U
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My friend is applying to some flight schools, and one of them is requiring a drug test (he is applying as cfi). I've never heard of a flight school drug testing before. Have any of you?
HighFlyingA380
Cleared for Takeoff
The FBO/school I worked at did, as well as randomly tested 25% of employees per year.
Why is "your friend" so worried about being drug tested???
Kritchlow
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Kritchlow
A CFI is a professional pilot. As such, get use to drug and alcohol tests.
Do people think they can smoke weed during their CFI years, then quit when they get an interview at a regional airline? If so, good luck. Usually drug test is on interview day, and often you aren't given a lot of notice for interview. Likely not the 30 days it takes to purge the weed.
Do people think they can smoke weed during their CFI years, then quit when they get an interview at a regional airline? If so, good luck. Usually drug test is on interview day, and often you aren't given a lot of notice for interview. Likely not the 30 days it takes to purge the weed.
U
Unregistered
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Haha who said anything about weed, he has a separated shoulder and is on pain killers, he has a prescription but doesn't want to have to jump through any hoops.
The ignorance on this page is astounding.
Kritchlow
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It was a general comment, not necessarily directed at one person in particular.
If he has a prescription it shouldn't be a big deal. At one point in time there was a place on the form to put any prescribed medications. Think that might be gone now.
It does raise an eyebrow to post "unregistered", on a friends behalf... Especially when the friend is doing absolutely nothing wrong.
AggieMike88
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The original "I don't know it all" of aviation.
Might be worth mentioning which form. Since "Form" 8500-8 still requires listing medications.
Kritchlow
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To be honest I have no idea. It was our company control and custody drug testing form. Not sure if that is standardized by the FAA or individual to the testing lab.
Kritchlow
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Indeed we do fairly well. That said, there is always someone waiting to screw up. I personally knew two guys who failed for drugs.
poadeleted20
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The FAA does not require it unless they're also doing 91.147 sightseeing rides. However, many employers including flight schools require all employees to be on random drug testing programs for a lot of other reasons, the workman's comp premium break being but one of those reasons. For example, IIRC, our local FBO's fuel supplier requires that all fuel handlers be on such a program. That might not apply to the school's instructors, but it's an example of how industrial/commercial requirements may apply even when governmental ones do not.
Art VanDelay
Pattern Altitude
If they don't they should.
James331
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James331
Aside from HR type hype, why?
I've had far more problem with folks who were just plain stupid or crooked. No mandatory testing for that.
What ever gives you the warm fuzzies I guess
Our school has random drug testing. I've hit the jackpot twice in one month! I'd be concerned about a school that didn't test.
MikeELP
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Mike Bruening
Old Geek
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There is a significant group of citizens that do not use drugs and, at the same time, consider drug tests without probable cause invasive, demeaning and generally inappropriate. The blanket assumption than anyone opposed to drug tests must be a drug user is flat wrong.
Kritchlow
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Kritchlow
I may have been a bit over the top, but please take the post in context...
Someone posts anonymously for a friend. That alone is odd. Add to that the friend was doing nothing wrong.
I may have jumped to conclusions, but I hope you can at least see there were things that helped me down that path.
1600vw
Pattern Altitude
Now that many states have made marijuana legal for medical use, how is it one could loose a job or even be arrested for using this? And just because its in ones system does not mean they have used it within the last 24 or 48 or 72 yours. How does that work?
Geico266
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jsstevens
Aside from HR type hype, why?
I've had far more problem with folks who were just plain stupid or crooked. No mandatory testing for that.
What ever gives you the warm fuzzies I guess
True enough. And if there was a simple test for crooked (stupid we seem to do pretty well with in the interview process), I'd love to have access to it.
In our case it affects our insurance premiums and our security clearances. It is mandatory for all employees at hiring, but not thereafter. I'm not sure why the insurance thinks that's enough, but OK.
John
JeffDG
Touchdown! Greaser!
There is also a significant group of people who understand that when you apply for a job with a private company, constitutional provisions like "probable cause" are wholly inapplicable. The blanket assumption that things like probable cause apply to interactions not with the government is flat wrong.
It is still illegal under Federal rules, and when acting as a pilot, you are subject to Federal rules.
(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 an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater in a blood or breath specimen. Alcohol concentration means grams of alcohol per deciliter of blood or grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath.
poadeleted20
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Aviation is governed by Federal law. Under Federal aviation law, marijuana use isn't legal no matter what any individual state may say, and the Constitution says Federal law takes precedence on such matters.
mtuomi
En-Route
You haven't been out much then.
I've helped carry an United pilot from the bar to his hotel room at 0430AM, when they were flying out at noon. And I can promise, even though the 8 hours was exceeded, he was nowhere nearly fit to fly nor under the BAC when they left the island.
Old Geek
Pattern Altitude
When I used the phrase "probable cause", I meant it in the literal sense, not the constitutional sense. Not that it would matter to you...
Jimmy cooper
En-Route
No.......your ignorance is astounding! " doesn't want to jump through the hoops indeed!" Check out the accident I witnessed in 2006 when the instructor was killed, student gravely injured when it went in after takeoff. See what the instructor had in the bloodstream, also being treated for "back pain"!!! As important are doctors and nurses who should be screened regularly and are not.
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Kayoh@190
I consider myself to have a pretty good amount of experience hanging out with flight crews in social situations, and I can only think of twice where someone pushed the limit to eyebrow raising levels. Both cases were outside the 8 hour window, but it was messy the night before. One was airline, the other a Hawker driver. Now that's obviously two more examples than I'd prefer to have, but I really don't think there's a huge problem out there with pilots flying while impaired.
Jimmy cooper
En-Route
Try attending a " birds of a feather" meeting. You might change your mind.
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Kayoh@190
I'm sorry, but what are those?
All I know is that I have *never* shared a flight deck with an impaired pilot. Nor have most of my friends. I'd think that my experience would be different if this were some sort of widespread problem. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, of course.
U
Unregistered
Guest
Haha it was his shoulder.....but anyway, what was in his system? Where am I suppose to "check this out"
Jimmy cooper
En-Route
I'll say it happens!! Just like any other occupation. It's the name of AA meetings held for airline pilots. Strange you don't know this if "you share flight decks often. " it's usually well attended.
RJM62
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Geek on the Hill
I once had a CFI who drank himself under the table (literally) at the FBO holiday party. We carried him to the sofa so he could sleep it off. An hour or two later, however, he got up unnoticed and flew home -- a roughly 160 nm trip home to an unlit strip. Of course, the school fired him.
I also suspect that the same CFI may have had a few before some of my dual lessons. He had a habit of nodding off in the front seat of the Cub. I'd written it off to his being a bit long in the tooth at the time.
Rich
I also suspect that the same CFI may have had a few before some of my dual lessons. He had a habit of nodding off in the front seat of the Cub. I'd written it off to his being a bit long in the tooth at the time.
Rich