Hello guys,
I’m am going to be 28 this year and looking to becoming a pilot. Before I make a huge investment on classes, I wanted to know if I can still become a pilot for a commercial airline. I was arrested for a dui. After completing my year with an interlock and not having any other offenses my case was dismissed and thrown out. I was not convicted. I was arrested when I was 23 that’s the only time I’ve ever had an issue with the law. During this time I also managed to keep my security clearance with DoD because they felt I was not a threat.
Since then I was hired as a FA on a commercial airline and had no issue. What are my possibility of becoming a pilot?
IF this is your only blemish and remains so I believe you should be ok. That said there are no guarantees. The airlines and the FAA do not like alcohol and drug related offences (the DoD trusting you and you operating an aircraft with hundreds of lives are two very different things). First and foremost you have to be able to obtain a First Class medical and that means you need to answer “YES” to question 18V have you ever been arrested, convicted, etc for a alcohol or drug related offense. Before you say the case was dismissed, sealed, expunged, bla bla bla there is no such thing as far as the FAA is concerned. It is them up to the FAA to decide if they want to grant you a medical or not (which again if this was your sole offence you should be ok). After I that shouldn’t have any issues. That said if you happen to find yourself on a hiring panel facing a pilot who’s family member was killed by a drunk driver you’re done.
Again I believe you should(?) be ok but there are zero guarantees.
Thank you Adam for the prompt response.
Yes that’s my only hiccup I don’t even have a speeding ticket.
Can I apply for a first class medical and find out prior to investing all that money for schooling. I would like to work for American Airlines, South West or Delta. Do you know by chance their standing with a dismissed dui?
Yes you need to get your First Class Medical before you can put down your deposit. Kinda ATPs way of making sure you don’t spend all that money and then find out you can’t get the Medical required for 121 ops.
I don’t know if the mentors will have an answer for the specific major question but it would never hurt to contact the HR Dept at those companies if they don’t have an answer.
There’s no simple yes/no answer for these things. Based in my experience they look at the whole picture but in short it’s not an immediate disqualifier.
This topic is addressed in the FAQ section. If this is really the only thing in your closet, I suspect you will be fine. Make sure to keep your record clean though and know what you learned from the experience.
Thank you for your advise I will definitely be making some phone calls this coming week. Hopefully this incident won’t come back to haunt me. I know be arrested is not a good thing but I think it looks better than being convicted.
With all due respect, having NO record is better. The reason they ask “have you ever been arrested or convicted”, because neither is good. Go into an airline interview and say “I was arrested not convicted so that’s better right?” and you may not like how that interview goes.
Daniel, of course at the interview if they ask I wouldn’t advise you to lie but on the application for PSA as an example it does make a difference that you were only arrested and not convicted ‘‘Have you EVER been convicted of ANY crime? (This includes DUI/DWI, misdemeanors, and felonies.) If yes, please explain.’’
This of course comes after you have all your ratings and hours if you are able to get a 1st class medical