Criminal in the interview
 

I have a dream....to become an airline pilot. I have dedicated my entire life to this one goal, BUT my past is still haunting me. (SOMEONE RELIEVE THE DOUBT OF NOT MAKING IT) Before turning 18 I accumulated multiple (five) convictions, all involving drugs/alcohol, and all were misdemeanors. It's been over four years since I’ve had anything to do with that old lifestyle, and I have no intention of returning. I just passed my multi/com/inst checkride and after building a few hundred hours I plan to apply for SkyWest. Does anyone have any information on situations they have dealt with involving a criminal record and the hiring process, or the severity of how employers look upon this type of background? Thanks for anything; my life TRUELY depends upon it.

Consult a lawyer.

Suggest any??

Misdemeanors are a problem. Especially (5). However, I know people can screw up and do an about face. It's those that only do a partial about face that employers are worried about (Any employeer not just airlines). Misdemeanors pose a problem if an airline wants to send you to Canada. They require a 10 year "clean history" otherwise you have to receive special permission from Canada. Unsure of Mexico.

The more time you put between your "so-called screw ups" the better. ZThe fact that you are studying and flying now shows committment and that you have turned a corner. I might consider trying a turbo-prop operator (regional) in order to get your foot in the door to flying Part 121. Once you have been hired by, pass ground school and start flying for a Part 121 carrier, you become a "Safer" bet for others. i.e Skywest, . . .

~E

Thanks, have a great day

If you were a minor it should be off any record an airline can get their hands on shouldn't it? There is a way to get things removed from your record.

Im actually in the process of getting my record sealed, i just don’t want to dig myself a bigger hole then the one I’m already in by submitting not needed truth or by lying. Thanks. oh what does the Morris code say on your signature.

Evil hands are happy hands

I understand your situtation....I did a dumb dumb just after graduating from college '95. I had a private license only. 97 got ratings and MEII then Good News....had a hard row to hoe but I did not give up. four years later from '95 I was an 121 FO four years 8 months later I was a Captain on a Saab and then CRJ Capt. Bad news is its be hard and by hard I mean I have not been successful YET at going to a National or Legacey because of boo boo. I have not even to date gotten so much as a speeding tic since 95 much less anything else.

About the sealing of your records as I have had it told to me air carriers now pull FBI records and they report everything right down to pooping in your pants in the third grade. due to the freedom of info act.

Alan Armstrong is a aviation lawyer in Atlanta you can get his number if you try. He is a awsome person in which to retain and ask question if you need legal help.

I know your will always have to anwser yes on your medicals because it says EVER. I hate that box!

Just do not give up know matter what ...No is just an opportunity to try again.... but if you get in trouble now with the ratings you have it will be the nail in the coffin because you now have to be responsible because you now know better .

You can out live your youthful woes but you'll have to start thinking before acting to be successful in the aviation bit.

kind of a mixed message but I mean well. I have seen lesser people go forward and me lag behind because I was a stupid kid one night and I have to live with it because i work in the industry were you are judged/ measured by what you've done wrong not by what you've done right....not bitter:D

any way live right, fly safe and everything will work out the way it's intended


good luck

Hey I had a few Blemishes on mine. Mine had to deal with my temper when i was younger.

I had to explain it and I can say it is snot the most comfortable thing to explain to the chief pilot and 3 assistant chiefs. :eek:

But keep it clean now and make your self as marketable as possible.

