easyJet - pilot tested over the limit?
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Just got back from work and there is a large and sombre notice to confirm that a pilot was arrested in connection with drining prior to flying. I nonetheless retract nothing that I said earlier - it is always best to be sure of your facts before presenting them here under the guise of anonimity. At this juncture, none of the specifics - ie how intoxicated the individual allegedly was - has been verified. Once again I choose to reserve judgement rather than believe the 'facts' as presented here. If the figures given here are correct then the truth will come out soon enough. Also as said earlier, easyJet have made a formal statement and have not hidden the truth from their employees. You can be certain that this is regarded with utter horror by all at easyland. No airline wants publicity of this kind and there will be no mercy from easyJet in their dealing with this individual. If proven guilty, this is well and truly 'game over' for the person concerned.
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Quote Astronomy Dominie: "Nope, thought not, as there are hardly any, but pilots being so highly paid and underworked with fabulous social and family lives, it's only fair to come down ultra-hard..."
You must be so full off sh1t that it's unbelievable clearly you are not a pilot therefor what are you doing on this forum.
Perhaps you are a """"manager""""
???.
Firstly: Low cost means overworked and for the hours we do underpaid, furthermore social and family lives are not that great either, but hopefully that will change with our new rostering system.
Secondly: There is not a single pilot in easyJet who would even concider joining T&G, so more than likely you are talking about a Cabin Crew member.
Thirdly: Eventhough I do not know who Norman Stanley Fletcher is, he did write: " cannot categorically say this incident did not happen, I can tell you that there has not been one single mention of it at work. That includes the pilots I fly with and also through official company channels such as the intranet site or the crew e-mail system"
And now the company has come out with an official statement just as Norman Stanley Fletcher suggested.
I think you should be checking what planet you are on as reading does not seem one of the requirements on your planet.
And just to let you know before you unleash more of your bullsh1t; I do not condone drinking and flying and if this female pilot did indeed do so she should be fired on the spot.
There is no excuse as our job has too great of a responsibility to be drinking and flying.
However I would like to say that indeed 1.6 Promille for anyone would be almost unbelievable as I think she would not even be able to walk, let alone report to the crew room and prepare for the flight with more than likely many colleagues right by her side.
I suppose we will hear the outcome fairly soon, and I suggest you stay out of the conversation until that time has come.
You must be so full off sh1t that it's unbelievable clearly you are not a pilot therefor what are you doing on this forum.
Perhaps you are a """"manager""""
???.Firstly: Low cost means overworked and for the hours we do underpaid, furthermore social and family lives are not that great either, but hopefully that will change with our new rostering system.
Secondly: There is not a single pilot in easyJet who would even concider joining T&G, so more than likely you are talking about a Cabin Crew member.
Thirdly: Eventhough I do not know who Norman Stanley Fletcher is, he did write: " cannot categorically say this incident did not happen, I can tell you that there has not been one single mention of it at work. That includes the pilots I fly with and also through official company channels such as the intranet site or the crew e-mail system"
And now the company has come out with an official statement just as Norman Stanley Fletcher suggested.
I think you should be checking what planet you are on as reading does not seem one of the requirements on your planet.
And just to let you know before you unleash more of your bullsh1t; I do not condone drinking and flying and if this female pilot did indeed do so she should be fired on the spot.
There is no excuse as our job has too great of a responsibility to be drinking and flying.
However I would like to say that indeed 1.6 Promille for anyone would be almost unbelievable as I think she would not even be able to walk, let alone report to the crew room and prepare for the flight with more than likely many colleagues right by her side.
I suppose we will hear the outcome fairly soon, and I suggest you stay out of the conversation until that time has come.
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"It's seems pretty easy to just have them blow befor flight. "
I for one would be happy to be blown before work. On a more serious note here in the US there have been several of the same type incidence, I for one just try not to"imbi" spirits on any overnights. But I am an overly careful with my newly minted ATP
Jobeer
I for one would be happy to be blown before work. On a more serious note here in the US there have been several of the same type incidence, I for one just try not to"imbi" spirits on any overnights. But I am an overly careful with my newly minted ATP
Jobeer
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Story is now a huge headline on the front page of the Metro this morning (free paper on London's underground for those lucky enough not to have to use it) - not the greatest paper in the world but read by many.
Just a numbered other
However I would like to say that indeed 1.6 Promille for anyone would be almost unbelievable as I think she would not even be able to walk
Quote Astronomy Dominie: "Nope, thought not, as there are hardly any, but pilots being so highly paid and underworked with fabulous social and family lives, it's only fair to come down ultra-hard..."
