Will these charges prevent me from becoming a helicopter pilot?

[DRL012488]

DWI - 6 years ago

Public urination - violation (last year)

Obstruction of justice - this year (arguing with a police officer)

Speeding - 47 in a 30 (yesterday)

 

sounds embarrassing I know, but will it prevent me from getting cleared by the FAA or any flight school?

 

[pilot#476398]

I don't know about becoming a pilot, but I've had a couple of employers do a background check on me, so it might hurt your chances of ever landing a job as one,...if that is your ultimate intention?

 

I also know a CFI who lost a job, when they found out he had a DUI!

[avbug]

The FAA is not going to stop you. That is a very poor track record for a professional pilot, however.

 

Think about it this way: who wants to put someone in charge of a million and a half dollars worth of equipment, whom gets speeding tickets, is irresponsible enough to drive drunk, and argues with the police?

 

From an employer perspective, I would not be excited about sharing my equipment with a prospective applicant if that applicant is irresponsible in his own car.

 

The best thing that you can do for yourself at this point is to put some distance between yourself and those mistakes. Show that you have learned from them. Show that you have become the kind of person who will never do those things again.

 

Bear in mind that a flight school is not excited about renting to a student or training a student who acts irresponsibly in a car. It is not just future employers. Traffic violations can affect insurance rates for aircraft. Arrests and legal troubles can also affect the ability of an employer or a flight school to use you in their equipment. Imagine the schools position later in court after you have damaged their aircraft or injured someone when they say "yes we knew he was a risk; yes he displayed risky behavior, but we decided to use him anyway."

Edited April 2, 2013 by avbug

[helonorth]

You should be able to get a medical. That is all you need to be "cleared" by the FAA. Go pay your $100, answer all the questions truthfully and see what happens. Even if you were an ax murderer out on bail, any flight school would be more than happy to take your money. If you are looking to be a career pilot, it could be tough. You're probably going to need some time to show your wild days are behind you if you ever want to work as a pilot.

[Flying Pig]

did the obstructing justice happen at the same time as your public urination? In my experience they always seem to go hand in hand.

[terminal_velo]

This isn't about your situation specifically, but...

 

Can you really get obstruction just for arguing? If you weren't being apprehended and resisting arrest, and weren't preventing a cop from doing his job, why would you get charged with this?

[aeroscout]

You are lucky you weren't in a state where your public urination didn't result in you being classified as a sex offender. Some states have amended their statutes to an extreme, and more states are following suit. Depending on the depth of a background check misdemeanors might not show up. Felonies will eventually catch up to you, and wreak havoc with a flying career. If you ever get to the place where you are applying for an ATP you could be disapproved just on the basis of good moral character.

[eagle5]

You are lucky you weren't in a state where your public urination didn't result in you being classified as a sex offender. Some states have amended their statutes to an extreme, and more states are following suit...

 

As long as this Easily Offended, Overly Sensative, Whinny, Little Pussy generation is in charge, things are just going to get worse!

[Flying Pig]

You are lucky you weren't in a state where your public urination didn't result in you being classified as a sex offender. Some states have amended their statutes to an extreme, and more states are following suit. Depending on the depth of a background check misdemeanors might not show up. Felonies will eventually catch up to you, and wreak havoc with a flying career. If you ever get to the place where you are applying for an ATP you could be disapproved just on the basis of good moral character.

Ehhhhh...... not really. Otherwise every homeless person, every 4 yr old on the side of the road and every person camping in the woods would end up being a sex offender. I was talking with a guy a while back who was a sex offender for peeing in public. He gave the same story. Got arrested and made a sex offender. What he forgot to mention in the conversation was that he was peeing through the chain link fence of a pre-school during recess. We have access to every report on line from our patrol cars. As he is talking, I type in his name and every report that has his name in it pops up. Funny hearing people tell their version of the story when I already know the parts they conveniently leave out.

 

16 years as a cop Ive never run across any sex offenders who ended up that way because they just had to go. There is always more to the story.

 

As far as arguing, "Obstructing Justice" is just that. If I am trying to do my job and you are preventing me from doing it, you qualify for the prize. Example.... Im arresting your friend and you are standing there chipping away about how I should be out chasing murderers and Im telling you to back up, you can go for that. Its a pretty broad based section. In areas where I worked patrol, it was pretty common to do a vehicle stop, and people come out and just stand at the doors of the car i stopped and start talking to the people in the vehicle. I tell them to step back because they are preventing me from approaching the vehicle. (Sorry... Im not walking up to a car with 3-4 people standing around it PLUS the occupants in the car) Its a common tactic just to screw with the cops AND its a tactic used so the occupants of the car can pass off their dope or weapons to the people who walk up to the car. So again..... "arguing with a police officer"? Arguing about what? Local politics? Gay marriage? Global warming? ..... OK, sure thing dude.

