Help My first class was deferred

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Joshua Layman

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Dear Dr Forred,

I am currently a private pilot with a third class medical certificate. I signed up to begin my further flight training with ATP Flight School in February. I need a first class medical to attend the school. Back in May of 2013 I was arrested for DUI Marijuana and possession of a very small amount of marijuana. One month later I was arrested again for a small amount of marijuana. I was dumb and just starting to fly and didn't realize at the time I wanted to be a pilot. I made some mistakes. I went to court for both cases and was placed on one year probation for the possession charges and I was convicted of DWI. I served my license suspension and attended the DRUG and Alcohol classes required by the state. I am finishing my probation in March and have been drug and alcohol free since my last arrest. I applied for my first class medical and sent all of the court records, documentation, a letter explaining my past actions to the FAA. I was deferred and received a letter in the mail today they were denying my application. They said I can apply for reconsideration but I have to see a psychiatrist and a clinical neuro-phsyiologist and complete the core battery tests. I want to be a pilot so badly it's my dream and passion. I am not the person I was a year ago. Can you give me some guidance and do you think i have ruined any chance of ever getting my first class medical or becoming a commercial airline pilot. I live in Pennsylvania. Any advice or guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
JL
 
Ok I'll bite, I know guys with a lot less on their record than that and even they are having a hard time finding jobs. Getting your medical is the easy part, once you have your certs you then have to figure out a way to keep your resume from getting thrown away as soon as an employer sees that. Your competition for any pilot job will definitely not have any drug convictions and very few have dwi's. You have a lot to consider before you go dropping money at atp!
 
You need to get the evaluations they requested. See Dr Tordella in either PHL or Egg Harbor, NJ. He is very experienced in this and can guide you through the process.
 
And all hope is not lost... A friend of mine has a marijuana possession charge on his record and is the CP of a pretty decent-sized flight department. You will have to work hard, but don't give up IF this is really the career you want.
 
And don't forget, being a pilot isn't the only aviation option. Fight to get those records sealed and you have a lot more options in life.
 
Depending upon your age at arrest and conviction, getting the records sealed may be an option. However, that only "hides" them from perspective employers. The FAA is still a hoop to jump through.

I know guys who have jumped through said hoops, however, be advised, it is typically VERY expensive once you get into substance abuse (that's what the FAA considers anything related to drugs or booze) and psychological testing/ evaluation/ follow-up treatment.
 
I am also perusing a career as a commercial pilot and applied for a first class and was deferred. I indicated that I had PTSD and was diagnosed with depression due problems with my marriage and after returning from Iraq and in 2008. I received a letter from the FAA stating that I was to get tests done within a 60 day window. I proceeded to ask the VA for help with this and no one was able or qualified to help me. I'm no longer in an abusive relationship so the depression is gone and as far as PTSD goes all I was told by the VA was that I had mild symptoms. I contacted an HIMS AME in my area and he stated what I needed to do. I wish the FAA had mentioned it in the letter and not assumed I knew what I needed to do, I wouldn't have less than a month to complete everything they are asking for.
 
Dear Dr Forred,

I am currently a private pilot with a third class medical certificate. I signed up to begin my further flight training with ATP Flight School in February. I need a first class medical to attend the school. Back in May of 2013 I was arrested for DUI Marijuana and possession of a very small amount of marijuana. One month later I was arrested again for a small amount of marijuana. I was dumb and just starting to fly and didn't realize at the time I wanted to be a pilot. I made some mistakes. I went to court for both cases and was placed on one year probation for the possession charges and I was convicted of DWI. I served my license suspension and attended the DRUG and Alcohol classes required by the state. I am finishing my probation in March and have been drug and alcohol free since my last arrest. I applied for my first class medical and sent all of the court records, documentation, a letter explaining my past actions to the FAA. I was deferred and received a letter in the mail today they were denying my application. They said I can apply for reconsideration but I have to see a psychiatrist and a clinical neuro-phsyiologist and complete the core battery tests. I want to be a pilot so badly it's my dream and passion. I am not the person I was a year ago. Can you give me some guidance and do you think i have ruined any chance of ever getting my first class medical or becoming a commercial airline pilot. I live in Pennsylvania. Any advice or guidance you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
JL