Look up the work "sarcasm" before flaming someone who is actually on your side. Trust me, you've made yourself look like the one full of Sh1t!
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However I would like to say that indeed 1.6 Promille for anyone would be almost unbelievable as I think she would not even be able to walk
Legal limit for driving a car over here is 0.5, but you can be sacked when driving with 0.3 and showing signs of unsecure behavior in traffic, whatever that is supposed to mean. As for flying an airplane, limit is 0.2.
Oh dear - its been on Radio 5Live all morning - lots of punters want us breathalysed every trip.....the mind boggles. Why oh why do they have to drag out the usual 'rent a quote' retired BA Concorde Captains every time - oh well, could be worse, could be John Nichol !!
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It's in today's Grauniad - quotes a reading of 106mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood - five times the legal limit to fly but 'only' 25% over the UK drink/drive limit.
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I think the following rules applies to Drivers in Germany ...
"If the border is exceeded of 1,6 parts per thousand, a medically psychological appraisal (kurz:MPU) is due. The appraisal is prescribed legal and does not lie not in the discretion of transport authority."
(altavista translation)
Basically, I suspect it means, if you are caught driving at this level .....
"You must be Crazy!!!!"
"If the border is exceeded of 1,6 parts per thousand, a medically psychological appraisal (kurz:MPU) is due. The appraisal is prescribed legal and does not lie not in the discretion of transport authority."
(altavista translation)
Basically, I suspect it means, if you are caught driving at this level .....
"You must be Crazy!!!!"
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Do the maths!
'Pro mille' means 'per thousand'. 1.5 pro mille would be .15 percent. A seasoned drinker would hardly notice that blood alcohol level. Walking would be no problem at all, I think. On the other hand you might well show obvious impairment.
Yes, people are mean and unfair to pilots, because they think we are lucky to have glamourous, overpaid jobs. Life is unfair. Get over it, but not by having a few drinks too close to reporting time!
The German MPU (nicknamed 'the idiots' test') is a real nightmare. You even have wealthy Germans spending serious money with dodgy operators of driving schools to show foreign addresses to get a license without having to go through the test. Basically you will have to undergo it for various offences that hint at your having a personality that makes you inherently unsafe (busting the speed limit by a hell of a lot, driving with excess alcohol, etc.).
And just to make things really fun, the Germans operate a system like the USA's, where certain driving offences must be reported when you take your pilot's medical, when you will lose your license. Or else, you don't report, they catch you and then you lose your license.
I used to be a fairly naughty boy. Then I invested a lot of money and effort in getting a pilot's license, when I had to weigh continuing to have fun experimenting with self-medication versus finding myself suddenly grounded, perhaps for good. That was a bit of a no-brainer, really.
Yes, people are mean and unfair to pilots, because they think we are lucky to have glamourous, overpaid jobs. Life is unfair. Get over it, but not by having a few drinks too close to reporting time!
The German MPU (nicknamed 'the idiots' test') is a real nightmare. You even have wealthy Germans spending serious money with dodgy operators of driving schools to show foreign addresses to get a license without having to go through the test. Basically you will have to undergo it for various offences that hint at your having a personality that makes you inherently unsafe (busting the speed limit by a hell of a lot, driving with excess alcohol, etc.).
And just to make things really fun, the Germans operate a system like the USA's, where certain driving offences must be reported when you take your pilot's medical, when you will lose your license. Or else, you don't report, they catch you and then you lose your license.
I used to be a fairly naughty boy. Then I invested a lot of money and effort in getting a pilot's license, when I had to weigh continuing to have fun experimenting with self-medication versus finding myself suddenly grounded, perhaps for good. That was a bit of a no-brainer, really.
How many incidents like this is it going to take before pilots finally realise that drinking any more than one or two standard drinks the night before a flight is just being irresponsible.
A recent case has ended with a pilot paying with his liberty, and a 6 month sentence for the uninitiated will not be all that pleasant.
Leave the partying 'til your days off, it's the only way to be safe, and be sure.
A recent case has ended with a pilot paying with his liberty, and a 6 month sentence for the uninitiated will not be all that pleasant.
Leave the partying 'til your days off, it's the only way to be safe, and be sure.
Just a numbered other
Leave the partying 'til your days off, it's the only way to be safe, and be sure.
In Loco world where one works six days, finish late, two days off, start early, one's social life is telescoped into 1 night.
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As far as feeling insulted bu the company, pilots should have grown a thick skin by now. 