 

I would say your issues with alcohol will be your biggest hurdle to overcome.

Edited April 2, 2013 by Flying Pig

[Dnr032]

Nobody else here has said it so I will:

 

Get your PPL and go fly for fun. Enjoy yourself and the freedom of flying. Go get that $100.00 handburger with family and friends on Saturday...

 

But, give up the thoughts of ever flying for a living. Your previous actions have severely limited your future in this industry.

 

Just my opinion......

[Spike]

With literally thousands of other applicants standing in line without that kind of baggage, your chances are slim to none.....

[Rogue]

Shoot I bet you can't even get in the Army with that record.

 

Not dogging the Army but hey the Air Force does put me up in 4 star hotels, just saying LOL

 

Seriously though, Army used to be a place you could go to get your life back on track and its what I would have recommended 10 maybe even 5 years ago. Do a stint, get access to GI Bill as a bonus and build your self credit back up in the eyes of others "i made some mistakes when I was a kid but I went in the Army and straightened my butt out" might have gotten you a second look from an employer.

 

As I said though, the Army probably wouldn't even take you with that record these days.

[DRL012488]

I appreciate all the feedback. Obviously I put myself out on the crucifix to see the extremes. In reality, the public urination charge will go away because I am on probation for it. Also, I am going to fight the speeding ticket, and hopefully get it dropped.

 

I also have 6 years of commendable military service as a nuclear reactor operator, and will finish up with an honorable discharge. I have chosen a school that I believe will take me on as a student, and apparently "does their best to hire good students." I will use the post 9.11 GI bill to get CFI-I certified They also have said they have great connections with different tour companies. I do believe that if I succeed in the school I will get hired on. And if I succeed as a flight instructor, I will have good recommendations from the school to get hired on as a tour pilot. Being that the only things on my record will end up being a DUI 10 years ago (by the time i finish flight school and flight instructor), and an obstruction of justice (5 years from then) and I keep my nose clean from now on, I don't have to say goodbye to this as a career.

 

More thoughts?

[Fred0311]

You asked for an opinion. You got it and didn't like it so your disregarding it... I have no idea if it would keep you from getting a job but I'd bet the guys who spoke up do...

[Trans Lift]

I know a few pilots that have previous DUI's on their record and they are flying for a living.

[Rogue]

You asked for an opinion. You got it and didn't like it so your disregarding it... I have no idea if it would keep you from getting a job but I'd bet the guys who spoke up do...

 

No worries mate, the school he is going to is going to hire him !

[DRL012488]

Fred0311, on 02 Apr 2013 - 16:26, said

You asked for an opinion. You got it and didn't like it so your disregarding it... I have no idea if it would keep you from getting a job but I'd bet the guys who spoke up do...

 

 

No worries mate, the school he is going to is going to hire him !

 

 

So I guess what you're saying is that because several informed or uninformed (who knows?) people on this forum have concluded that it is unlikely that I can become a helicopter pilot given my record, that I should stop trying my best to overcome that?

 

Do you know for a fact there are no pilots with such a record, or worse making a career as a helicopter pilot?

 

Not that I feel the need to defend myself for being open and honest about my situation, but I started this thread for an inquiry to whether it was possible or not.

 

I am looking for first hand facts. For example:

 

- I work as an employer of a helicopter company and there is no way I would hire you with that record.

 

OR

 

- I have a DUI on my record and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get a job

 

Maybe even second hand facts, such as:

 

- My friend is an employer, and he could overlook a past DUI as long as the pilot has a history of safe piloting and certain experience

 

These types of accounts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you Trans Lift for your factual second hand account

[Rogue]

Sorry bud, I didn't mean to not be helpful.

 

I do wish though I had a nickel for every student that planned to work at the school they attended.

 

As it stands, it looks as though the cards are stacked against you. Whether you can over come that or not is anyone's guess at best.

 

For the record I have three good friends with no baggage that are unable to find employment.

