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Drinking policy

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viper03

Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2004
Posts
10
Management just changed our policy to zero alcohol, no drinking, while on the road. Apparently they want to be able to dispatch an aircraft at the drop of a hat, and not have to wait 8 hours for the pilots to "sober up."

They claim, "a lot of departments are doing this now." I have a hard time believing this. I'm interested to hear other companies policy on this...please share.

Thanks
 
miller time

after 1700 lcl we can turn it up. I actually got a call I wish I could have taken to help out one of our people whose wife was having medical problems, but rules are rules.
 
Current employer used to be 12 hours prior to flight time, now 12 hours prior to duty time but we have regulatory rest periods due to 91K. One Part 91 contract customer is FAA 8 hours, another is 12 hours prior to flight, and yet another is no alcohol from 12 hours prior through the end of the trip even if it lasts for weeks.

And Rez, I'll take corporate and fractional flying over crowd killer flying anyday and twice on Sunday. And I say that as the spouse of a major airline pilot and (once, way back when) proud ALPA member.
 
viper03 said:
Management just changed our policy to zero alcohol, no drinking, while on the road. Apparently they want to be able to dispatch an aircraft at the drop of a hat, and not have to wait 8 hours for the pilots to "sober up."

They claim, "a lot of departments are doing this now." I have a hard time believing this. I'm interested to hear other companies policy on this...please share.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I have seen it done both ways. Not sure about the statement " a lot of departments are doing this now" as other than your department and one of my previous departments, I had not heard or seen of this before. The department that I worked for that had used this as a policy, inturn had an owner that would call up in the middle of the night and ask that the airplane be sent to pick up some lady friends. Can't imagine why anyone would behave like that. could you?

Current policy is 12 hours before flight and don't start drinking before....1800, I think. Maybe it 1700. Oh well.
 
If a passenger (or a pilot for that matter) has an emergency with a sick or injured family member, they will never forget you if you can get them home. I know this from experience. I suspect that if you were unable to launch because of drinking, they would never forget you for that either.
 
Why no alcohol on the road? What about while sitting at home? What's the difference if scheduling wants to immediately dispatch an airplane from home base or one currently flying a trip?

I've heard of some flight departments not allowing ANY alcohol drinking before 4pm, whether a pilot is at home or 'on the road.' This allows pilots the freedom to enjoy a beer at dinner.
 
viper03 said:
I'm interested to hear other companies policy on this...please share.
Click to expand...

We follow the basic 8 hour rule. Other than this hard rule, our pilots use their best judgement to decide when and when not to drink. I've been with my company for 10 months and have yet to hear any alcohol issues arise.
 
When assigned at Andrews AFB the drinking policy varied with the passengers. For the horse holders, alcohol consumption was prohibited 12 hours before flight. For the big dogs, it was 12 hours before flight until end - of - mission back at Andrews.

At my current company the ops manual says no imbibing 12 hours before flight.

If you think about it, there is a point at which, if having a Grey Goose martini didn't keep you from flying, being out of crew day would.


GV
 
WWDriver said:
If a passenger (or a pilot for that matter) has an emergency with a sick or injured family member, they will never forget you if you can get them home. I know this from experience. I suspect that if you were unable to launch because of drinking, they would never forget you for that either.
Click to expand...

i see your point but what is the difference if the pilots are fatigued?

just say they fly 10 hours and are in the hotel about to go to sleep after a 15 hour duty day. now CEO bob schmuck wants you to fly him back home cause his wife stubbed her toe. you think this would be any safer if they had flown 2 hours and had one beer each. required rest should be required!
 
In a perfect world, you shouldn't need a policy about this. Unfortunately, this kind of policy comes about after someone abuses the privilege to use their own judgment.
 
ag2pilot hit it on the head....

Viper03 says his company wants to institute this policy for dispatch reasons? Ok, so what has changed in your company that yesterday they were not concerned about dispatching at the 'drop of a hat' and today they are. Something else is going on, as usually corporations give a bit more thought into policy changes.

And as others have said, is this also going to apply at home? Are you going to have off-duty crews and on-duty crews?

It's been mentioned that policy changes such as this are in response to an event, and I'd guess the same.

I've been with my outfit 6 years or so, and I have NEVER answered the phone, on the road or at home, and had to decline a trip because I was within the 8 hour period. And it's that's been same same at your company, I'd be asking some questions as to why the sudden change.
 
No policy just common sence. No drinking at 2pm while lounging at the pool while on a trip to Grand Caymen or HI. Drink em up after 5pm however!
 
none 12 hrs before a flight or before 5/6pm on the road (I forget)

no alcohol whatsoever?

WTF? why?

so that you can launch at the drop of a hat at 0100?...

thats old school poor management BS that is about as safe as launching drunk.

If you owner is that important and scattered with his schedule he needs to have 2 full crews at the departure end to wait in shifts.

Usually this CRAP is made up by some moron aviation "manager" too afraid to set some reasonable policy with the aircraft owners.
 
Here's another thought.

The Boss, who pays your salary, has a multimillion dollar asset out on the road, that he has the right to expect to be available in any reasonable time frame. Too long of a duty day? The Boss should understand.... Four hour duty day with a three day layover, 2 hrs after landing, some deal that he is working on (that helps buy shiny airplanes and pays your salary) blows up and he needs to go to Tucson right now. He calls you up and hears "sorry, I just drank a beer with lunch/dinner".... I don't think he should have to be very understanding on that one.

But I know, he's just a fat headed jerk, and should have planned better.

Also, how many of us are on a salary, and when we aren't on a trip, our time is our own. Then somebody in the office working 40 hrs per week says something about all our time off, and we justify it by the fact that when we are on the road, we are "working" 24 hrs a day since we are away from home.

Just my .02
 

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