In accordance with Transportation Security Regulation (TSR) 49 CFR, all employees that are granted unescorted access to a Security Identification Display Area (SIDA) and employees that have access to aircraft must undergo a fingerprint based Criminal History Record Check (CHRC). The following is a list of disqualifying crimes:

(1)Forgery of certificates, false marking of aircraft, and other aircraft registration violations; 49 USC 46306.
(2) Interference with air navigation; 49 USC 46312
(3) Improper transportation of a hazardous material; 49 USC 46312
(4) Air piracy; 49 USC 46502
(5) Interference with flight crew members or flight attendants; 49 USC 46506
(6) Commission of certain crimes aboard aircraft in flight; 49 USC 46506
(7) Carrying a weapon or explosive aboard aircraft; 49 USC 46505
(8) Conveying false information and threats; 49 USC 46507
(9) Aircraft piracy outside the special aircraft jurisdiction of the U. S.; 49USC 46502(b)
(10) Lighting violations involving transporting controlled substances; 49 USC 46315
(11) Unlawful entry into an aircraft or airport area that serves air carriers or foreign air carriers contrary to established security requirements; 49
USC 46314
(12) Destruction of an aircraft or aircraft facility; 18 USC 32
(13) Murder
(14) Assault with intent to murder
(15) Espionage
(16) Sedition
(17) Kidnapping or hostage taking
(18) Treason
(19) Rape or aggravated sexual abuse
(20) Unlawful possession, use, sale, distribution, or manufacture of an explosive or weapon
(21) Extortion
(22) Armed or felony unarmed robbery;
(23) Distribution of, or intent to distribute, a controlled substance
(24) Felony arson
(25) Felony involving a threat Felony involving willful destruction of property .
(26) Felony involving willful destruction of property.
(27) Felony
(28) Felony involving dishonesty, fraud and misrepresentation involving important or manufacture of a controlled substance.
(29) Felony involving burglary.
(30) Felony involving theft.
(31) Felony involving possession or distribution of stolen property.
(32) Felony involving aggravated assault.
(33) Felony involving bribery.
(34) Felony involving illegal possession of a controlled substance punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of more than 1 year.
(35) Violence at international airport; 18 U.S.C 37.
Conspiracy or attempt to commit any of the criminal acts listed above.

If your offenses are outside of this list, you have a chance, however you really have an uphill battle to fight. The most important thing is to show that you have distanced yourself from that lifestyle and are continually taking steps to ensure that you don't return.

Do you utilize a support group like narcotics anonymous? If so, that shows ongoing determination to improve and recover. Your biggest battle is to show that you have learned from your mistakes and improved your situation.

I'd also have realistic expectations about your career... the truth is you're most likely not going to see typical career progression... it's going to take you longer to get there and you may never reach the top. Doesn't mean that you shouldn't strive to get there, but understand that your history is a big detractor from the overall "package."

Good luck!

Are you young enough to get into the military for 4 years? If so, you should do it and get that on your record. At the very least you'll get the military block checked and come out with a honorable discharge and be on your way with a clean work history and some education benefits.

-LAFF

You were told wrong; if something is expunged, sure the FBI can see it, but your (potential) employer cannot. As far as the expungement of an ACTUAL conviction.....not sure they will do that.

I love the quote...thanks for your input...it nice to hear other simular stories, and from what I hear, 121 seems to be not so strict about hiring someone with my record. Would you recommend any 121s? Thanks again

Tried that, and they refused to allow me to do anything beside frontline work. Got to love the gov

If you were a minor at the time I think you are OK but consult a lawyer. Every state has different laws but maybe this will help. This is MA law.

In Massachusetts, an application for employment with a sealed record on file with the commissioner of probation may answer "No Record" with respect to any inquiry herein relative to prior arrests, criminal court appearances or convictions. An applicant for employment with a sealed record on file with the commissioner of probation may answer "No Record" to an inquiry herein relative to prior arrests or criminal court appearances. In addition, any applicant for employment may answer "No Record" with respect to any inquiry relative to prior arrests, court appearances and adjudications in all cases of delinquency or as a child in need of services which did not result in a complaint transferred to the superior court for criminal prosecution.



It is against the law for MA to give out any information to the HR department for the company that is hiring you if you were a delinquent at the time. That is why you may answer no to that question. The feds do their own background check to determine if you have committed any of those crimes and then, if the answer is yes they notify the company.

