So when I was a kid (around 20) I got into some trouble. An attempted assault conviction, a drinking underage conviction, and a possession of small amount of marijuana. Since then I have kept my nose clean, changed my life around and have acquired two 4-year college degrees. I spent time in Japan teaching English and learning Japanese. It has been 13 years since my screw ups as a kid. My dream was always to be a pilot for a major airline. Will these charges years ago prevent me from pursuing my dream?
Leo,
I won’t lie, that’s a tough one. First off while you were young, 20 isn’t a kid. A single arrest can be a problem but 3 (particularly one violent and the others drug and alcohol related) are a huge issue. In the past I would’ve have immediately said you have zero chance, but much has changed. There’s a huge shortage at the Regional level and they’re making exceptions they wouldn’t have in the past. That said again 3 is a lot to swallow, even with the passage of time and I still believe it’s a long shot. The Majors are out of the question. They have hundreds of qualified applicants with clean records and frankly someone with a record is a potential liability.
I recommend you contact some of the Regionals and explain your situation. They’re eager to talk with perspective pilots and they’ll tell you for certain whether you have a chance or not.
Adam
Just curious… did you feel like an “adult” when you were 20 years old? Thanks for the advice
Leo,
This isn’t about me nor am I comparing us BUT since you ask I’ve been out of the house since I was 18 (I was raised by a single mother in the Bronx so you can forget the rich kid privileged angle). At 20 I was in school, working and struggling to pay rent, so yes I felt pretty adult. I also have family and friends who joined the military to fight for their country at 18 and none of them were “kids” either.
Since we’re on the subject I’ve participated in hiring at both the Regional and Major levels so I’ll offer you some more advice. Should you make it to the point where you actually get an airline interview I’d SERIOUSLY consider losing the “I was a kid” defense. There are plenty of kids without criminal records. The airlines (and most employers) want to see ownership, taking responsibility and even some remorse, not excuses like “I was a kid”.
Adam
Considering it was more than a third of my life ago, I’ll keep to whatever defense I like. But again, thanks for the advice
I also worked and struggled to pay rent when I was 20. I was not some spoiled rich kid. You really make a lot of assumptions. I made stupid mistakes because my mind did not work the way it does today. That’s the reason I say I was a kid. You are quite obsessed with what I consider to be the definition of a “kid”
Leo,
When I mentioned the “rich kid privilege angle” I was talking about myself not you. Same when I mentioned where I was when I was 20. I made no assumptions about you or your life. You asked some questions and I answered them as honestly and professionally as I could. Clearly you didn’t like what I said, that’s your right as it is to keep your defense but again I made no assumptions or judgments. I simply offered you answers and advice.
Peace out.
Adam
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Leo,
With your criminal record and your attitude about it, you stand no chance at all of being hired at a major airline and probably very little to none of being hired at a regional.
When I was twenty, I wasn’t as mature as I am now, but I certainly knew what was right and what was wrong, you should have too.
Chris
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Considering I was falsely accused on all charges except the drinking. I’m also in the process of having it all expunged. I’m not gonna sit here and cry about something I didn’t do 13 years ago to make myself look better to some random stranger pilots. I was simply asking a question, I didn’t need your opinions about my childhood. It was many years ago and I’m sure none of you were perfect as a kid. I’m quite positive someone will still hire me. I’ll bet my education will get me somewhere and the length of time passed. Maybe not a major airline, but they aren’t going to prevent someone from being a pilot for making a stupid mistake as a 20 year old. Especially misdemeanors. I’ve heard of felons being pilots. I just expected a little more optimism for me from this website. But anyway, thanks again
Leo,
You might have been falsely accused, but you said you were convicted and that is all that matters. Expunging it from y9our record will not help. The airlines and the FAA ask “have you ever…” they do not care if it was expunged or not and they will find out either way.
Nobody gave opinions on your childhood, but 20 years old is not a child, that is adulthood and you are responsible for what you did then. By the way, you will interview with “random stranger pilots” if you ever get to an airline interview.
I would strongly suspect that the FAA will not even issue you a medical certificate, but I encourage you to apply and find out.
We are not in the business of selling false optimism here. This website is known for providing accurate answers with no sales spin on it. If you want somebody to tell you everything will be okay, I am sure you can find that elsewhere. Adam and I were trying to set realistic expectations for you.
Chris
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Why do I read other threads on this same site of pilots saying that they have worked with other pilots with felonies? I just read one about a guy who was convicted of domestic violence and everyone said he would be fine. How is there no wiggle room for someone with misdemeanors from many many years ago? I understand if they were crimes dealing with aviation, felonies, or if I was a terrorist. But yeah I smoked a little pot when I was 20, I’m pretty sure everyone did and still does to this day. The only part I’m remorseful about is getting caught. I heavily doubt all the pilots in the air have squeaky clean records, but maybe that’s just me.
