DHC6to8
Just some friendly advice....
Based on your comment "I base my opinion on
this clown by the facts".
If you don't know him personally, under the Criminal Code of Canada you just set yourself up for a potential defamation lawsuit by virtue of your reference to him as "this clown", for all the world to see. Ouch! That's going to be a tough one for you to backtrack or to get out of.
Despite the man's history, past, present or future, he got the aircraft onto a runway and EVERYONE walked away from it. It's quite often a 'c' hair between your being a hero or bum and if you've flown an aeroplane for any length of time, YOU KNOW THAT. Right?
DHC6to8 "TC/MOT can confiscate a pilot licence or for that matter a driver's licence if said licence is used to perpetuate a crime, which the last time I checked drug smuggling was a felony...."
Perpetuate? As in continually or continuous??
Perpetrate maybe? As in commit?
Actually, in Canada committing a crime under the Narcotic Control Act is not a felony it's an indictable offence. Felony is more common in American law and on American television. Since you bring it up, was Capt. Piche ever convicted? Was his crime committed in Canada or the United States? Was there ever a pardon in his case for time served? Did the DA and his defense lawyer plea bargon to reduce the sentence?
This thread is full of information swiss cheese and could stand some fact. Personally, I don't condone any professioal pilot participating in drug smuggling at any level for any reason. I like to think the system convicts based on fact and a little more fact would go a long way to refute much of the vitriole spewing in this thread which is biased at best and hostile at the least.
DHC6to8 "I have lived a moral life and can claim the high road, if you can't... that is your business... if you feel more comfortable around others who are closer to you in character and life record then go be with them... infact, go fly with them... you can feel better about yourself by surrounding yourself with others who have done far worse or other things... This arse deserved to have his licence revoked the day he was convicted, never to be able to fly again..."
I'm not naieve enough to accept this self assessment of your virtuous life. Honestly, you and I aren't perfect and we'll go from there. I've never used drugs without a prescription. I share the moral ground with you. However, I know for a fact there are pilots out there, far and wide, who do take or use illegal substances. I know their are ATC types who do likewise. None that I've ever known have ever been caught. I suppose I could have blown the whistle, sounded an alarm, but never did. Mybad.
Are you scared? Worried? Feel like you've been betrayed by your profession? I do. You owe it to yourself to ask around.
The criminal jurisdictions in both Canada and the U.S. have punishment/sentencing befitting the crimes. If Mr. Piche was found guilty, convicted, and sentenced, we can all rest assured he was either incarcerated and/or fined. I have no idea what his sentence was but due to the time involved my suspicion is that he's paid the price for his stupidity. It's a good thing society doesn't have too many out here who feel he deserves to have his life thrown away because of opinions like yours and to a certain degree, mine. He deserves a chance to get it right and make something of himself, which I would say, he has.
Personally, I'm in favour of the death penalty in Canada. I don't think the likes of Bernardo or Olsen ever deserved to breath for a second beyond sentencing, but I don't administer the justice system in Canada. Who said it makes sense or is what WE canadians want for punishment?
DHC6to8 Our society is focused on the wrong characters... smuggle drugs, have a few other good stories to tell and you get to write a book and then make a movie.... what we should be reading about or watching is something more positive and heroic, maybe the youngsters will learn something rather than that crime and deceit pays...
Nice guys finish last. Nice guys rarely become legends. Except Sully. Imagine if his past contained some dirt? What if his A320 cartwheeled on touchdown and a number of deaths ensued? Nice guys aren't written about. Movies aren't made about boring, normal, nice guys like us.
DHC6to8 Anybody who supports this drug smuggling arse is either just as guilty to such behavior or is an idiot... plain and simple. 
Yikes! Lawsuit. Lawsuit.....
Willie
