Flying Lawyer, if you want a fight then you've got yourself one. I know that you have defended a pilot in the past who had been caught over the limit, so I understand this subject is rather close, but that really does not excuse your nauseatingly sycophantic attitude towards the profession.
The point I was trying to make, as you are fully aware, is that IF the breathalyser results show he was over the limit and IF that pilot had flown, the safety of that flight would have been jeopardised. In exactly the same way that flight safety is jeopardised by fatigued crew. That's right, I realise that's a problem too.
What is quite clear from this thread (and others) is that:
a) a number of professional pilots who post on this forum have a drink problem
b) they believe, for whatever reason, that this is not incompatible with their job
c) they do not believe it makes a difference to their flying ability to the extent that flight safety is compromised (increased confidence being associated with drinking)
d) they do not like the fact that passengers and 'outsiders' realise this
e) this winds them up to the extent that they will drag everything from fatigue and ludicrous comparisons with drunk-drivers (nb: drink-driving is also illegal!) into the debate as a defence.
Last edited by John R; 22nd May 2009 at 17:45.