Hey Helicopter Pilots . . . US Customs

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HEY HELICOPTER PILOTS . . . did you know that if you want to fly helicopters for U.S CUSTOMS, AIR & MARINE OPERATIONS -and- if you’re attending HELISUCCESS 2018 on Nov 4 & 5, Air & Marine Ops team members will be there to meet you. In fact, they will have an Express Pilot Hiring Center (EPHiC) on location for HeliSuccess attendees. If qualified, tentative offers will be made on site. Interested attendees should bring their resume and proof of military service (for military pilots) to the event with them. BOOK EARLY. LEARN MORE: http://bit.ly/HeliSuccess2018

 

 

 

 

[Fred0311]

If they want good pilots they should stop lowering hour requirements and learn how to run a polygraph... or not run it all.

[Eric Hunt]

Are you saying their pilots are not good?

[Little Bird]

So a polys inadmissible in court, but its a great way to discount a pilot?! 🙄

[takefootoff]

Wouldn't of that suspected serial killer CBP agent, that just got, caught gone through this same poly?

[Fred0311]

Eric, that's not what I'm saying at all. I forget where I got the percentage of pilots being disqualified by polygraphs so I'm not going to qoute it. However it was unreasonably high and over 50%. I can't believe that many people are applying with undetected criminal past. I was disqualified (and yes I'm a little bitter) not because I failed but I had an "unnatural breathing pattern" so they thought I was trying to manipulate the test. I held a secret clearance in the Marines that involved an incredibly thorough background check with no need for a polygraph and I was dealing with things much more sensitive than CBP is. Anyway the point of my butters esque rant is they are eliminating great candidates over the polygraph at a time that they are desperately short of pilots.

[superstallion6113]

If they want good pilots they should stop lowering hour requirements and learn how to run a polygraph... or not run it all.

 

I was about to say something along these lines. CBP = polygraph horror stories. Not sure if they are just being anal, or simply don't know how to interpret polygraph results.

[r22butters]

...Anyway the point of my butters esque rant is they are eliminating great candidates over the polygraph at a time that they are desperately short of pilots.

They know who they want and its not me.

 

When you accept this reality, you have completed the butters twelve step program.

 

....it helps to say it out loud:)

[Dnr032]

I was about to say something along these lines. CBP = polygraph horror stories. Not sure if they are just being anal, or simply don't know how to interpret polygraph results.

 

Most people who fail the polygraph dont actually fail the polygraph. They are disqualified because of answers to the questions in the packet of information you are required to complete before the actual polygraph. What you are failing is a qualification review of your answers in the packet. Unfortunately for the applicant, the end result is the same. It has nothing to do with how to interpret polygraph results.

[takefootoff]

A serial killer to-be gets through the poly...and ole devil dog up there with a TSSCI gets dq'd

 

...somethin ain't right

 

And wasn't there a story about a former Marine 1 driver who failed as well?

[Dnr032]

I'm not stating it is perfect, I'm just trying to give people some insight into the process.

 

A serial killer to-be gets through the poly.

 

You are comparing apples to oranges. The actual polygraph only ask yes and no questions. The packet of information you must complete before the poly only ask "have you ever... " type of questions. An employee becoming a future serial killer would have to be discovered during a psychological evaluation, not a polygraph. I don't know if DHS requires a pre-employment psychological evaluation or not??

 

ole devil dog up there with a TSSCI gets dq'd

 

Again, each agency sets the standard for it's "Qualification Review" for employment. I don't know the circumstances for the former Marine, but the standards for a DOD clearance may be different from DHS Law Enforcement TS clearance. Does the former marine have a medical condition that indicates a false positive on a poly??? Possibly....

 

It's not a perfect system. The Agency I work for requires a polygraph as well as other series of events for all Law Enforcement certified employees. I can tell you that over 90% of applicants either fail an assessment or drop out along the way. So if we are trying to run a new hire class of 20, we must start with over 200 applications.

