Drinking Pilots Go to Jail

[W7WV]

in 2002, a pilot and co-pilot were arrested before they got off the ground bound for FL with passgengers who snitched them off.
Today the pilot got 5 years and the co-pilot got 2 1/2 years in jail.

[K9STH]

Now to get those arrested for DWI (or DUI depending on the state) to get some "stiff" sentences.

The pilots knew better, yet still had to have their booze. Definitely their impaired abilities could have led to disaster. However, those who drive drunk cause the same thing, just usually on a lesser scale.

I am not opposed to social drinking (although I do not drink alcohol, just don't like the taste and never "acquired" a taste for beer). I am definitely opposed to those who insist on operating a motor vehicle when they are impaired.

Glen, K9STH

[W5HTW]

They were "FWI" - Flying While Intoxicated.

The rule used to be no alcohol within the last 8 hours prior to a flight, and that included private pilots. Not sure it's the same rule in today's more liberal society, but we do appear to be cracking down now and then on the occasional drunk driver.

I'm glad to see they got jail time. They were in a highly responsible position, for the safety of many people who were totally under their control. I hope they are never allowed at the yoke of any aircraft ever again. And that is likely.

Interestingly, we seem to have had more train wrecks caused by engineers using marijuana than alcohol. Not sure why train engineers don't drink on duty! But the mj use has the indentical effect, so guess they are "Operating While Intoxicated."

A pilot using MJ, would be "HWH" - High While High!"

Ed

[KW4MW]

My neighbor, a private pilot says the rule is "12 hours, bottle to throttle"

These guys you mention reminds me of Jim Backus in Mad, Mad, Mad World. #"It's the only way to fly".

[W9AFB]

Federal Aviation Regulation 91.17
Alcohol or Drugs
(a) No person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft --
(1) Within 8 hours after the consumption of any alcoholic beverage;
(2) While under the influence of alcohol;
(3) While using any drug that affects the person's faculties in any way contrary to safety; or
(4) While having .04 percent by weight or more alcohol in the blood.

That's straight from the FAR/AIM (FAA Rule Book)

[w3sy]

Where they are going, they won't have to "Fly Solo" any more!

Where they are going, a "tail dragger" isn't an airplane with two wheels in the front and one in the back.

[KG4CGC]

Quote[/b] (w3sy @ July 22 2005,00:34)]Where they are going, they won't have to "Fly Solo" any more!

Where they are going, a "tail dragger" isn't an airplane with two wheels in the front and one in the back.
Aw hush now! Shhhhh.

[KW4MW]

Welcome aboard Con-Air

[K8ERV]

Wonder if the same rule applies to the autopilot?

TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

[KD6NIG]

"Call them right now and let them know everything is ok, or the next thing you will see is the flies buzzing over your rotting corpse!"

One of the best lines in that Con-Air movie, I thought.

One of the wives of the pilot wasn't too happy with the media, according to the article on Faux News about it.

Face it, a DUI is a DUI, be it airplane, car, bicycle, ship (remember the Valdez?), or even walking. Quit crying about it. If you do the crime, you do the time.

And 2.5 years in the pokey should be sufficent enough to "dry out", so all the efforts to reduce thier drinking as they said during the court proceedings will be bolstered by the sentences they got.