16 Blades
Quote:
"...this Captain wasn't merely 'over the limit' - he was utterly sh!tfaced. Quite why he was allowed, by either ground staff OR his crew, anywhere near his ac is beyond me."
Interesting, after the castigation given to anyone who dare suggest that any pilot concerned in any of the of the incidents leading to a conviction of drinking and flying, had had a drink!
It occurs to me that there is a wide difference of opinon here, from Police to lawyers to pilots. Police have to enforce the legislation it's the lawyers job to either convict or defend and the pilots natural reaction to defend come hell or high water.
The one thing missing is the medical evidence. ie What does the medical profession, or the experts from, for instance the RAF Aviation Medicine Centre think?
Ok, so one commercial aviation accident involving alcohol (possibly), that anyone can find. One is too many. There are only one of many types of air accident, because after the cause was identified things were done to try to prevent it happening again.
The legislation, in the UK probably is aimed more at GA pilots. But how do you apply law to one group of pilots and exempt another from it? It would be like saying that because a bus driver is a professional driver he shouldn't be subject to the same drink/drive law as everyone else who drives.
The same priciple applies to driving and drinking and accidents. Most people arrested for drink/drive have not had an accident, maybe committed a minor traffic offence or just come to the notice of police, usualy because it's late at night. They probably wouldn't have had an accident, are often referred to by the press as drunk when they are far from it. But no one bats an eyelid about that.
Old King Cole....Several holes in what you say...No police officer I know keeps his uniform at home. Nor does any any I know keep a breath test kit there either (most are too tight fisted to buy one) and in any event most of them are bright enough to know when they are close to the limit. Although, I don't doubt (ok, I know full well) that police officers go sick because they have had too much to drink. In exactly the same way as anyone sensible does in any organisation where drink may effect they way they carry out their job.
Last edited by bjcc; 16th Jun 2005 at 22:38.