I am currently pursuing my PPL (Private Pilot License) in Europe. After that, my plan is to go to the USA to obtain my commercial license and then work there, as my girlfriend lives in the US. However, in 2015, I was arrested in Florida for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. According to the court records, I pleaded “nolo contendere,” and adjudication was withheld for both misdemeanors. I am wondering whether this event could permanently impact my chances of being hired in the future. I was also told that I should still be able to obtain my first-class medical, as this is considered a minor issue and has happened 10 years ago. Since obtaining a commercial license requires a significant financial investment, I want to know in advance if this past incident will affect my chances of being first hired by regional airlines, and off course the final goal would be get hired in the future by major airlines. Do you think I have any chances or I should pursue a different career ? Because major airlines are to strict about it.
Curious? Are you a US citizen?
Adam
No I’m not a us citizen but I’ve been dating my girlfriend for almost five years now. She’s a us citizen and we are planning to get married soon. That’s why I was asking if I should commit to the us future work life as a pilot. Or I don’t stand any chance, I have no records in my country back in Europe, only this dumb mistake I did after highschool since I went to high school there in the us. And also you think that since I’m not a us citizen I wouldn’t get any job related to regionals and than major airlines ?
Luca,
To fly in the US you need to either be a citizen or have permanent resident status which you could of course get.
The reason I ask about your citizenship is this. First off I don’t think you’ll have any issues getting a medical and provided you do well in training, I don’t you’d have any problems getting an interview. The interview panel is where you might(?) have a issue. You see often these panels contain old crusty Capts like myself. We’ll have your resume, your application and we will have your background check. My question would be “so you were a guest in this country and thought it appropriate to break our laws?”. Unless you have a REALLY good answer you’d be a big thumbs down for me. This is as we say the “wild card”. You could be fine but you might not.
Adam
Thank you for your answer. I totally understand Adam but we’re talking about more than 10 year ago and by the time I finished training and flight hours will be 13 years. As you see it’s a minor conviction and when I did it I was a kid with a completely different mindset. Anyways since the aviation world is big if don’t get later on into majors airlines do I stand any chance to get into cargos for example ? So you’re saying that it will be very hard for me to even get into regionals ?
Also, to add some context to the story, at the time I was young and in a very bad place mentally. I went from being a professional athlete to being in a wheelchair, then on crutches, after breaking my femur in half, and I had to go through a year of recovery. I started hanging out with the wrong crowd, and at the time, I thought that was the solution. I never intended to break the law. So, you can imagine how I feel now, knowing that a decision I made back then, when my vision was clouded, might impact my ability to pursue my dream.
Luca,
I think you need to work on that story a bit. I was a professional airline pilot, broke my ankle and did not fly for six month. During this time I had a retinal tear. I was not thrilled about any of it and was concerned that I would not fly again. I did not however start using drugs. As an airline pilot you will face ups and downs, as you will with life in general. You need to be able to do that without making poor choices.
Chris
Luca,
I said nothing of the kind. What I said was YOUR actions have introduced an extra element into the scenario and you might not know the results until, well you know the results.
There are no guarantees and the more time you put between yourself and your arrests the better. You’ll also need a better story than I was “young and stupid”.
Adam
Thank you for your answer. I completely understand your point. However, at the time, I was 18. Now, I’m 28, and I see life from a completely different perspective. I’m not trying to blame my situation on the fact that I broke my femur. Since Adam has given me his point of view, I’d like to hear yours about whether I stand a chance of being hired by regional airlines, and eventually by the majors.
By the time I finish training, it will have been 12 years since that incident, and if I ever get an interview with a major airline, it could be at least 15 years later. If I get into a regional and perform well, wouldn’t a major still see me as a strong candidate, even though I made this minor mistake 15 years ago, when I was just a kid fresh out of high school? I wasn’t even in my twenties yet.
Luca,
I think you do stand a chance at the majors, but again, your story and your reasons need major work. Stop calling it a minor mistake and stop downplaying it.
Chris
Okay thank you so much for your answer. I really appreciate it !
Luca,
The guys hit the drug issue plenty so I would add to it. If you plan on continuing training in the US and eventually flying for a US airline, I’d advise you just stop your training now and plan to complete all of it over here. The conversion process is a headache and not worth it if you can just wait and start it all once you’re here. However, you will need a green card or permanent resident status to start training here so keep that in mind when making plans.
Hannah
Also, I have a strong CV, as I’m a professional athlete in my field with numerous awards, and I hold a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Do you think my CV will help mitigate the issue to some extent? Of course, as you mentioned, I understand the importance of focusing on a better narrative.
Luka,
The airlines look to hire well trained pilots (min to no checkride busts and no accidents and incidents) and having a clean record. As you can imagine the airlines are highly regulated with a fair amount of oversight and they want pilots who follow the rules. This is why having a clean record is so important. In the event you have a bad day at work, the fact you had a drug arrest would be part of the story and that’s something they’d rather avoid.
Having a 4yr degree is definitely beneficial and being a “pro athlete with numerous awards” might make for a good conversation, I’m not sure why you think it would offset one of the biggest concerns an airline would have.
Adam
Luca,
I reckon you’re training over the pond, if that is correct. As Hannah mentioned, if your ultimate goal is to fly in the U.S., I would continue that training and certificates for FAA. While I’m not sure of the process of transferring EASA to FAA or FAA to EASA, it would be more logical to train in the country you wish to fly.
The bachelor’s degree will give you a thumb up, but if you have checkride failures and/or bad standing with a flight school, that will not benefit you. You need to ensure you do well in your training and focus on passing all your checkrides… putting some time behind the crime(s).
You must also hold a U.S. citizenship or residence card if you wish to train or fly in the United States.
Brady