A big difference is that if you have a few to many beers and still go to work the next day you can still perform you duties in many jobs (with a nice ache in the roots of your hair of course) but NOT as a pilot. It would make sence to test everytime but i would be a bit concerned of the risk of errors? As it is now you have to be observed beeing "not upp to speed" and then that impression is confirmed with a test (breath test isn't it?).
All systems have a error margin and testing a few thousand pilots every day would mean that we would eventually get a inocent pilot accused. not good either.
I really don't think that's reason not to test pilots, just that it's a pretty complicated task
A big difference is that if you have a few to many beers and still go to work the next day you can still perform you duties in many jobs (with a nice ache in the roots of your hair of course) but NOT as a pilot. It would make sence to test everytime but i would be a bit concerned of the risk of errors? As it is now you have to be observed beeing "not upp to speed" and then that impression is confirmed with a test (breath test isn't it?).
All systems have a error margin and testing a few thousand pilots every day would mean that we would eventually get a inocent pilot accused. not good either.
I really don't think that's reason not to test pilots, just that it's a pretty complicated task
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Paracab - you've been listening to Radio 5 Live as well have you?
I appreciate your sentiments are well meant, but if you test all pilots, then surely you should also test Air Traffic Controllers, Engineers, Refuellers, Despatchers, Baggage Handlers, Marshallers and anyone else involved with the operation of an aircraft.
Come to that why not breathalyse every bus driver, coach driver, van driver, car driver, train driver & ship's officer before each journey.
Or even emergency service or military personnel or doctors or surgeons or teachers or bank staff or building site workers or anyone at all before they clock on for their shift.
By law of averages, at least a few people from the above categories will be suffering from alcohol impairment to one degree or another - when did you last have a teensy bit of a hangover when going to work? Did you drive? Were you fit to?
Now, I'm not condoning the behaviour at all, but I suspect that a lot of 40-something or even 30-something pilots will remember the (not so?) old days when the subject was treated with a degree of light heartedness, along with drink driving.
Times and attitudes have changed and it is not acceptable, (it never was, but even more so now); however, a knee-jerk reaction such as breath testing before each flight is not the answer.
What is required is even more education, encouragement and large doses of correctly applied peer pressure, alongside effective and timely medical treatment of those who genuinely have a dependency.
I don't know for sure, but I bet that aviation in general and pilots in particular, are less affected by alcohol related work-incidents than most other industries - it's just that the profile is much higher and the reporting is therefore much more sensational.
There's nothing the media like more than a bit of pilot-bashing - unfortunately we give them the ammunition to do it.
I appreciate your sentiments are well meant, but if you test all pilots, then surely you should also test Air Traffic Controllers, Engineers, Refuellers, Despatchers, Baggage Handlers, Marshallers and anyone else involved with the operation of an aircraft.
Come to that why not breathalyse every bus driver, coach driver, van driver, car driver, train driver & ship's officer before each journey.
Or even emergency service or military personnel or doctors or surgeons or teachers or bank staff or building site workers or anyone at all before they clock on for their shift.
By law of averages, at least a few people from the above categories will be suffering from alcohol impairment to one degree or another - when did you last have a teensy bit of a hangover when going to work? Did you drive? Were you fit to?
Now, I'm not condoning the behaviour at all, but I suspect that a lot of 40-something or even 30-something pilots will remember the (not so?) old days when the subject was treated with a degree of light heartedness, along with drink driving.
Times and attitudes have changed and it is not acceptable, (it never was, but even more so now); however, a knee-jerk reaction such as breath testing before each flight is not the answer.
What is required is even more education, encouragement and large doses of correctly applied peer pressure, alongside effective and timely medical treatment of those who genuinely have a dependency.
I don't know for sure, but I bet that aviation in general and pilots in particular, are less affected by alcohol related work-incidents than most other industries - it's just that the profile is much higher and the reporting is therefore much more sensational.
There's nothing the media like more than a bit of pilot-bashing - unfortunately we give them the ammunition to do it.
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Story in the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/st...388286,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/st...388286,00.html
I am a little surprised that things get this far.
I am not making any comment on this specific incident but surely felllow crew members have a role to play in this situation?
If you suspect that a fellow crew member has over imbibed the night before would it not be prudent to suggest to said crew member that he/she goes sick rather than risking an infringement?
I am not making any comment on this specific incident but surely felllow crew members have a role to play in this situation?
If you suspect that a fellow crew member has over imbibed the night before would it not be prudent to suggest to said crew member that he/she goes sick rather than risking an infringement?