And what happens if you are an airline pilot not knowing you even have this disease?

Read Joe Balzer's book. It is very enlightening for folks like me who previously would always criticize pilots with alcohol problems.

 

Im not going to judge him before everything is finalized, but if it turns out to be true, and it is a disease as people say, then this particular pilot has probably been under the influence at work before and this time it bit him in the a$$. I like my beer just as much as the next person, but while preparing for flying the next day you have to be responsible and know when to set the mug down.

 

And that's exactly the issue with alcoholics! MANY TIMES THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN OR HOW TO "SET THE MUG DOWN." No different than any other addict who can't stop.

I'm not judging this pilot either. If it turns out he's not alcoholic and drank irresponsibly, that's another issue and I agree with your above statement. But if he is one, I really wish all of you who have never understood this disease inform yourselves on how difficult it is to catch it in time.

 

I think one that has this disease should be treated, removed from flight, and it's going to take a lot of $$$ and monitoring for them to ever be cleared back. Its more of a life and death thing, rather than just returning to flying. Give them a ground job and 5 years to show they are clean. There needs to be better screening for this, even if its not completely possible to screen at this point. I bet friends and family know they drink like that though. I'm not doubting there isn't some kind of condition. There are people that stay perpetually drunk, I see them more often than not due to the city I live in. They can't control their intake, and if its not alcohol, they find something else just as self destructive.

I have no problem with this being the end of his flying for a long time either. There are plenty of diseases you may not know you have until they cause something like this, and then you are removed from flying due to not being able to get a medical.

 

There is a very good and proven program for getting guys that want the help back into the Flightdeck. It doesn't take moe than a year but it is very intensive. I have had several people I know go through it. The ticket is putting yourself in the program. If you don't believe you have a problem kitchen it will not work. Hope this guy gets the help.

 

On this I agree with eaglefly, his post a few back is fairly spot on.

Does anyone think it is possible to follow the 8 hour rule (with some self control prior to the 8 hour mark) or further the AMR rule of 12 hours (again within reason), and still show up .04 or more. Further does anyone think it is possible to follow the above, and WAKEUP FEELING SOBER, and show up and find out that your not? I heard once about someone who drank heavily, but followed the rules and rules of reason, but had it so built up in their system (over years), that they got hit with a random test almost 20 hours after they stopped drinking and still blew above .04 (after a 6 pack 20 hours prior, nothing super extreme)....Does that even sound possible.

 

If you don't know you have a disease in which YOU CAN'T NOT DRINK ALCOHOL DAILY TO EXCESS, then you really have some issues! And sorry, not buying it......

 

The only elevator you would see in MSP is behind Known Crewmember.

 

How hard is it to not show up to work drunk, I mean really...

 

Here's a story about a NWA 727 crew who got "bagged" many years ago, I think they all got their jobs back, the author is currently flying for American I believe.

FLYING DRUNK: The True Story of a Northwest Airlines Flight, Three Drunk Pilots, and One Man's Fight for Redemption: Joseph Balzer: 9781932714715: Amazon.com: Books