Got charged with a DUI. I am still in high school. (18 yrs old)

SlyFlyGuy

Well-Known Member
I am interested in becoming an airline pilot, but recently I was parked with my keys in the ignition sleeping when I got the cops called on me (I know, I am stupid). The officer did all his tests and came to the conclusion I was under the influence. I have gotten a lawyer and hopefully I can get this case dropped or at least reduced to a Reckless Driving. But if it does not get reduced should I not pursue my pilot dream? If I should not give up, and get convicted I know it probably will hurt my chances on getting a job with the majors but with all the retirees in the next 5-10 years do you think I can land a job with the majors? Lastly, will a Reckless driving hurt my chances?
 
The DUI or Reckless will not hurt (it will hurt) but not actually hurt my chances? I don"t know why I added the "will a Reckless driving hurt my chances?" if I can become a major airline pilot with a DUI a reckless driving should be fine. And my lesson has been learned this situation has been the worst part of my life.
 
Document everything. Talk with an interview prep person about how to show this incident helped you grow into the responsible adult you are today.

Also. You just blew your get out of jail free card. You F-up again and now you have problems with said major job.

*I'm not an attorney
 
Document everything. Talk with an interview prep person about how to show this incident helped you grow into the responsible adult you are today.

Also. You just blew your get out of jail free card. You F-up again and now you have problems with said major job.

*I'm not an attorney
What do you mean by "Document everything"?
 
The DUI or Reckless will not hurt (it will hurt) but not actually hurt my chances? I don"t know why I added the "will a Reckless driving hurt my chances?" if I can become a major airline pilot with a DUI a reckless driving should be fine. And my lesson has been learned this situation has been the worst part of my life.

Even with the DUI you’ll be alright. The “what you did about it/lesson learned” is the important part.
 
You posted this in "Ask an lAttorney," but your piloting issue is to a large degree medical. Whatever the disposition, you will be reporting the arrest for DUI on your next FAA medical application. A one-time DUI is usually not a problem but part of your documentation will need to be the paperwork showing exactly what happened to the case, whether there were oribatiinalry conditions, whether you were assessed for abuse issues.

Hopefully this will work out as you hope. But be sure your attorney understands there may be aviation-related consequences to what occurs.
 
Having had one myself in 06, I can tell you, for right now, it is not a deal breaker. It's really going to come down to how bad they need pilots at the time. Today a person with just a DUI can get hired at any regional. There are plenty of guys at the majors with DUI's as well. Back when I got mine they weren't doing the HIMMS stuff so I don't know much about that program. I imagine once the court stuff is done, getting your medical would be the next step. There is some good news for you being that it happened at 18. The first is when you go on interviews, and if you explain it correctly and accept responsibility, they'll take into account the whole "you were young and did something stupid" thing. By the time you're able to go to an airline, at least 5 years will have past. That's 5 years of accomplishments you can show, a college degree, your certificates, a clean record since, and community service.
The other thing that will work in your favor is the Canada issue. I found that when I started looking at going to the regionals the DUI itself wasn't the biggest obstacle, it was the fact that I couldn't go to Canada because of it. You'd think they could've just put me on routes that didn't go to Canada but I think because of the whole bidding system it was a no go. You are barred from Canada for 5 to 10 years depending on the type of conviction. For a DUI, you can apply to go back into Canada after 5 years (its called criminal rehabilitation, see the Canadian immigration website). If I remember correctly this cost 2 or 3 thousand to apply, maybe less but I'm certain not more. That being said about 6 months from the end of 5 years from your sentence (this is why you want to avoid probation because the 5 years doesn't start until the end of your sentence), you'll want to start gathering your paper work. One of the things you'll need is police reports from everywhere you've lived since and they cant be more than 6 months old I believe. Put your packet together, and instead of hiring a lawyer to do this for you, you simply hire one to give you a consultation. Send him/her a copy of your packet in advance and then have them make sure its correct or recommend changes, and then you can send it in. If you hire them to do it for you, they are going to just print off the papers from the government website and you'll be filling them out anyway. Anyhow you want that packet ready to ship the day the 5 years are up, because it can take 6 months to 2 years to process. Do some research on which consulate to send it to because some have longer processing time than others. You'll be 23 and change when this happens so just eligible for your ATP. There is some part 121 flying you can do while you are waiting. I don't think companies like Elite, Contour or Empire don't care so much about the Canada thing because most of their routes do not go there.
This probably seems like the biggest thing in the world to right now, but this will pass and you can get through it, especially given how young you are. My advice, focus on getting that college degree, preferably in something other than aviation. Then when you turn 21 or 22, go to ATP and get all your certificates and start flight instructing so that you have your 1500 hours around age 23 or 24. When you are ready to go on interviews just keep this in mind, there are some places that will say no just because you got a DUI, nothing you can do about it. But there are plenty of places that will give you a shot especially if you've had some accomplishments by then.