Edited April 3, 2013 by Rogue

[Helipilot PTK]

DWI - 6 years ago

Public urination - violation (last year)

Obstruction of justice - this year (arguing with a police officer)

Speeding - 47 in a 30 (yesterday)

 

sounds embarrassing I know, but will it prevent me from getting cleared by the FAA or any flight school?

Ok I am not a career pilot but here are my thoughts.

 

1. Don't worry about the speeding/traffic tickets. An employer wont give a rats A** about those as long as you don't have a bunch of them in a short amount of time.

 

2. Why didn't you get probation for the DUI, and have it expunged off your record? Did you mess up probation, or was this your second offense and you really have another MIP or DUI charge that is expunged?

 

3. These things obviously don't help you, but I wouldn't let that stop you from pursuing your dream! Use all of the replies that say your not going to get a job as motivation and prove them wrong! If a employer ask about it tell them how you learned from your mistakes and that it will NEVER happen again.

[Velocity173]

Well you've gone from wondering if you can get cleared by the FAA and attend a flight school, to if you can get employment with your record. Yes, while you'll have to claim your offenses on your FAA Medical Application you can and most likely will get approved for a medical. They will do a driver's license search as well so they will find out.

 

As far as employment chances? Well as said above the cards are stacked against you. There are plenty of qualified guys with clean records who can't get jobs these days. It's not just about hiring someone that they believe is a low risk aviator that meets their company ethos either. It's just as much about saving money. Your insurance background check will ask if you've ever been arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol. You're going to be incredibly expensive to insure, especially if you just barely meet the company's hour requirements.

 

I'm all about forgiving life's transgressions but it these things take time. You're going to need to demonstrate years of being clean before anyone will even look at you. Even then management will be looking at you with a microscope. As competitive as jobs are these days it doesn't take much to let someone go. Show up to work late and looking like crap, they'll send you packing and have your replacement a phone call away.

 

I suggest you use the GI Bill in getting your ratings and see where it takes you. If things work out and you find work, great. If things don't work out, you better have a plan B ready to go.

[MileHi480B]

Don't know you. That's the problem. Don't know you. Neither will employers. So if they see your record ... the first things they think is BA, bad attitude. Drinking, urinating, arguing, speeding - with these merit badges you won't even get the chance to show em how nice you really are.

[avbug]

In reality, the public urination charge will go away because I am on probation for it. Also, I am going to fight the speeding ticket, and hopefully get it dropped.

 

If the charge goes away, then everything is okay? You seem to be missing the point. You really do.

 

Your problem isn't the ticket. It's your choices to do those things in the first place. You've painted a picture of a very irresponsible person. Whether you can dispose of the evidence is irrelevant. You've been irresponsible as recently as yesterday. Your solution shouldn't be a concern for making charges to away; it should be a concern for ceasing your irresponsible behavior.

 

I wouldn't hire you.

[Dnr032]

Aviation is about judgement; continiously excercising and showing good judgement. Unfortuantely, in my opinion, you have shown a pattern of making bad decisions and poor judgement. Additionally, aviation is about following regulations, policies and operational procedures. Again, you have demonstrated a pattern of being unable to follow clear, written and understood policies and procedures (ie DUI and speed limit laws.)

 

The Obstruction of Justice (arguing with a police officer) demonstrates to me that you possibly have a problem with authority. A Chief Pilot wants to hire a team player; not someone who is going to be a pain in his ass, questioning every policy in the Flight Operations Manual and trying to get away with not following procedures.

 

As someone above stated, with 100 or 200 qualified canidates applying for 1 open position, why would a Chief Pilot take a chance and hire you? That is the honest question that you must ask yourself. You came on this forum and asked our opinions. We gave them to you. I have 25 years in this industry and have worked in a variety of different operations. You will have a very long and difficult time getting an employer to "take a chance" and hire you.

 

You were honest about your past and asked our opinion. Many posters on this forum have been in this industry for a long time and gave you their honest opinions based on their years of experience. It is not personnal. Just the way it is. Honestly, I hate to see you waste your GI Bill on something that, in my opinion, will not be a viable career choice. Unfortuanately, it appears that you have already made you choice and were only posting here hoping get confirmation of your decision. Good Luck to you.

[SBuzzkill]

Grow some thicker skin dude. You're going to hear things you don't like all the time, learn to deal with it and move on without getting all worked up. A defensive attitude is not something that conveys maturity when that is exactly what you need to do.

Edited April 3, 2013 by SBuzzkill

[adam32]

I wouldn't hire you. There's plenty of responsible pilots out there looking for jobs and there always will be.