Smoking????
Smoking????
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 340
Likes: 4
From: f015
Hmmm, can't say that i speak for all companies but all instructors at my club smoke. One TRE captain i know quit recently at 50.....but not due to company policy or health <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
What i've been told re. health is that if you have a class 1 your are fit to fly.
What i've been told re. health is that if you have a class 1 your are fit to fly.
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 1,692
Likes: 3
From: Domaine de la Romanee-Conti
When I was a student I asked for an instructor change because I was sick of my instructor stinking of cigarette smoke in the C152. At one flying job interview I have been to, I was asked straight up if I smoked ... I said no ... and my interviewer said good, he wouldn't employ a smoker.
It's just not a good look for instructors or any pilots if you ask me, and you can certainly put a lot of potential customers off from an instructor's point of view if you reek of smoke all the time.
It's just not a good look for instructors or any pilots if you ask me, and you can certainly put a lot of potential customers off from an instructor's point of view if you reek of smoke all the time.
Moderator
Joined: Dec 1997
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 4,929
Likes: 6
From: Suffolk UK
Ever fewer pilots smoke these days - the risk to your licence as you get older is a serious disincentive! However, I'm fairly sure that it would be illegal to refuse to employ someone on the grounds of them being a smoker, unless health problems were already evident.
What you can't cater for are the prejudices of individual interviewers, who may be personally strongly anti-smoking and who could find fault with you elsewhere if you offend them by smelling strongly of cigarette smoke at interview.
Just as you would (I hope) take all precautions to avoid BO at your interview, try not to smell of smoke; to some it is just as offensive, and it is certainly avoidable. You can go without a cigarette for a couple of hours beforehand - can't you?
A final tip - chewing gum will not disguise the smell of cigarettes on your clothes, and some interviewers are as strongly anti gum as others are anti smoking! Don't give an interviewer a stick to beat you with...
What you can't cater for are the prejudices of individual interviewers, who may be personally strongly anti-smoking and who could find fault with you elsewhere if you offend them by smelling strongly of cigarette smoke at interview.
Just as you would (I hope) take all precautions to avoid BO at your interview, try not to smell of smoke; to some it is just as offensive, and it is certainly avoidable. You can go without a cigarette for a couple of hours beforehand - can't you?
A final tip - chewing gum will not disguise the smell of cigarettes on your clothes, and some interviewers are as strongly anti gum as others are anti smoking! Don't give an interviewer a stick to beat you with...
