Coireall .... Yes, I would doubtless have meekly complied, too, doesn't make it right tho' and of course I'm in no danger of having to put my money where my mouth is now !
VFR 750
why is it unacceptable for the Police to come into your cockpit and ask for a specimen of breath?
Is it now acceptable, or even legal (?) for the Police, or others (?) to randomly wave breathalysers at anybody ? Anywhere ? Can they come into your office? If the travelling public reckon that all airline pilots are potential mass murderers by the possibility of having consumed alcohol before flight, then lobby to have it put into legislation - is it yet, I truly don't know ? - at least the pilots' will then have a chance to build in safeguards against corruption and malpractice. A motorist here in NZ was acquitted because he was able to prove that the operating constable had not received the proper training for use of the equipment, do the pilots know that some stranger waving a breathalyser at them is qualified to do so ? And who is ?
I guess in most countries it is unlawful to disobey a Policemans' demand, e.g. that you stop, when driving. I once stopped at such a demand at a roadside Census post. I'd been flying all night, I was knackered, I just wanted to get to bed, and of course I stopped at the outstretched hand, but I pointed out that whereas I had obeyed the lawful commands of a Police Officer to stop, there was no law that enforced me to answer the questions of the jerk with the clipboard, I had flown ... was tired... etc. so he waved me on !
I spend most nights during the week and a fair few weekends in various hotels around the world and don't seem to have too many issues getting a good sleep
Sleeping at night is rarely a problem, sleeping again in the middle of the afternoon prior to an evening departure often is, plus the added pressure of 'knowing' that one 'must' get some sleep, you, presumably, have the pleasure of knowing that you can sleep on the aircraft, and be reasonably refreshed on arrival, so no pressure to perform, so no problem, you could probably sleep like a baby.
I knew of some who would take a sleeping pill, but they were regarded with the same suspicion that society now reserves for those on 'P' ! "Pilots on drugs !!! Shock, horror.
Just my thoughts, I'm bored with it now, and at my age I have no problem taking the post-prandial nap in the afternoon, even without alcohol, but then I don't have to fly all night, either !
From what I read of working practices in the industry now, fatigue is a greater potential killer than alcohol, and don't forget, it was accidents attributed to fatigue, not alcohol, that forced the bean counters into accepting flight time limitations in the first place, and decent hotels with rooms that could be made dark and silent ( most times ). Let's not slip back into the bad old days - I'm SLF myself, now !
Thinks ... the old Raffles Hotel in Singapore was the ideal crew hotel, the rooms were inside, nowhere near the road, they could be made black inside, and the personal air conditoner was like having ones' own Pratt and Witney in the corner, the steady noise was almost soporific, and kept anything else at bay, and best of all - when one eventually awoke in the middle of the afternoon, one could have a proper ' English' breakfast served on ones' own balcony by a white gloved waiter, with double damask knapkins and table cloth !!!! Happy days !
Enjoy.