BA drug and alcohol tests begin

[Flip Flop Flyer]

Notso

Not going on anymore, you say? 1 week ago in Copenhagen. 2 weeks ago in Bahrain. 1 month ago in East Midlands. 2 months ago in Istanbul. Ehh, okay then, I suppose the crews in question entered and exited the hotels in fake (airline names intentionally deleted) uniforms just to raise a stirr then? Before someone asks, no, I will not provide the hotel names here - you journo types may safely conduct your own research.

Is this an issue only applicable to UK crews? Hardly, but they're the only ones I've personally witnessed and they are very, very visible.

You state that crews operating multi-sectors all day for 6 days haven't got time for a "relaxing" drink, indicating to me that they work flat out all year 6 days every week. Don't know about you, but I've never meet anyone working a roster like that. I am also intriqued as to what kind of FTL will allow people to work 16+ hours a day, for 6 days in a row. Please enlighten me. Besides, when I signed up to join this party it was made very clear, at least to me, that drinking to the extent that it would affect my performance the next day was expressly forbidden. A landing beer or a glass of wine for dinner, not a problem. As long as we stopped drinking well in advance if reporting early the next morning, effectively setting the limit at 1 or 2 drinks and stoppage time at STA - 8 hours. If one goes on a p1ss-up, then the 24 hour rule applies. Simple, very bloody simple. If allegedly responsible people have a problem adhering to these rules, maybe they are in the wrong line of work. If you absolutely must have a drink to relax, maybe there is a problem somewhere?

Finally, after that 6 day multi-sector week I suppose you'll get a few days off, where you may indulge to your heats content.

I'm sorry mate, but your attitude is a bit head in the sand, and denying that there is a problem, or claiming that a "relaxing" drink is almost a requirement baffels me slightly. I did indeed say that a landing beer is a divine right for aviators, and will stick to that statement. However, if I'm closing L1 at 2300 and have to report back again at 0600, then the landing beer is off. However, few crew to my knowledge work from 0600 to 2300, 6 days in a row. Personally, I can forego a landing beer once in a while. Reluctantly and bitching, obviously, but it can be done. And I'm not the one driving the aeroplanes, merely looking after the loading.

Cargoboy

I hear what you are saying, and get the essence of what you are saying. The problem is that, while you may not be technically drunk the fact is that you may be over the limit, and therefore illegal. I didn't make the rules; I just have to follow them. Those rules were made clear when I signed the contract, and that is basically that. You probably know perfectly well that there are rules which, on the face of it, seems a bit daft. But where do you draw the line? For my part, the first objective of aviation is safety. Anything that can enhance the safety, or reduce the risk, is in my book a "good thing". Not necessarily easy, neat and tidy, but necessary to ensure that safety is as good as it can possibly get.

Do pilots really need a sim ride every 6 months to practice V cuts? How many times does that happen to your average pilot in real life? Do we need to practice emergency evac and fire drills every year, when the vast majority of us will luckily never experience an evac or cabin fire? Do we need a rule that says max. alcohol content in your blood stream is so and so, when most of us can hold a beer or two more, yet be perfectly capable of operating with 0.02% over the limit? To my mind, the answer to all of the above questions are "Yes, we do".