oh dear !
there seems to be no shortage of sledgehammers smashing little nuts!
My understanding from reading previous posts, is that these are new GCAA requirements being introduced (effective Jan 01 2015), and would effect ALL PILOTS holding an ICAO licence under the GCAA?
A GCAA PDF detailing the new requirements would be extremely helpful if anyone has access to the relating documents.
The pilot community, (and of course they are always the handful of exceptions), take their profession extremely seriously, and recognise their responsibilities and the trust placed upon them by the travelling public.
I am sure it has always been the case where, under certain circumstances, an individual might come under the microscope as a result of perhaps alcohol/substance related behaviour, and no doubt there has always been a communication channel open to their company for individuals who worry about a colleagues drinking habits.
As a person who has been educated and told the rights, wrongs and dangers when dealing with alcohol all my adolescent/adult life, (admittedly adolescence did, on the rare occasion, take things to an extreme), it would be concerning to me, should the situation arise where a cultural belief system (where the prohibition of alcohol is at its core), would play a role in assessing my drinking habits for example.
For clarification, I am not talking about drinking to excess here !
We all have a professional obligation to help a colleague who is suffering from an over dependency on alcohol for example, and there are many ways to deal with this sensitive issue.
Furthermore; according to the GCAA regulations;
The average line pilot is hit with a mountain of tests during a "routine" medical, and be tested for alcohol abuse when the AME believes the pilot is suffering from depression or anxiety? Am I reading this correctly?
A few things that do concern me (and does increase MY OWN level of anxiety), especially since I am looking after a family and my income is vital to our own welfare;
Question: (individuals suspected of suffering from Depression or Anxiety)
Would a person who is suspected of suffering from depression or anxiety, originating from lands where their respective belief system forbids consumption of alcohol, be tested for alcohol abuse? Would the pilot in question even allow the AME to conduct the above tests, stating that it is unnecessary since "I do not drink alcohol".
Question:
Would an under-perfoming AME, originating from lands where their respective belief system forbids the consumption of alcohol, be completely impartial when determining who should be faced with these tests.
Drinking in moderation IS acceptable,
this moderation does depend on so many factors,
1 pint of Beer for lets say EU, US person versus
1 pint of Beer for someone of lets say Asian background;
what is moderation in each case?
I suggest you avoid using the following words during your next renewal;
buzzed; blasted; canned; destroyed; hooched up; loaded; obliterated; under-the-influence followed by under-the-table; wasted; ankled; Banjaxed; Battered,Befuggered; Bernard Langered; Bladdered,Blasted; Blathered; Bleezin; Blitzed,Blootered; Blottoed; Bluttered; Boogaloo,Brahms & Liszt; Buckled; Burlin; Cabbaged; Chevy Chased; Clobbered; Decimated; Dot Cottoned; Druck-steaming,Drunk as a Lord; Drunk as a skunk; Etched; Fecked; Fleemered; Four to the floor; Gatted; Goosed; Got my beer goggles on; Guttered; Had a couple of shickers; Hammer-blowed,Hammered; Hanging; Having the whirlygigs; Howling; Inebriated; Intoxicated; Jahalered; Jaiked up; Jan'd; Jaxied,Jeremied; Jolly; Kaned; Lagged up; Lamped; Loo la; Locked; plastered; smashed; locked; rubbered; trousered; hammered; langered; half cut; sloshed; smashed; trolleyed; ossified; banjo'd; baloobas; rat arsed; tanked; twisted; scuttered; legless; steamed; buckled; in tatters; in a jock; flamin; off my face; in ribbons; wasted; off my bin; demented; in a hoop; polluted; buckled; in a heap; gee eyed; in a hula-hoop; outta my tree; mouldy; transmoglified; shattered;
and of course last but not least;
TIRED - DO NOT SAY YOU ARE TIRED !
(unless you want to open up a can of worms)
I would echo some of the points made previously;
MOTOJET: "It's not going to be easy to explain being grounded(suspended medical) during an interview with another airline."
It certainly is a point to consider when contemplating a move to the ME.