It makes no sense that the FAA wouldn’t give me a medical. I apologize if you don’t like my attitude but that’s no reason to try to convince me to just give up before I even started. The FAA medical is to determine if you have good moral character to be a pilot. They are looking for people who have theft and worse charges on their record. Smoking some pot, drinking, and getting into a fight as a 20 year old do not necessarily mean anything about moral character. I have read about this stuff. Again I apologize if you don’t like my attitude but you really don’t think all the time passed, the lack of severity of my crimes, and my substantial amount of education I have received since would do anything for me?
No, pilots do not smoke marijuana. I never have, never will and no current airline pilot is doing drugs and if they are, they will be found out via random drug testing and terminated. The vast majority of pilots have incredibly clean records, I do not even have a single speeding ticket and there are many just like me.
I will not debate this further, you asked for an opinion and you received two of them. At the end of the day, the FAA will determine whether or not you get a medical, not us. That being said, if you are able to obtain a medical, that is no guarantee that an airline will hire you and with your attitude, I can almost guarantee you that they won’t. But hey, it isn’t my money, go spend $80k and find out.
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Quit talking to me about my attitude like you’re my father. If I have an “attitude” it is only with you because of your condescending way you talk to me about right and wrong like I’m stupid. I know what I did was stupid. It’s been 13 years, do you think I don’t know that now, Dad? I’m not saying you smoke pot, or that I smoke pot, only that young people these days do indeed smoke pot at some time in their lives. I didn’t come here for a lecture, only to hear some advice. Of course I’m not stupid enough to spend 80k on something that is futile. Considering the people I’ve heard who have been pilots, I think I still stand a chance. I believe Adam had the correct advice for me in speaking to a regional airline and at least maybe a glimmer of hope for me. I appreciate both of you
Leo,
You say you were falsely accused but you’re the one pointing fingers. None of us made any comments about your childhood, it’s the fact you consider the age of 20 to be your childhood I take exception to. No, not everyone has or does smoke pot and the fact is the vast majority of people in this country don’t have criminal records.
The FAA doesn’t ask if you’ve ever been convicted, they ask if you’ve ever been convicted of any crimes involving DRUGS or ALCOHOL which you have. It’s the airlines that will care about the assault. What you fail to recognize is should you ever get hired and have an incident or accident, you don’t think your record will be all over the 6 o’clock news? You think Delta wants that? Trust me they don’t.
I’m sorry you “expected a little more optimism” but we’re not here to blow smoke or paint rainbows. As I said AGAIN, I’ve been on hiring panels and if I asked you what happened and you said “but I was a kid and I was falsely accused and EVERYBODY smokes pot and nobody’s perfect” it would be a REALLY short interview but that’s your story and your sticking to it.
It’s your money and your life. Have at it.
Adam
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I am not stupid enough to say that in an interview. I was simply asking for advice. I’m so sorry you don’t consider 20 a kid. I’m not gonna debate our definition of kid. But thanks for the waste of time. I’ll follow your advice, though, in the meantime. Meanwhile, brush up on grammar and spelling since you’re so perfect
Leo,
You are getting FREE career advice from actual airline pilots and you have the gaul to attack spelling and grammar? Guess what, the airlines care a lot more about criminal records than they do a misplaced comma.
Chris
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Leo,
While I do tend to “run on” (I write as I speak, it’s intentional) spellcheck usually covers the errors so not sure what I missed? More important YOU’RE the one who a) wants to debate and b) feels they’re wasting THEIR time.
If you go WAYYYYY up to the top of your post, you asked a question, I answered and offered some advice. It could’ve/should’ve ended there. YOU chose to continue by asking how I felt when I was 20 and again I gave you an honest answer and some additional advice from someone who’s sat on the otherside of the desk YOU “dream” to be sitting at. You then proceeded to make statements about judgment, generalizations and being perfect. None of which came from us. You asked we responded. You’re the one who’s gotten twisted and angry because you expected “more optimism” and didn’t get the answer you wanted to hear. I guess you’re right after all. If you’re still acting like a child at 33, you certainly were a kid at 20.
I’m out.
Adam
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Honestly I read most of this thread and part of getting hired is the interviewers thinking, “Do I want to sit in a plane with this dude for multiple hours”? You ask us to not talk about your attitude, but I wouldn’t want to fly with someone with that much attitude. You asked for an opinion from these guys. They gave it to you. Sorry you don’t like it but they aren’t going to sugar coat things for you.
I’m 21 and graduating from college in April, then going straight to flight school. Yeah people make dumb mistakes at this age, but there are consequences for your actions. You said you are only sorry for getting caught, that doesn’t sound remorseful at all. You admit you made mistakes, but you don’t feel bad about it. Think about that for a sec.
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Mentors - I applaud your patience. I think I would have been done after Adam’s “Peace out”.
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