Easyjet pilot flies high
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He was a stock trader before.. he can find work elsewhere.
He betrayed a trust.
Pour l'encouragement des autres.
A court hearing, possibly of several days, is reported by a hack in a few lines. I suggest we should tread warily before commenting
However
The issue is he took a drug that had an effect on his flying. For all we know, and on the balance of probability given that he was an habitual user of illicit drugs, he often took such drugs which wore off before he flew or had no appreciable effect. It may well be, as often happens with such illegally produced substances, that this one time the drug had an unexpected effect or duration - clearly it was unusual as he was texting about it.
IMHO his aviation 'crime' was taking any drug without declaring and grounding himself initially - it matters not to me whether it was penicillin or ecstacy. But that should be what he is punished for. To remove someone's career when another person might get away with a warning is not appropriate.
As more such drugs become legal in more countries this is an issue the profession and the medical profession will need to address. How many pilots legally smoke cannabis in Colorado and fly the next day? Do they disclose to their AME? Should they?
However
The issue is he took a drug that had an effect on his flying. For all we know, and on the balance of probability given that he was an habitual user of illicit drugs, he often took such drugs which wore off before he flew or had no appreciable effect. It may well be, as often happens with such illegally produced substances, that this one time the drug had an unexpected effect or duration - clearly it was unusual as he was texting about it.
IMHO his aviation 'crime' was taking any drug without declaring and grounding himself initially - it matters not to me whether it was penicillin or ecstacy. But that should be what he is punished for. To remove someone's career when another person might get away with a warning is not appropriate.
As more such drugs become legal in more countries this is an issue the profession and the medical profession will need to address. How many pilots legally smoke cannabis in Colorado and fly the next day? Do they disclose to their AME? Should they?
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A few years back there was the case of the pot-puffing Horizon Air pilot. The airline fired him and his union took the matter to arbitration and got a favourable ruling with an order that he be allowed to return to work. I don`t know whether the airline appealed this decision.
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IMHO his aviation 'crime' was taking any drug without declaring and grounding himself initially - it matters not to me whether it was penicillin or ecstacy. But that should be what he is punished for. To remove someone's career when another person might get away with a warning is not appropriate.
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Ecstasy would not be the drug of choice for stress. It would make your heart pound even harder and make you more excitable and anxious. This guy was not using it to combat stress he was using it for a recreational high although he seemed to be using it regularly while on the flight deck. Someone said he was only a recreational user and the consequences would have been less if he was only involved in supplying the class A, it actually appears that he was in fact no a recreational but habitual user and the legal consequences would definitely included a custodial sentence if he was convicted of supplying.
If you've never been truly addicted to something, then you can't possibly appreciate what this man has gone through. Hence I won't be commenting on his punishment. I only hope he finds a way to get - and stay - sober.
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Originally Posted by Bigpants 
Shame but drug/drink dependency in commercial pilots not unusual, it is a stressful job.
Shame but drug/drink dependency in commercial pilots not unusual, it is a stressful job.
If you can't stand the heat in the kitchen, don't go in there!! SIMPLES
I'm not suggesting that this guy was suffering in this way but there is a lot of this type of behaviour in flying and any pilot who believes they are not susceptible to the sometimes emotional torture of balancing a job you love with a family you love is in denial.
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Yeah, you're right - it's these new antidepressants playing havoc with my grammar 
What I meant to say was that I don't think drug dependency is common among airline pilots. Not in the EU at least.
What I meant to say was that I don't think drug dependency is common among airline pilots. Not in the EU at least.
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He needs to take control and only he can do that.
The fact is he's a duty of care, legal and moral, and he failed it abysmally.
I'd have had no problem with 5 or 10 years for endandering life.
EZY's PR team appear to have done a great job hushing this one up.
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The judge has set up a situation where the guy will never fly as a pilot without going back to court and convincing the judge that there is no longer a significant public safety issue. This has nothing to do with "what this man has gone through".
This situation does not inspire anger in me - just determination. And I suspect those were the judge's feeling as well.
Perhaps it is the expressions of anger that you object to?
It is highly unlikely this was a case of addiction. Ecstasy is rarely addictive and I doubt anyone could fly on it long term. This is far more likely a case of recreational drug taking that went wrong on one occasion. He took it too late or got a dodgy tablet. It is on that assumption I question the probity of the sentence and wonder if this is a wake up call to the industry at a time when drug decriminalisation is gathering steam and misguided political interference is actually increasing new unpredictable compounds.
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easyJet pilot admits flying plane a day after he took ecstasy, struggling to land
In a conversation with members of a drugs ring, he allegedly said: “I had the sweats, I wasn’t feeling well. I was just doing any old thing as we came in for landing.”
Cops recording the drug gang’s actions heard the pilot talk about landing the plane at Paris’ Orly Airport in May this year — a day after he had taken a third of an ecstasy pill.
Cops recording the drug gang’s actions heard the pilot talk about landing the plane at Paris’ Orly Airport in May this year — a day after he had taken a third of an ecstasy pill.
The pilot told the court he had been confident the side effects of the Class A drug would have worn off “after two hours”.
Admitting he would also take cocaine and cannabis on nights out in Paris, the pilot said he usually had two or three clean days before flying.
Admitting he would also take cocaine and cannabis on nights out in Paris, the pilot said he usually had two or three clean days before flying.
Per the wiki article:
Desired effects include increased empathy, euphoria, and heightened sensations. When taken by mouth, effects begin after 30–45 minutes and last 3–6 hours.
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I wonder often about "stress" within the pilot profession. Back in the day it was the norm to retire to the pub get "bladderd" talk about your day & retire to bed. Wakeing up a few hours later & doing it again. I heard of very few (maybe one) pilots being off with stress. Now it is the norm for an airline to have 4to6 out of 400 off at any one time, with stress. So was alcohol abuse the safety valve. Now alcohol use is a career limiting substance, "so" are drugs now being used. By the way I have known many who say our profession is not stressful only to watch them exhibit the classic signs & the odd one having a mental breakdown.
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We wouldn't be having this conversation if we all just played by the rules and, in this case , the rules are straightforward and simple. Don't ever put yourself in a place where your use/abuse of any substance can endanger the people you are paid to serve. Expect harsh punishment if you do try to skirt those sensible rules. And, yes, I come from a family where addiction has done its worst and I am still in favour of harsh punishments because we need to think of others and not just our momentary pleasures.
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The fact is, taking drugs in itself is illegal, and most sane people know this. Deliberately taking drugs while flying is unforgiveable. (according to the telephone recording he said they didn't give him the same feeling on approach so he must have been doing regularly).