As far as the medical stuff goes, it sounds like you just need to jump through the hoops, but the doctors would know more about that.
As far as having a career, just go for it, and don't worry about your stuff except to not let it happen again, and work on explaining it to potential employers. It's mostly going to depend on the economy. Right now things are good and places need pilots bad, and I know several people with stuff on their records, including myself, that have been hired and given chances. Bottom line, you will run into employers that will tell you no, and into employers that will tell you yes.
Your biggest hurdle getting hired is actually going to be not being able to go to Canada for 5 years after the completion of your sentence. But the good news is you can fill a portion of that time with training and time building. Some companies, like Ameriflight or Empire, will give you turbine experience, and don't have an issue with the Canada thing. If you stay out of trouble, and things don't change drastically in the industry, you can have yourself in a position in 5 years where
A) sometime has past since your troubles and you have not had any issues since
B) you're able to show you have held stable employment and were a dependable employee
C) you have a few thousand hours of flight time, including some turbine experience, and depending on how fast things are moving at these companies, maybe some instructor/check airmen experience

Work hard, and stay out of trouble.
 
As far as the medical stuff goes, it sounds like you just need to jump through the hoops, but the doctors would know more about that.
As far as having a career, just go for it, and don't worry about your stuff except to not let it happen again, and work on explaining it to potential employers. It's mostly going to depend on the economy. Right now things are good and places need pilots bad, and I know several people with stuff on their records, including myself, that have been hired and given chances. Bottom line, you will run into employers that will tell you no, and into employers that will tell you yes.
Your biggest hurdle getting hired is actually going to be not being able to go to Canada for 5 years after the completion of your sentence. But the good news is you can fill a portion of that time with training and time building. Some companies, like Ameriflight or Empire, will give you turbine experience, and don't have an issue with the Canada thing. If you stay out of trouble, and things don't change drastically in the industry, you can have yourself in a position in 5 years where
A) sometime has past since your troubles and you have not had any issues since
B) you're able to show you have held stable employment and were a dependable employee
C) you have a few thousand hours of flight time, including some turbine experience, and depending on how fast things are moving at these companies, maybe some instructor/check airmen experience

Work hard, and stay out of trouble.


Pretty much this. You will definitely have a hard time with Canada for a long while.
Its an uphill battle now, especially given multiple offenses for the same drug related issue.
I don't mean to sound like an ahole, but why would an employer offer you a job over someone without such past criminal issues? I know that sounds like I am being a prick, but hear me out.
What you do now is entirely up to you. Ask yourself the question above and ask the same question to places that tell you no. Why? Simple, if you can get them to answer something other than a "we will never do it", you will then know that which you can do to increase your chances later.

I have a friend who is an excon. Yes an Ex CON. He finished almost a decade in prison 25 years ago and he's a captain at a flag carrier now. Nearly twenty years passed between his release and his first airline job and in that time he went from being a total schmuck to being a pillar of society but if he can do it, so can you. Mind you that he does not have even a parking ticket in the past 25 years or so. Nothing, nada...I mean he doesn't drink, he doesn't smoke, he doesn't jaywalk. This dude loves what he does and he is the single most devoted and focused person I have ever met in my life....but he wasn't always that way. Sometimes people don't know what they have until they lose it. He is definitely one of those people. The one thing my buddy tells me helped him the most with the FAA? Time between getting out and the present. The letters of recommendation from half the city and church didn't hurt of course.

Good luck and don't give up.
 
Remember all, this is the Ask a Flight Surgeon forum. It's not intended for general commentary, even well intentioned.

Thank you.
 
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