Last piece of advice, don't get fired, from anywhere. Explaining that and a DUI, is never fun at an interview.
 
@SlyFlyGuy . What @Midlife Flyer said. I’ll reach out on a limb here guess you don’t currently hold an FAA medical.

That is the challenge you face right now. The FAA doesn’t care what the negotiated charge is, they care what you were arrested for.

I suggest you start here https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/ame/guide/abuse_dep/

When it come time to apply for your medical, find an AME that specializes in these types of issues. Use them and do as they say. Keep all this stuff documented forever, as you will always and forever (after your initial) be answering the question about alcohol use as (Hopefully) PRNC - Previsouly Reported, No Change.
 
@rockman2343@aol.com
Thank you for all that information, I did not even think about the complications with Canada. And a DUI is the same as a Reckless Driving conviction, I will still have to wait 5 years to go to Canada. However I will probably still get a bachelors degree in aviation from a college as it will look better on an application and it will knock 500 flight hours off.
 
@SlyFlyGuy . What @Midlife Flyer said. I’ll reach out on a limb here guess you don’t currently hold an FAA medical.

That is the challenge you face right now. The FAA doesn’t care what the negotiated charge is, they care what you were arrested for.

I suggest you start here https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/ame/guide/abuse_dep/

When it come time to apply for your medical, find an AME that specializes in these types of issues. Use them and do as they say. Keep all this stuff documented forever, as you will always and forever (after your initial) be answering the question about alcohol use as (Hopefully) PRNC - Previsouly Reported, No Change.
So even if my case is completely dropped I will still have to put a little check mark next to "Yes". And how would I go about finding a AME that specializes in types of issues and is it required or just recommended I do so? Thank you.
 
So even if my case is completely dropped I will still have to put a little check mark next to "Yes". And how would I go about finding a AME that specializes in types of issues and is it required or just recommended I do so? Thank you.
@Jordan93 gave you a like to one Senior AME who has a history of helping Pilots with "hard cases.l

Required? No. Can it work without it? Sure. Many have successfully gone the, "wait til they ask" route. Others have tried and ended up with a back and forth where they think they got what the FAA wants, but get a letter back saying, "no, that's not enough". Worse yet, they submit something not asked for and makes it worse.

The best way to handle this is to know exactly what the Medical branch wants, to be reasonably certain the information will result in a pass, and to have it ready to go when you apply for your medical. SOGTI is a very poor substitute.

Especially since you are also under age and have career aspirations, don't you think the investment is worth it?
 
@Jordan93 gave you a like to one Senior AME who has a history of helping Pilots with "hard cases.l

Required? No. Can it work without it? Sure. Many have successfully gone the, "wait til they ask" route. Others have tried and ended up with a back and forth where they think they got what the FAA wants, but get a letter back saying, "no, that's not enough". Worse yet, they submit something not asked for and makes it worse.

The best way to handle this is to know exactly what the Medical branch wants, to be reasonably certain the information will result in a pass, and to have it ready to go when you apply for your medical. SOGTI is a very poor substitute.

Especially since you are also under age and have career aspirations, don't you think the investment is worth it?
Yeah I think I would like to avoid having to do all that so I'll just find one that specializes in "these types of issues". Being that this will be my first medical I do not want to mess it up so I am not gonna "wait till they ask".
 
So even if my case is completely dropped I will still have to put a little check mark next to "Yes". And how would I go about finding a AME that specializes in types of issues and is it required or just recommended I do so? Thank you.

I'm ATC, not a pilot but still get an faa medical. I had a dui several years ago that was dismissed. On the medical questionnaire it asks "have you ever been arrested and/or convicted". Just check yes, then in the space asking to explain you would just write "arrested for suspicion of dui, charges dismissed".
 
I'm ATC, not a pilot but still get an faa medical. I had a dui several years ago that was dismissed. On the medical questionnaire it asks "have you ever been arrested and/or convicted". Just check yes, then in the space asking to explain you would just write "arrested for suspicion of dui, charges dismissed".
Even that can depend on the terms of dismissal.
 
Which part?
Dismissal can be for various reasons, not all of which mean the same thing. There's a difference between dismissal becaus you are found not guilty and dismissal after completion of a program under various state deferred judgment procedures. If the latter, those programs could very well be the subject of some discussion.
 
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