The following facts are materially true in part and only irrelevant facts have been changed to maintain my friend's anonymity.

The facts are as follows:

The pilot at issue had her license revoked for failure of a random drug test. She was randomly tested on her last day and last hour of her reserve duty, on a day when she was not in her base and given the specifics - clearly not available for duty. The random drug test arose as a mere technicality as she was technically on duty for the purposes of a "safety sensitive function," but practically not available to fly (this is possible at some supplemental 121 carriers). The test came up positive for Marijuana. As a result, she was subsequently dismissed from her part 121 flying job and the FAA moved for an emergency revocation of her license. Her license was revoked after a formal appeal. As a term of the revocation, she was not allowed to reapply for her licenses for 14 months, which has passed two years ago.

Her relevant background is as follows:

She has an aviation degree from a highly reputable school, 3000+ hours of flight time (of which includes heavy jet, transoceanic, FMS, 121, CFI time etc..) but no PIC turbine. She also has helicopter time, sea plane time, and she flew for an aerobatics team. She has a perfectly clean record (other than the issue at hand) - no arrests, no checkride failures, no incidents, no accidents, and no other drug related situations. She only has one speeding ticket from 10 years ago. She has a few excellent letters of recommendation, including one from the director of operations at her dismissing airline describing her performance as impeccable and the fact that dismissal was ONLY a technicality as a positive drug test results in an automatic dismissal as per the company's employee handbook (the airline had no union).

Also, in terms of the inevitable question, "what happened?"

Her answer: the drug test failure was a completely isolated incident - a one time only thing, a mistake she made that changed her life, something she would never do again. She is prepared to own up to her mistake and ready to be upfront and honest about the whole situation should she given the opportunity.

Since being dismissed she has attended law school, passed the bar exam in two states (including the rigorous character and fitness portion of which this issue arose), and is now currently practicing law.

She now wants to return to flying and wants to know after getting all her licensing and currency back, can she be hired at an airline again? She has given up on the idea of being competitive at any of the majors, but she would settle for a seat at a smaller to mid-sized airline that may have less competition. Is this a reach? Is it possible?

As you may see, it's a sad situation, so I'm glad to forward any information or advice ya'll may have for her. Thanks in advance.

 

I'll have to let others take a shot at the bigger question as I'm still on the floor over this portion:
Lawyers having "rigorous character"

USMCFLYR

 

I was waiting for that!

 

Right now? I would guess she has no chance of getting on with anybody but a regional desperate for warm bodies. It will probably depend largely on how the impending "pilot shortage" actually turns out.

If she were my friend, I'd suggest she lose the description about being technically not on an assignable flight duty. It's irrelevant, and smacks of not accepting the enormity of the stupidity of her actions. Not casting stones.... I've done some colossally stupid things in life too.

 

Yeah, the whole "barely on reserve" thing is totally irrelevant. Besides, airlines don't like to interrupt scheduled ops to do drug tests so you normally get them at the end of a trip or when you are no longer useful as a reserve.

Bottom line this is huge...failing a DOT test, getting fired, and tickets revoked. I suspect she is going to have to start in 91 or maybe 135. I'm not sure she's ever got a shot at the airlines. She has two hurdles there:

- The airlines would need to believe she has has done a 180 from whatever lead her down that road in the first place.

- But even if the airline thinks she's good-to-go, there is still this huge black mark on her record which will never go away. Think about what kind of ammo that history would make for a plaintiff's attorney at a civil trial...you can bet the airline will be thinking about it.

My guess is that there's no real chance unless a catastrophic pilot shortage materializes. They might be forgiving about a youthful incident pre-CPL...but on-duty 121? Not a chance right now. But it doesn't cost much to apply...

 

I think a common airline application question is "Have you had a positive DOT drug test result within the last 5 years?". I have no idea why the 5 year aspect, but it may be relevant.

 

I don't know what they ask on airline applications but I'm surprised that they are concerned with speeding tickets up to 10 yers old yet positive drug tests only for the last five. Seems backwards to me

USMCFLYR

 

No corporate flight department would touch her, either. I just participated in a hiring process and all the records were front and center, a revocation won't be missed. Drugs and Flying don't mix, it can't get much simpler than that.

GF

 

Sounds like a pretty large character flaw to me and a major red flag to potential employers.

We all know that marijuana doesnt kill people etc etc but the fact that she used it is not the real issue. The problem is that it is prohibited at her place of employment and in aviation in general. She willfully disregarded the rules, that is a big problem.

I see it on occasion (thankfully RARE). Someone will be taking 2+ weeks vacation and they are excited that on day one they will use drugs because by the time they return to duty it will be out of their system. The fact that she used drugs on her last day of duty while still on duty is pretty terrible.

 

True. Although maybe not quite as thorough as a 121/FBI background check, corporate operators do check. My former corporate employer ran a criminal background check as well as a credit check.