I will be honest, I think you have a major uphill battle to get to a major and maybe even a regional. Your record shows a distinct pattern of alcohol abuse, getting worse over time. Excuses like “I wasn’t pouring my own drinks, in an unfamiliar place, empty stomach, and I got a drunk in public because I was so drunk I didn’t drive” are not going to fly well with either the FAA or any airline out there.
If I was on the interview panel, you would be an automatic “no”. That being said, I am not on any interview panels and never have been. I would suggest that you contact the recruiting departments of several regional airlines and ask them about your situation.
Caleb,
You’re first hurdle is trying to get the medical. If you can get that, you can pursue flight training. You could still have a shot at a regional, but it’s really anyones guess. The hiring requirements are constantly changing. Your best bet would be to contact the recruiters at specific airlines you’re interested in and see what response you get. There are a lot of flying jobs out there that don’t involve passenger carry that could be less restrictive. It’s up to you to decide what kind of aviation career you want and if it’s worth jumping through the hoops to achieve.
-Hannah
When you fill out a application, (majors) and you put on there that you have a dui, even though you don’t, can the app automatically be thrown away, an you never get the chance to explain it?
Considering cops make mistakes, an you was innocent the whole time? Or what would the process be?
That is not what the applications ask. They ask if you have ever been charged with a DUI and what the outcome of that charge was. You will need to answer that question truthfully. Maybe you will get an interview, maybe not. There are no guarantees for anybody that they will get to interview with any airline.
As Chris said the question will be “have you ever been charged, arrested or convicted?”. If you were charged and it was dismissed you say so. If you were convicted, you say that. In the end you either have a DUI or you don’t.
Btw, in my experience people make a lot more mistakes than the police do.
Yes, for sure Adam. I agree with you, but passing drug test, and blowing triple zeros three times, I would say the cop was having a bad day. In the end we all make mistakes, and I was told I was arrested for literally no reason basically.
This has already been said, but the airlines will have zero tolerance for the way in which you are trying to argue your side.
Aside from the event itself, the way you talk about it matters, just as much, if not more than the arrest.
You already have a difficult road ahead of you, but there is hope. However, you also need to start taking full responsibility for your record. If you don’t own what happened completely then you might as well find something else to do.
I’m not saying this to be mean. It’s a fact. Airlines have to screen applicants carefully. A person’s character is absolutely a factor in making a hiring decision. Airlines simply are not willing to take a risk on someone that thinks that they did nothing wrong. As much as you think you’re right, no one will see it that way.
What do you call it then? Not all who were arrested are guilty? I literally took a drug test, passed It, blew triple zero 3 times. Went to jail for DUI considering the drug test didn’t come back immediately. Once court received the drug test results, told me I was good to go. No other questions asked.
Little different scenario, then someone who was guilty and then gets it dropped after going through numerous hoops.
Call it what it is. Own what happened and take responsibility. Don’t speak negatively of the officer.
Arguing your opinion of the legitimacy of the arrest or focusing on the police officer’s perceived mistake will get you nowhere.
Just stick to the facts and take responsibility for the arrest regardless of how you feel about the arrest’s legitimacy.
As pilots, we have to operate within the confines of company procedures and FAA regulations. If at any point we make a mistake, which we do, there’s always a possibility that we will have to explain what happened to a Chief Pilot. The last thing that the Chief Pilot wants to hear is, “ATC was just having a bad day.”
If you feel like you may need legal representation, I suggest seeking advice from an aviation attorney. AOPA can help you in that department.
If you were charged (arrested) for DUI, you have more explaining to do. To the AME (for medical) and Airlines (for a job). Have all the documents related to the incident and a narrative of events and what you learned (if needed).
I know a guy who was arrested for DUI and it was all dropped / expunged. He still needed to declare it to AME and his medical was deferred because he needed proof of no conviction / expungement. Once he sent in those documents he got a 1st class… but it would have went smoother if he was prepared ahead of time
Moral of the story, it pays to be prepared and have proper paperwork in order
Thank you all for the answers, I already received first class medical. I was just basically wandering about when/if I applied to a airline, what the question would be like for the dui, so if all else fails, I had the opportunity to explain what happened instead of them not even reviewing the application considering the DUI box is checked. There’s a difference when one pays 1000s of $ to get it dropped, etc, plus someone that pays zero because everything came back negative.
I know that flight training costs a lot of money and there are no assurances of getting hired. One thing to always keep in the back your mind, is that there are never any guarantees in this industry, regardless of one’s record or flight experience.
Hey everyone. I’m just curious if the passing of time since the offense(s) makes a difference, or in my case, if it would be enough of a difference. I have two misdemeanor DUIs, one in college, and most recently, one about 11 years ago. In a separate incident prior to the last DUI, I was cited for possession of marijuana. I will spare everyone the excuses as to why these happened, but at the end of the day I got myself into those situations and I own that fact.
I had always been interested in a career as a pilot growing up, but (as evidenced by my past) got distracted in college. I’ve been working for the same company for thirteen years now, and was promoted to a manager a few years ago. I was given a background check at that time with no issues (I realize the standards for entrusting someone with lives are higher than entrusting someone with money), and because of this and the fact that it has been over ten years, it didn’t even occur to me there might be some issues. Do I have any chance of overcoming these mistakes and having a career as a pilot?
Honestly, I am not sure. Your first barrier will be obtaining a FAA medical certificate. I would expect the FAA to have some serious questions about your past.
You could also contact the recruiting departments of several regional airlines and ask them about your history.
Below I attached the FAAs guidelines for DUI/DWI incidents. For 2 events in a lifetime you will be deferred to the FAA for further investigation. My assumption is they will make you jump through a lot of hoops that cost $$$$ before considering giving you a 1st Class Medical.
I’m not an AME or an Aviation Lawyer, so been going away from giving my personal opinion or thoughts. You could do everything they require, it could take a year or 2, and they may or may not give you a 1st Class Medical. Likely a special issuance 1st Class (expires sooner and can have other requirements like drug tests or psych evals).
Regionals currently probably have a decent shot (in 2018 was 3-7yrs since incident), Majors I couldn’t tell you. Browse using the search function for previous answers related to your question as well, and best source would be HIMS AME, Aviation Attorney, maybe AOPA.
I always scratch my head a bit when I read " I’ve always dreamed of being in the skies" and it’s followed up with I have a DUI (or 2)? I apologize but you don’t need to be a genius to know if you’ve EVER thought (let alone dreamed) of being a pilot, drinking and driving is a really bad idea (obviously it’s a bad idea regardless). Now that we got that out of the way none of us are AMEs (Aviation Medical Examiner) and therefore none of us can say with certainty whether or not you can get your First Class.
While I understand you don’t want to invest in flight training until you know for sure, an FAA medical costs about $100 and if you truly do or did ever dream of being a pilot that would be your first and best option. Beyond that IF you have and remain squeaky clean you should have a good chance of getting to a Regional, but a Major is probably going to be a challenge.
You really just need to spend the money and go see a FAA examiner, only they can answer your question about obtaining a medical.
If you keep your record perfectly clean moving forward, I think you have a good shot with he regionals. I am not sure about the majors. I would recommend contacting the recruiting departments of several airlines and ask them directly.
I want to quote Chris F’s response earlier in the thread as he posted a PDF from the FAA regarding DUI/DWI Incidents…Though an AME like Chris and Adam have mentioned will be able to tell you the most accurate answer and direct you to the proper individual for further follow-up.
Regarding any job potential, contacting the recruiting department for said Airline (or company) will be able to assist with their hiring prerequisites.