FAQ: DUI's and alcohol/drug abuse

Add on post to the topic at hand. I had a DWI when I was 20 years old, blew .0825. I'm now 44. No other DUI/DWI's and only 2 moving violations since then, and both which allowed for defensive driving to remove from insurance records.

I've been flying since I was 14, got my PPL when I was 19 and have had PPL since 1999. Last class 3 medical I was issued was in 2001, so after the DWI.

I went on a 20 year hiatus from flying, moved, didn't have a car, got married/kids, etc so didn't pick things back up until 2022 when I got current and started training for my IFR. I have 400 TT including complex, HP and TW endorsements. I took the written IFR test in May of 2023, got a 97, then was planning check ride. I hadn't yet addressed the medical as I didn't think it would be an issue, shame on me.

I got on Zoloft in 2020 coming out of Covid as my job involves lots of presentations and public speaking, which I do not enjoy. Being locked up and everything virtual, then going back to in person made something uncomfortable pretty much unbearable. Zoloft has helped this immensely.

However, during the Zoloft/SSRI deferral process which started 10/2022, which was a year in to the medical application process, a bad habit of drinking got worse and I checked myself into an IOP treatment to help get sober. Subsequent to this the Zoloft treating physician's notes showed that, at my own admission, I had been using alcohol to deal with work related stresses.

So earlier this month (June 2024) the FAA declined the class 3 for both use of an approved SSRI (Zoloft), needing more data from the treating physician and updated HIMS evaluations, as well as the standard alcohol HIMS process. I've already started the random screening, have been attending AA and have a sponsor. I also have been connected to some amazing other pilots that had histories of alcohol abuse, so I am grateful for that.

Given the BAC of .0825 over 24 years ago, my proactive seeking of treatment prior to FAA mandating, as well as having been issues a prior class 3, etc...any idea what next steps might look like?

Thanks in advance!
 
Agree with all of this. The FAA will commonly require 2-3 months minimum of 'monitoring' with a HIMS AME before consideration of any special issuance.

Also, Birds of a Feather is a great peer support program for just pilots!
robin ardoin said:
@Masmas1 If you are not participating in a recovery program (AA, Celebrate Recovery, …etc), start now and document twice weekly attendance. Show the FAA that you accept that you have an issue and are actively ‘treating’ it. This will be necessary regardless of the class of medical you seek. A class 3 Special Issue can be decided in OKC and may be quicker and can get you on your path for PPL and other ratings. Seek advice from a HIMS AME prior to starting any medical application.
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If you had only the DUI alone (> 5 years ago and BAC < 0.15) the AME could issue the certificate on day of exam as long as you provided supporting documentation that would get uploaded to your Med Express for FAA review.

Given the subsequent abuse/possible dependence on ETOH and concurrent use of antidepressant you will definitely need a special issuance, but if you're currently stable/unimpaired with low risk of recurrence and all of your evaluations and letters are favorable, you have a very high chance for recertification with SI and continued monitoring. Hope you're working with a good HIMS AME as you'll save yourself a ton of time to get back in the cockpit!

Good luck...even tho you're a Longhorns fan lol

GO BUCKS! O-H...
UTLonghorn_1979 said:
Add on post to the topic at hand. I had a DWI when I was 20 years old, blew .0825. I'm now 44. No other DUI/DWI's and only 2 moving violations since then, and both which allowed for defensive driving to remove from insurance records.

I've been flying since I was 14, got my PPL when I was 19 and have had PPL since 1999. Last class 3 medical I was issued was in 2001, so after the DWI.

I went on a 20 year hiatus from flying, moved, didn't have a car, got married/kids, etc so didn't pick things back up until 2022 when I got current and started training for my IFR. I have 400 TT including complex, HP and TW endorsements. I took the written IFR test in May of 2023, got a 97, then was planning check ride. I hadn't yet addressed the medical as I didn't think it would be an issue, shame on me.

I got on Zoloft in 2020 coming out of Covid as my job involves lots of presentations and public speaking, which I do not enjoy. Being locked up and everything virtual, then going back to in person made something uncomfortable pretty much unbearable. Zoloft has helped this immensely.

However, during the Zoloft/SSRI deferral process which started 10/2022, which was a year in to the medical application process, a bad habit of drinking got worse and I checked myself into an IOP treatment to help get sober. Subsequent to this the Zoloft treating physician's notes showed that, at my own admission, I had been using alcohol to deal with work related stresses.

So earlier this month (June 2024) the FAA declined the class 3 for both use of an approved SSRI (Zoloft), needing more data from the treating physician and updated HIMS evaluations, as well as the standard alcohol HIMS process. I've already started the random screening, have been attending AA and have a sponsor. I also have been connected to some amazing other pilots that had histories of alcohol abuse, so I am grateful for that.

Given the BAC of .0825 over 24 years ago, my proactive seeking of treatment prior to FAA mandating, as well as having been issues a prior class 3, etc...any idea what next steps might look like?

Thanks in advance!
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