PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - UA pilot falls foul of idiotically low UK alcohol law
Old 2nd Apr 2009, 11:16
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Munnyspinner
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
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I will sound ike a killoy - which I am not. But the message here is simple.

If your job depends on it , why get into that grey area between zero and just under the limit? Duty rosters are such that you do get plenty of down time when you can enjoy a drink along with your mates. But, if you can't plan ahead sufficiently well as to avoid reporting for duty with any alcohol in your bloodstream then you either have a problem or you don't care.

Actually, in 99% of cases I would expect most professionals to demonstrate capability to fly an aircraft even when over the limit and at the limit for driving - albeit impaired. This doen't justify anything.

If you are being paid for your professional skills and judgement then please don't expect any leeway if you turn up with these abilities in any way impaired through use of alcohol or drugs. It is not fair to anyone else.

Hopefully this is urban myth but I heard a story about a senior F/O who had a night on the tiles in HK. His crew had to smuggle him onboard the next day and he didn't actually 'surface' until the flight was airborne - I hope these days are well in the past and doubt that such nonsense could (if it ever actually did) occur again now.
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