Good Evening!
I am a student pilot with a temporary 3rd class medical. I recently received a letter in the mail from the FAA regarding a DWI that I had been convicted of in 12/2005. I had put this down on my medical when i saw the AME so I had expected to be questioned about the offense at some point. I refused breathalyzer at the DWI arrest.
The letter requires a copy of my driving record, I had quite a few speeding tickets in the past but they are all before 2005 DWI conviction.
A detailed letter from me.
And lastly i need to provide a current substance abuse evaluation. The last one i had done was 2007 as a requirement to get my driver license back. That evaluation came back good with no recommended after care. I have scheduled another evaluation for this upcoming week so that i can submit a more current eval. I did not schedule with a HIMS / AME specialist as the FAA is not requiring it.
I honestly dont expect much issue with the FAA as I havent had any other substance related issues in over 6 years. I dont even drink very often as I ride a motorcycle, drive a boat, etc and none of those jive with drinking either.
My question is, should I save my elf some time and get the eval done by the HIMS now?
If you would like some background, here is the letter I wrote for the FAA.
To whom it may concern:
I was stopped for a moving violation on December 17th, 2005 at 1:15AM on my way home from my company holiday party resulting in a conviction for DWI. I had been drinking champagne at the office and then beer and spiked eggnog with co-workers at a bar after leaving the office. Looking back at the situation I should have planned ahead for a designated driver or planned to call a taxi. I knew that I would be drinking alcohol ahead of time and that allowed me ample time to make a better decision than to drive myself home.
My DWI conviction caused me to curb my alcohol intake. I did not drink at all for quite some time after my charge of DWI. I elected to do things to improve my wellbeing including volunteer work at the local homeless shelter. I organized the stockroom and food pantry a couple of nights a week at Crossroads House in Portsmouth, NH. While volunteering at the shelter I walked there from my apartment a couple of miles away. I had offers from people to give me a ride but I thought it an important penance to make the walk. It allowed me time to reflect and think about why I was in the situation I was in.
I began to focus more on my career, family and all of the positive things in my life. I was fortunate enough to meet my wife while my operating privileges were under suspension for DWI. We met after I moved into a new one bedroom apartment, she lived in the same apartment building and we hit it off. I had moved there to have more personal space without roommates and to focus on myself. Thankfully she was understanding and supportive of me. She challenged me to become a more responsible person. Without this DWI we may have never had the opportunity to meet one another!
I enjoy too many things in life to take chances and spend my time with alcohol. In addition to training for my private pilot certificate I enjoy boating and motorcycling. The activities that I enjoy have no tolerance for alcohol use. I am successful in my occupation and since my DWI I have become a homeowner and a husband.
Over 6 years have passed since the night of my DWI. I do drink occasionally, mainly at special events, but no longer to excess. If I have a drink at home then the keys to the car stay in the drawer. If I go out to a restaurant then I plan ahead, if I am going to have a couple of drinks then I make sure we have a safe way to get home. If there isn’t another plan to get home then I don’t drink. These things have become habit to both me and my wife.
I have younger nieces and nephews and I make sure to talk to them about making good choices. I don’t like to preach but I want them to understand that the decisions you make as an individual affect a lot more people than just yourself, it is selfish to think otherwise. I understand that you can only learn so much about a person through a short letter. I welcome you to call me or write back if you would like any additional detail. Thank you for your time.
I am a student pilot with a temporary 3rd class medical. I recently received a letter in the mail from the FAA regarding a DWI that I had been convicted of in 12/2005. I had put this down on my medical when i saw the AME so I had expected to be questioned about the offense at some point. I refused breathalyzer at the DWI arrest.
The letter requires a copy of my driving record, I had quite a few speeding tickets in the past but they are all before 2005 DWI conviction.
A detailed letter from me.
And lastly i need to provide a current substance abuse evaluation. The last one i had done was 2007 as a requirement to get my driver license back. That evaluation came back good with no recommended after care. I have scheduled another evaluation for this upcoming week so that i can submit a more current eval. I did not schedule with a HIMS / AME specialist as the FAA is not requiring it.
I honestly dont expect much issue with the FAA as I havent had any other substance related issues in over 6 years. I dont even drink very often as I ride a motorcycle, drive a boat, etc and none of those jive with drinking either.
My question is, should I save my elf some time and get the eval done by the HIMS now?
If you would like some background, here is the letter I wrote for the FAA.
To whom it may concern:
I was stopped for a moving violation on December 17th, 2005 at 1:15AM on my way home from my company holiday party resulting in a conviction for DWI. I had been drinking champagne at the office and then beer and spiked eggnog with co-workers at a bar after leaving the office. Looking back at the situation I should have planned ahead for a designated driver or planned to call a taxi. I knew that I would be drinking alcohol ahead of time and that allowed me ample time to make a better decision than to drive myself home.
My DWI conviction caused me to curb my alcohol intake. I did not drink at all for quite some time after my charge of DWI. I elected to do things to improve my wellbeing including volunteer work at the local homeless shelter. I organized the stockroom and food pantry a couple of nights a week at Crossroads House in Portsmouth, NH. While volunteering at the shelter I walked there from my apartment a couple of miles away. I had offers from people to give me a ride but I thought it an important penance to make the walk. It allowed me time to reflect and think about why I was in the situation I was in.
I began to focus more on my career, family and all of the positive things in my life. I was fortunate enough to meet my wife while my operating privileges were under suspension for DWI. We met after I moved into a new one bedroom apartment, she lived in the same apartment building and we hit it off. I had moved there to have more personal space without roommates and to focus on myself. Thankfully she was understanding and supportive of me. She challenged me to become a more responsible person. Without this DWI we may have never had the opportunity to meet one another!
I enjoy too many things in life to take chances and spend my time with alcohol. In addition to training for my private pilot certificate I enjoy boating and motorcycling. The activities that I enjoy have no tolerance for alcohol use. I am successful in my occupation and since my DWI I have become a homeowner and a husband.
Over 6 years have passed since the night of my DWI. I do drink occasionally, mainly at special events, but no longer to excess. If I have a drink at home then the keys to the car stay in the drawer. If I go out to a restaurant then I plan ahead, if I am going to have a couple of drinks then I make sure we have a safe way to get home. If there isn’t another plan to get home then I don’t drink. These things have become habit to both me and my wife.
I have younger nieces and nephews and I make sure to talk to them about making good choices. I don’t like to preach but I want them to understand that the decisions you make as an individual affect a lot more people than just yourself, it is selfish to think otherwise. I understand that you can only learn so much about a person through a short letter. I welcome you to call me or write back if you would like any additional detail. Thank you for your time.
