Whats the general consensus on aircrew being breathalysed before each flight? I only bring this up as I have heard many rumours of aircrew drinking heavily the night before flights and I was wondering what the general aviation "scene" thought about it. Hope this doesn't stir up to many deep feelings. Thanks Ghostie
Youo've posted in the wrong forum. It is a mark of respect to observe how a forum works before you step in blindly- now a Moderator has to shift the whole thread.
As you ask, I would be happy for it to take place.....as long as every Doctor going on duty undergoes the same thing, every policeman, every single last MP every day he is in Parliament, every Judge and Lawyer before going into Court, nurses, midwives, power station operators, ATC controller, lorrydriver, TV journalist, entertainer going on stage or TV, Traffic Warden, Flight International editor........but this has all been done to death before. Yawn. Just don't listen to rumours! And post in a sensible place next time. There is a Questions Forum if you'd only look. And funny- Daysleeper beat me to the post with almost exactly the same points! I see you are a student about to undergo Uni. I am a taxpayer significantly funding you there. I would hope you would not waste my money by trying to stay awake in lectures in a hungover state. YOU should be breathalysed every morning too- and as for a drugs check every week- yes please for ALL students! And if you are doing a non-ology course like 'Media Studies', you're wasting my money!
Hi, thanks for your reply, as I said I hoped it wouldn't stir up to many deep feelings. Obviously I was wrong. I was not saying that I think they should, I was only wondering what people thought of it. I agree completly with you, although I find some of the Jobs you mention are slightly over over the top. As far as I know If an editor of a magazine is drunk at work it wont put hundreds of lives in danger!! I also agree with your comment about putting it in the wrong forum, point taken. I am at Uni and I am studying Aerospace engineering. I belive thats a "non-ology" subject as you put it so nicely. But I dont think I am wasting my money doing it. I have never taken drugs and I agree everyone should participate in drugs testing. Next time it maybe wise not to tar everybody with the same brush. Ghostie
I was not tarring you with any particular accusation just as you were not tarring me with the accusation of ever carrying passengers in an inebriated state. It is the duty of every pilot not to carry passengers so affected, just as it is the duty of every student to ensure he does not waste the taxpayers money by being hungover at lectures, so it is as important that all those jobs I outlined are not carried out by people drunk. You seem to have chosen some that are OK done by drunk people. Explain why pilots are so very special- what about train/bus drivers? Shouldn't Judges in particular be checked? What's your hangup?
Umm, Im not sure what you mean by "hang-up" but the only reason I mentioned pilots is because this is PPRuNe. Had this been Professional Train Drivers forum or Pro Bus drivers forum then I would not have written pilot. I think you might be taking my original post a bit personally. As you are obviously a good pilot having flown 747's (I had a quick peek at your profile ) Then you must understand the ability to be completly in control of an aircraft. When I said "rumours" I was being a bit misleading. This is the story, its a bit complicated but stick with it. My best friends, dads best friend is a pilot for a very large carrier. I have been out with them and have witnessed for myself heavy drinking the night before he was flying. Now im not saying that he would've been drunk during the flight, because the flight may not have been till the next night. All I wondered is what people in this profession (one that I hope I am able to enter one day) thought of being breathalysed. Im still not sure if its something you would indorse or not. From what I can make out you would agree to it as long as everybody in every job in the world did it aswell. Am I right? I think that only people that are in a job where peoples lives are at risk should have it done. As I agree that tax payers dont want people wasting there money, but I think that lives are more important than a bit of money...However this is just my opinion and your allowed your own opinion. Im interested to hear what you think about this matter. Thanks Ghostie
yeh you are allowed you own opinion Ghostie...but....leave it be. If it was introduced into every profession of high responsibility such as pilots then everyone would happily take part, obviously its not rocket science! I suggest that you have a read around PPRuNe and get a feel for the place first before jumping in with both feet. Don't take offence to him Rainboe he's a newbie after all!
What riled me up was 'I've heard a rumour' too. In fact I know. I have had 3 children at Uni including the very august institution this young man is at. I know where they nightclub. I know what goes on. I know the drug problem. I know flying- I was doing it for 34 years. I know a bigger threat to civilisation is drunken/hungover students wasting my money than a pilot having a drink the night before a flight. Heavens- whatever next? But this should not go any further until students, particularly Uni students, are drug and alcohol checked every Monday morning. Then they should do 2 hours of solid English grammar with the emphasis on their/there/they're and punctuation before they even start their degree courses that week!