 

Again, I'm not trying to defend the DHS polygraph. All you can do is apply and go through the process. I'm just trying to help explain the process.

[Fred0311]

Just to be clear nothing in my packet disqualified me and nothing came up deceptive. I did the poly three times and all three times they didn't like my unnatural breathing pattern. So they told me they weren't going to test me a fourth time but I could start the process over from scratch. However I decided I probably should not have a career where I could be asked to take a polygraph at any time to retain my position. And it all worked out in the end, I got my dream job a few months later.

Edited September 23, 2018 by Fred0311

[hotstart]

I know a good amount of canyon warriors that didn't make it past the poly. Good guys with perfect backgrounds

[r22butters]

No sir I never spent a weeks pay in one night at the Crazy Horse.

 

Nope, never,...

 

,...well maybe that one,...

[superstallion6113]

Most people who fail the polygraph dont actually fail the polygraph. They are disqualified because of answers to the questions in the packet of information you are required to complete before the actual polygraph. What you are failing is a qualification review of your answers in the packet. Unfortunately for the applicant, the end result is the same. It has nothing to do with how to interpret polygraph results.

 

By fail I mean denied employment based on polygraph results. Everyone I know, 5 or 6 people, was disqualified on technicalities or odd anomalies such as the stories quoted below. Two of them were for irregular breathing patterns that made it difficult for the polygraph administrator to determine accurate results. Another for no change in breathing pattern or heart rate when given test questions that were to determine what happens when he lied, and was accused of trying to skew the results by practicing how to pass a poly in their own time. It makes no sense, but it apparently happened. Their answers on the poly all matched what they disclosed on their application packet/background check questionnaire. All previously held a secret or TS/SCI clearance in the past (I worked with most of these people at the Presidential Helicopter Squadron, HMX-1). Seems like the system is failing the border patrol of qualified applicants, not helping them gain them.

 

 

Just to be clear nothing in my packet disqualified me and nothing came up deceptive. I did the poly three times and all three times they didn't like my unnatural breathing pattern. So they told me they weren't going to test me a fourth time but I could start the process over from scratch. However I decided I probably should not have a career where I could be asked to take a polygraph at any time to retain my position. And it all worked out in the end, I got my dream job a few months later.

 

 

I know a good amount of canyon warriors that didn't make it past the poly. Good guys with perfect backgrounds

Edited September 26, 2018 by superstallion6113

[Kliss]

My story is the same as all the others it seems. Former military with a clearance. Did 2 of them and both times was told I was trying to manipulate the test results.

 

Just anecdotal but told a friend that deals with poly's a fair bit what happened and he was telling me they are administering and using the test incorrectly.

[r22butters]

As a totally unqualified for border patrol pilot I feel I should apply just to see what happens?

 

,...and this poly test seems like it would be a rather amusing ride

[Eric Hunt]

Why go through all this just to fly up and down Forrest Trump's big wall?

 

Powerline patrols seem exotic compared to that.

[Fred0311]

I wasn't a fan of powerline patrols, but then again the company I worked for was awful. Now flying a blackhawk chasing go fast boats loaded down with drugs while living in the Virgin Islands? That sounded like fun.

[richeh123]

i went out in February to take the lie-detector test.....after it was all said and done i failed i guess? the guy that was giving me the test said " hes not sure if i passed or not....it could go either way....i may have to come back and take it again" i received a email two weeks later saying i am not needed! I was completely honest....i have led a pretty straight life....maybe when i admitted to smoking pot about 5 times in my life 20 years ago.... was there red flag? If that is the worst thing i have done and i couldn't get in? I am thinking they are going to go out of business soon!!!

[mudkow60]

I wasn't a fan of powerline patrols, but then again the company I worked for was awful. Now flying a blackhawk chasing go fast boats loaded down with drugs while living in the Virgin Islands? That sounded like fun.

 

And by Virgin Islands, you mean Puerto Rico.

[Fred0311]

Sure, although they had a position specifically listing the virgin islands... Which is what I meant. Guess they filled that one.