Do my juvenile criminal charges disqualify me from becoming a pilot?

Airline Pilot Questions & Answers
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Hey, everyone. I’m a 29 year old female and I’ve been considering getting my pilot’s license for roughly a decade now. I’ve got two bachelor’s degrees - one in Criminal Justice and one in Music Business (don’t ask). I’ve had a clean record since I was 17, aside from a couple of parking tickets and a couple of speeding tickets that are now several years old. I have since recognized the error of my ways in speeding, though I’m not sure whether or not these tickets will hinder me nearly as much as the following:

I was a really awful teenager. I was angry, unable to handle my emotions, entirely unwilling to listen to my parents, and absolutely negligent.

My juvenile charges are as follows:

Assault 4, Assault 4 DV, and minor in possession of marijuana less than 20 grams. I also stole from a JC Penney but it didn’t end up in a criminal conviction.

I wish I could go back and just do it all over again. I have since worked hard towards taking accountability for my past actions and making retribution for my mistakes. There’s nothing I can do about the fact that I did those things, and the consequences fall on no one but me.

I’m hoping someone here can tell me if I have any chance at becoming a pilot with this juvenile record. It was never sealed or expunged. I have the ability to do so, but I’m really not sure it will make much of a difference because, in order to answer questions about disclosure honestly, I would have to lay it all out in the open.

Thanks for any advice or answers.

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Makala,

It shouldn’t surprise you the airlines and the FAA do not like criminal records. Not judging, but there’s actually a requirement in the Federal Aviation Regs that states the person “must be of good moral character”. Aside from flying being a privilege you also should understand that airlines are very much in the public light. If there were an incident and it then was revealed the pilot had an extensive criminal record it obviously would play well in the press.

Now on to your question. I honestly don’t know for certain? The fact you’ve remained clean is very much in your favor and I do believe you’d have a good shot of getting hired at a Regional (but I would call a few recruiters and ask to be sure). The Majors might be a bigger issue as they’re much more selective and have considerably more applicants.

Your first obstacle would be getting a First Class Medical. With your record they would most likely require additional information and possibly require you to go to a HIMS examiner? I would contact a local AME (Aviation Medical Examiner) in your area for a consult or contact AMAS.

Adam