Good Luck

Frist off thanks for the reply...Yes I participate daily in AA and it seems to be working as intended, but its undocumented, so my word that Im sober is all i got. I understand that my aviation journey will askewed and Im ready for it, I just want to be hired so i know that I CAN fly for a company.
AND when you mention "may never reach the top" do you mean any major airline captain?

I wonder how FWS will replace the majority of the Hub work force in MEM, EWR, LAX and OAK? :confused:

Thanks..marketable, any suggestions? (degrees, certificates, community service, honor roll, many letters of recommendations..those type of things?)

". Bad news is its be hard and by hard I mean I have not been successful YET at going to a National or Legacey because of boo boo"

Nat / leg....what about cargo, is that included. And for the nat or leg companies...do you have more then the requirements to hiring??

If they allow me to select "no record" thats one thing, but every time it comes down to it, the question i usually stated like "have you EVER been...", Do you think this law will still apply in a case like this.....thanks for you input

Keep your nose clean and you might be alright. I fly with a few guys at CAL that have blemishes on thier records. The people that I am speaking of have reckless driving tickets; they do not have multiple convictions but they made it. Like I said, keep your nose clean and you might land your dream job;)

Yes, you can answer no to all of it if you fall in that category.

Good Luck.

SkyWest? Are you from Utah?

Everyone does dumb things. There were several times growing up when if caught I woulda had a horrible record. Ever been detained by the secret service? lol

Funny you should say "nose clean" because CAL has a fella that had a little problem with Cocaine, got canned from his previous 121 gig, and flys for CAL, so just do what he did, kiss a alot of A**

You could check with an attorney, but the problem with airlines is that federal background check. The FBI (and other organizations) take snapshots of state records and retain them...the state may delete or seal some records, but there is no guarantee that certain agencies will not retain their copy (I'll just say you had better assume they do, and leave it at that). It seems to be a grey area as to how normal labor laws (which usually require only felonies to be disclosed) interact with the federal disclosure rules for transportation workers.

Generally I would advise folks to disclose everything (airlines like honesty) even if they are unsure as to whether the airline will find out...almost every large airline ground school has one or two folks removed halfway through for failure to disclose something.

In your case, your record might pose a serious enough obstacle that your only chance of getting hired might be to not disclose it, IF you can legally do so. You would have to talk to a lawyer, maybe you could find one who has experience with airline pilots (contact ALPA, they must have a few names).

Note: Make sure your crimes are NOT on the federal transportation worker list (download this from airline web pages sites). If you cannot meet those requirements, you are 100% no-go.

Thanks
 

In times like this, your words really inspire me to keep going, Thank you

Where have you heard that? I ask so I can further investigate a more reliable source, Thanks for you input

No, but if i had to move there for the job, I would be packing my bags. Why do you ask?

When you mention the fed tran worker list, are you referring to the 35 (or so) rules for disqualification? If not, could you send me a link. Thanks for your words, there truly appreciated

It says it in the paragraph that pasted for you that I got off a MA website. It's MA law only but any inquiry to your offenses as a delinquent you don't have to talk about.

Contact a lawyer though..

Good Luck

Young enough has nothing to do with it....hell you can enter the military up to age 41 now (not all inclusive), but I wouldn't count on pulling it off. Maybe 30+ years ago when there was a draft....these days with the all volunteer force the branches can be very selective on who they allow to serve. Not hard fast rules....and the rules do change. If your honest and own up to it all ....I'm still thinking they still won't take you. All enlistees get a background check. Depending on what you want to do you may have to have a security clearance to qualify for certain skills in the military. That can mean a clean record for at least 10 years or back to age 15. If you really want to serve....it can't hurt to ask.

Work hard....the harder you work the more lucky you will get!

My mistake, I didn't see your reply to LAFF...so you know the deal already with getting in the military. Still, best of luck to you!

According to my stepson, who just got hired in the MEM hub, after the BI became mandatory, they lost a lot of workers. Now, with a clean record, he went from application to first day of work in 10 days.