DUI and pilot career?
 

One of my students today was looking a little shook up. After a while he told me he got a DUI last night. I am under the impression that something like that is a death blow for an airline career. What should I tell this guy? Is it worth it for him to even keep training?

I've seen people with DUI's get airline jobs before. As long as you're honest with the airline and try not to cover it up.

Isnt there a problem flying to Canada and Mexico wit DUI?

I know lots of guys with DWI's (yes, some with more than two!) who have airline jobs. One guy got hired by a Major six months after getting it (yes he told them about it). It is NOT a career ender. But, it does not help you one bit.

Most people that I know who have them got them 5-10 years ago in college. The one that got hired by a major had not had a traffic violation, ever, until his little incident. I'm sure that helped a bit.

Tell him to go ahead and start the paperwork with Canada. From what a pinnacle guy told me, it takes something like 6 months and about $500 just to get them to let you into the country. You have to fill out some type of citizenship application, or something like that. I don't know about Mexico.

But all in all, if he was my student I would give him a speech with these main points:

1) Tell the FAA!! NOW!! You have to send a letter to OKC. A guy I knew who was CFI/II/MEI "forgot" to let them know. They took all of his licenses, literally, and a year later he still does not have them back.
2) From now on you drive like a frickin grandma. Slow and defensive. No tickets allowed ever again.
3) Don't drink. If you drink, don't drive, If you drive, don't be surprised when you are sitting in a cubical 9-5 because you can't fly anymore.
4) Tell him to go talk to a lawyer, explain everything, and see if he can get out of it. Are you in Florida? I remember seeing tons of "Got a DWI? Call me" billboards driving around. Tell him to call one of those worthless pos lawyers.

All in all it's not the end of the world, but he will have to strive to be the best. A lot of pilots drink like fish, so the interviewing pilot will most likely understand. It's the HR chick you have to worry about!

There is a lot of good info on this board and all of it is correct.

He does need to tell the FAA. They may have him do an abuse assesment. It may lead to treatment, it may not. Normally on the first one they will let you pass. Sometimes they don't. Fact is it is too late to talk about that. He needs to tell the FAA, and he needs to find a way to pleed it down.

A lot of the airlines now as if you have been convicted or charged. It is the end all be all. Fact is that he will have to tell them. I know on one individual who has had one or two in the past. He was hired by a major the first week that they started interviewing. You must remember that all airlines now have a program in place called HIMMS. It is between the company, faa and the unions. It is to get people with a problem fixed and back it the air. It does not mean that they understand it, it just means that they have a program to fix it. I know of at least three guys that have gotten jobs a airlines in the last month alone that had this happen. Tell him not to give up hope. He just needs to not be defensive about it, admit he made a mistake and tell them how he has learned from it. Everyone knows that we all make mistakes, the question is do we as individuals, know when we have.

Everyone is right, let the FAA know ASAP! Hire a lawyer, depending on his/her record, he may get the charge lowered to reckless driving or something to that effect. DUI is not a killer, but does not help. I'd defenitely encourage him/her to continue on with training though..... good luck.

PS AOPA has some good advise on this subject

hey, I just read that same article in the Feb issue of AOPA magazine. I think the gist of it was if you don't let them know when it happens, it does come back and bite you in the rear. that legal column is very informative btw.

Wow. So this is what it all boils down to. Hiring DUI and DWI pilots.

I bet you ASA loves them! Especially after their little incident in GRR with a pilot in a parking lot. Wonder how many DUI/DWI he had prior to getting hired?


It's one thing to drink like fish.

It's COMPLETELY another thing to be STUPID enough to get behind the wheel when you know you've had a few too many drinks. DUI, and even worse, DWI?! Yeah, sounds like the perfect airline pilot role model!


Call a f#$king cab, and don't get one of us sober people killed on the roads. Thank you!

You know, I agree with your message... but I think you should probably check your attitude. This goes back to the he who has not sinned cast the first stone. In all your years of being alive, have you ever driven after having a beer or two? Then you are just as guilty as my friend. Have you stopped driving after you drink? Then good, you are just as good as my friend. Except you were lucky enough to avoid fines and lengthy conversations about drinking during interviews.

I am not defending drunk driving by any means, but I do not think people who get one (1) should be tarred and feathered and hung for all to see. Now getting more than one, that's a bit of a problem.