At the risk of prolonging this thread needlessly I would like to return to what YHZChick said very early on in this thread -
I think we need a little more evidence that said pilot was actually over the limit than simply LHR security pulling him aside. They seem to have difficulty differentiating between the smell of cherry chewing gum and booze....
I accept that it later emerged that he failed a rudimentary breath test but I also have grave reservations about others ability to detect the smell of alcohol correctly. Here's why.
I am not a pilot or in any way involved in transport or operation of machinery but accept that, in my line of work a certain professional standard has to be maintained. With my collegues I make no secret of the degree that alcohol plays in my social life whilst not getting out of control. Following a change of management I was recently called to the office and told that my manager could smell alcohol on me and her fellow manager, who had been called in for the purpose, informed me that she could smell it heavily on me even though I was about 4 feet away. I went out of the office while they discussed it and asked 2 colleagues if I smelled of alcohol. After breathing into one guy's face ( a teatotaller) he said 'very,very slightly' and my other colleague said 'Not at all'. On my return to the office I was informed that they were sending me home and I told them of my findings. Lo and behold, no further action. I am sure that the fact that I am one of those who will not be bullied by managers has absolutely nothing to do with it.
We do not hear of how many FC have been reported by security and been cleared immediately. Newspapers do not run non-stories.
Further, there are several medical conditions which will not impair abilities but produce substances similar to alcohol. Ethyl alcohol is one of a group of substances which also include acetone and ketone. Acetone is used in nail polish etc and ketone is produced by ketosis, a breaking down of food which is more usually found in bulimics but not exclusively so, it may affect those with highly irregular appetites or gastric problems. The ketone thus produced may smell
similar to alcohol. This may be exacerbated by incipient dental problems as cavities in the mouth, unreachable by brushing, can cause build up.
Finally there is mouth wash, there is only one comercially available m/w in UK that I am aware of that does not have an alcohol-based carrier. If you want an interesting time at security go to toilets just before passing through and run some Listerine round your mouth, your colleagues can run book on you getting stopped.
All the above in no way exonerates those who knowingly break the rules but may put it in a wider context.
Now awaiting incoming.