End of sorry thread? It's been done to death a hundred times before.
lol, you seem "to know" quite a bit. yet again I feel you are on the way to tarring everybody under one brush! As for all this patronising im not sure its appropriate. As for hungover students being a bigger threat to civilisation than a hungover pilot, im afraid your going to have to explain that one a bit better as im sure the general public who use aircraft once or twice a year to go on holiday may not totally agree.As for the drug problem at a certain Uni it is non existant as far as I know. It wouldn't be hard to work out either as this particular Uni requires high grades to get into it. Anybody achieving high grades is usually not on drugs. Maybe in your day things were different but things have changed. Im not sure why you are getting so heated about this, possibly you could explain that to me. You may want to use words with a small amount of letters as I may not be able to understand it (being "fresh meat" an all!!). Ghostie
They do get tested, for drugs and alcohol, quite regularly, also after any kind of incident that may happen in the course of duty. They also get tested at random too!
[pedant mode OFF/]
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Private Flying Forum Moderator. paul@pprune.com
Will the greatest of repect to Ghostie, if you think about the number of different people that 'drunk' pilot would have to meet during the course of their day before they got on a plane, I am sure someone would say something.
Chewing gum/mouth-wash and the like don't work. I have stopped too many people at the road-side after an accident/driving offence to know that that 'trick' won't work.
Remember the cabin crew that share the transport bus to the plane are flying on board too...
Hi FE, As has happened before, pilots have been stopped by the cabin crew as they have been drunk. But what if that someone didnt say anything? What if it were a fully loaded 747 the pilot were flying? What if your family or my family were onboard? Would you not then insist on pilots being breathalysed before every flight? Ghostie
I do not have a problem with this, as long as there is proper legislation. But make sure all others whose jobs affect lives have the same rules. Actually, I now have seen your last post. I am happy to enter a sensible debate, but now you are turning this into sensationalist drivle. Please show some respect to the Professional pilots on this forum.
I do not have a problem with this, as long as there is proper legislation. But make sure all others whose jobs affect lives have the same rules. Actually, I know have seen your last post. I am happy to enter a sensible debate, but now you are turning this into sensationalist drivle. Please show some respect to the Professional pilots on this forum.
Regards
Wide
I work in a field where this sort of issue is just being discussed. They are talking about random testing - drink and drugs. It does not indicate that there is a problem if it is introduced, it is just another way of the employer/company covering their backs incase something happens.
Personally I do not have a problem with it and will gladly take the tests if asked. The only concern is what do they do with my DNA once they have finished with either the blood or urine sample??
Ghostie- I was hoping this sorry thread would die, but if it is not to be, so be it. You're a student. You have little life experience. Can you see how offensive it is for you to come here and dredge up the subject of alleged 'drunken pilots' from 'a rumour you've heard' when it comes out you saw someone's Dad daring to have a drink the night before a flight (when you don't know when he was flying the next day!)? You are talking to professionals here- not students in your Union bar. No pilot would fly with an inebriated buddy. Very rarely a pilot or two gets caught having crossed the line- very rarely, and even coppers fail breath tests and Judges drive drunk. It's human. So take your young arrogance and learn to live a bit more and learn about life- if you think students aren't 'jointed up' or hungover in lectures, you are naive! Go clean up your own corner before pointing a finger at others. We really don't need your 'discussion instigations'.
Hi FE, As has happened before, pilots have been stopped by the cabin crew as they have been drunk. But what if that someone didnt say anything? What if it were a fully loaded 747 the pilot were flying? What if your family or my family were onboard? Would you not then insist on pilots being breathalysed before every flight? Ghostie
P.s. thank you for not sounding patronising.
Ghostie, I'll pose a question to you just to see where your head is at about this topic.
Are you aware of the effects of FATIGUE on cognitive ability? I'd be more concerned about that.
) Then you must understand the ability to be completly in control of an aircraft. When I said "rumours" I was being a bit misleading. This is the story, its a bit complicated but stick with it. My best friends, dads best friend is a pilot for a very large carrier. I have been out with them and have witnessed for myself heavy drinking the night before he was flying.
