recommend you try to apply, and believe your upfront and honest notification may be your best approach.

Complicated question. The federal databases may not follow the same rules as state/local, so even an "expunged" state/local record might show up on a federal background check. Expunged or sealed means removed from routine access in THAT jurisdiction's records...a state CANNOT order the federal government to purge it's own records. Remember the feds use the data for national security/intelligence as well as law enforcement, so their standards are different...assume they will NEVER give up a piece of data once they acquire it.


There are three questions which you might asked...

1. Have you been convicted? You WILL get asked this since it is legal to ask in most states and it is also REQUIRED for the federal background check.

Convictions will almost certainly turn up on federal background checks, so there's no escaping it.

2. Have you been charged? This may not be a legal question in some states. This info might show up in federal, state, or local records, or it might not.

3. Have you been arrested? This is also not likely to be a legal question in most places. Airlines used to ask this, but I suspect that most no longer do. They might be able to ask if you have any UNRESOLVED arrests, where charges might still be pending since that could affect your ability to work as an airline pilot.

It may also be legal to ask about felonies, but not lesser crimes.

Bottom line, honesty is usually the best policy because it's too hard to know for certain if your name will pop up. Airlines don't usually run background checks until after you are in class...every airline pilot has seen someone removed from class after a week or two because their background check turned up something they "forget" to mention. Now they were officially fired from an airline for lying about their background...they will probably not be able to get another airline job. I would rather get turned away at the interview then fired after I had already quit my old job. That way when you do get a job, you don't have anything hanging over your head.

If you were young (under 25) when you got the DUI, that should not be an deal-breaker seven years later. As for the other charges, it all depends...

Peeing in public? No big deal, youthful silliness.

Possession with intent to sell, theft, violence? Bad news...

My guess is that you will have issues with your conviction. I have a real good friend of mine who got a DUI. He had to wait 10 years before he applied to Co-Ex. I also know folks in HR at ASA that will simply throw out people's applications with a misdemeanor conviction. I'm sorry this happen to you. What you could do is fly Part 91 or flight instruct until then. It is not the kiss of death to your career, but it is a road block until you hit that 10 year mark.

Just a bit more info. DUI's also are noted in the NDR (National Driver Registar) When applying to some places you will have to write done your DL #. They do a scan on the NDR, if the NDR has something on you then they know something is up. The company requesting this info will not know what your in the NDR for but they will know it's something. ( usually DUI, Reckless Driving, ect..) Good luck my man.

You need to do a FBI background check on yourself!! Go to this link Federal Bureau of Investigation - Criminal Justice Information Services Division - FBI Identification Record Request and follow the instructions. Basically you have to print out a form and fill it out. Go to a local police station and have them make you a fingerprint card. Then send the card and the form in with payment. In 3-4 weeks you will have in your hand exactly what the airlines will have..arrests, charges, convictions, dispositions, etc.. This is all they get and so just list what is on there. You may also want to get a copy of your driving record from the National Drivers Register. It is free and takes ten business days to receive. Go to their site, print the form, fill it out and mail it in, Home | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) | U.S. Department of Transportation. All you will get back is a paper that says "no record found" or it will list a state(s) saying there is some kind of record there. Go to the DMV in that state and get a copy of the record that an employer can see and then you know what to tell the airline because you know exactly what they will see. This is the exact process the airlines use, I've been through it. Got a lot of info. from a lot of people but when it came down to it, this is exactly what the airlines do. Do yourself a favor and know in advance exactly what they will find out, this way you are prepared. Good luck and any questions let me know, I went through this..

That is great advice from yacko. Also, if you know people at that airline who can give you a character reference to the HR folks could greatly help your cause and chances of getting hired. We all make mistakes and any misdemeanor that took place 7 years ago is a very long time and people change. I wish you the best.

You are going to have to play the numbers. Unfortunately you are not in a position where you can say " I want to work here, here or there". when the regionals start to hiring again, apply at all of them. You will have to make up for that DUI with time, if they require 100ME, you might have to have 300-400ME to get them to call. I'm sure you will have to be more competitive than the competition to get that interview.

Once at the interview, have a good explanation, and most importantly, accept responsibility. " I made a mistake, I'm very sorry, this is what I learned". As far as the background check, not sure if everything shows up or just what you were convicted of...... By the time you start applying at the majors/box haulers/fractionals, you'll have 5-6 years of regional flying under your belt, you're DUI should not be as big a problem as it is right now.

I worked with a pilot who had a dui.....he had 300 hrs tt. he accumulated another 3-400 hrs as my copilot then got a job with asa. the conviction was less than 3 years old. its definately not a good thing to have over your head but its not the end of the world either.

dont know if this will help........but.....I was arrested for Trespassing and the charges were later dropped. It was a stupid arrest to say the least. Anyways, when I applied at my current airline....the app asked...."have you ever been CONVICTED of a crime?" I answered no because I had not.
With that said, I never brought it up in the interview, not because I was scared but because that is all they asked me. I am all for 100% honesty but at the same time I was not going to bring up something that happened 7 months earlier knowing it was not a reflection of who I really am. They never asked me about it and I never brought it up. Even though I was nervous about it after the interview, I got hired and went through training with nothing ever being brought up. If you were convicted, definitely bring it up but all my friends I talked to about it told me not to bring it up in my interview unless they asked. My 2 cents. Good luck man!