Alaska... smoke 'em if you got 'em

[capt. megadeth]

I was given both a drug test and a nicotine test when I was hired. ...

I wonder how long you would have to stop smoking to pass a nicotine test. Anyone know?

 

[Ty Webb]

Ty:

Don't worry, when we merge you will be grandfathered in and we only nicotine screen new hires.

Heh-heh . . .

Well, I don't smoke, but the point is, how much intrusion into your personal life are you willing to put up with. If I wanted to be under scrutiny 24/7 I would have stayed corporate.

PS., According to AirTran CEO Joe Leonard, they actually did approach AK last year about some sort of merger, but were rebuffed.

 

[munson]

I disagree. I would not use a doctor who smoked. I don't think its a stretch to say if someone is stupid enough to smoke I don't want my life in thier hands.

I support Alaska and thier decision to not hire smokers. Bottom line, if you want to smoke go work somewhere else.

Dude, I agree 100%. When I was about to take the crew bus home the other day, I saw someone outside smoking as people were getting on the bus. It turned out it was the drver. When he sat down in the drivers seat, I got up and yelled, " Not on my watch buddy"... and got off that bus. I'm not gonna let him take my life in his hands when he cares so little for his own. Maybe we can round all the smokers up and put them in a pen, like they have leprosy. That way their infection wont spread out to the enlightened.
If Alaska wants to make a policy like that, fine, its their company. But come on dude, comments about safety and smoking...I think its time to change out the air in your bubble.

 

[AC560]

AK pilots correct me if I'm wrong, but the way I understand it is that you are screened for nicotine once when you are interviewed/hired. After that you can smoke if want and there is nothing they can do. They just figure if you get hired as a non smoker, you will stay a non smoker.

I don't about their policy but you can be fired in 21 states by your company for smoking if it is against their policy (this includes smoking off the clock). So don't assume that because you got hired as a non-smoker and start smoking that there is nothing they can do to you.

Also for those asking I was told by my insurance guy you need to be smoke free for two weeks prior to pass the test (for the occasional cigar smokers out there).

 

[av8tor4239]

You've got to be kidding me . . . . . Someone who makes judgements about people based upon whether or not they smoke has got an awful lot of growing up to do.

Let's cross off the smokers, and certainly anyone who has a motorcycle. A 35 year old with a head injury costs a lot more to take care of than a smoker, who dies relatively quickly. How about the fatties- what's your cholesterol score? Over 190 = Forget it.

Let's get them off the list, too. and the females- they could get pregnant, and be out for quite a while . . . . certainly all of the general aviation types that are out flying around in their own airplanes. . . . skiers, boaters, rock climbing, skydiving . . . . anything that I decide is too risky or might impact our health insurance costs or simply doesn't look good to me to have a pilot doing is grounds to not be hired.

Enough is enough . . . . This a j-o-b. It's a good job, but it is still a job. Show up on time, do your job in a competent and professional manner, and go home. Letting them dictate to you what you do on your time off? Are you kidding?

Excellent post...

You are right about the fact that a company can make you die your hair purple if they want to.. it is your choice to apply..

The point of my post was to answer the question of why a company that pays is pilots wages lower than it's competators would make a requrement like that..

WHY NOT SAY NO ALCOHOL.. WHY TOBACCO?

 

[Green]

Dude, I agree 100%. When I was about to take the crew bus home the other day, I saw someone outside smoking as people were getting on the bus. It turned out it was the drver. When he sat down in the drivers seat, I got up and yelled, " Not on my watch buddy"... and got off that bus. I'm not gonna let him take my life in his hands when he cares so little for his own. Maybe we can round all the smokers up and put them in a pen, like they have leprosy. That way their infection wont spread out to the enlightened.
If Alaska wants to make a policy like that, fine, its their company. But come on dude, comments about safety and smoking...I think its time to change out the air in your bubble.

That was funny...

 

[Green]

Other side of the coin. Do pax think when they see a pilot smoke, "He's not even taking care of his own life, and I'm trusting him with mine?" No flame, serious question.

What about heavy drinkers? Would you put yourself on an airplane being piloted by someone who has a complete disregard for his/her own liver? I would imagine 30% of the cockpits flying around this country contain a heavy drinker or two. "He's not even taking care of his own life.." Are you serious?....What about all those fatass#s out there who are likely to have a massive heart attack and die mid-flight?

No flame, serious question: When did you become such a dork?

I don't smoke (except the occasional cigar) but when did pilots become such prudish weenies?

 

[Scrapdog]

What about heavy drinkers? Would you put yourself on an airplane being piloted by someone who has a complete disregard for his/her own liver? I would imagine 30% of the cockpits flying around this country contain a heavy drinker or two. "He's not even taking care of his own life.." Are you serious?....What about all those fatass#s out there who are likely to have a massive heart attack and die mid-flight?

No flame, serious question: When did you become such a dork?

I don't smoke (except the occasional cigar) but when did pilots become such prudish weenies?

Green - those are some valid points...but I will throw this out. Does a heavy drinker smell like sh!t with bad breath? No, not usually unless he drank so much he barfed all over himself and you happened to be standing next to him at that instant (and I'd imagine 99.9% of the time that won't be occuring when the dude is strapping into the cockpit, at least for god's sakes I hope that). Does a fatty smell like sh!t with bad breath? Sometimes...maybe if he/she overate and didn't clean themselves up after a meal. Does a smoker smell like sh!t and has bad breath? You betcha - it's absolutely disgusting and it lingers for hours. And that stench happens all the time if you're in an enclosed space (like a cockpit/flightdeck) for hours sitting next to that individual.

Just food for thought...

I've got a great idea for the world (maybe I should be selling this in a book for 19.99 and making millions). Don't smoke! Save your money, clean yourself up, work out - and attract the opposite sex. It's amazing how unattractive a hot chick can be when she looks like Elisha Cuthbert but smells like a chimney. And it's amazing how attractive a relatively cute chick can be when she smells good.

 

[Green]

I agree with you there. nasty habit. I was just laughing at that guys post that a pilot who smokes is probably a dangerous pilot because he/she is "not even taking care of his own life...." That has to be one of the most idiotic statements I've heard on here. But yes it is a nasty habit and smells aweful. I just call bs when I see it.

 

[av8tor4239]

This thread was not intended to bash smoker, chewers, dippers, snuffers, or tobacco farmers.. this thread was to make the point of, WHY DOES A COMPANY THAT STARTS YOU AT $35/HOUR AND A 10+ YEAR UPGRADE HAVE THE NUTS TO TELL YOU IF YOU CAN USE TOBACCO? WHY NOT REQUIRE NON DRINKING, WHITE, MALE, CHRISTIAN, BLOND HAIR, BLUE EYES, 6 FOOT TALL, UNDER THE AGE OF 30, GERMAN DECENT, FLUENT IN SPANISH?

 

[Fins Up]

How about:
No smoking - you obviously don't care about your health.
No drinking - you could still have some in your system at some point in time.
No dipping - well those spit cups are pretty disgusting.
No playing sports - you could get injured and cost the company money
No gambling - even in Las Vegas - your losses could affect your decision making on the trip home.
No watching sports - If I have to fly after the Steelers tank a game I might be too distraught to focus on my duties.
No caffeine - you're messing with you bodies natural rest cycles.
No reading Flightinfo - you might hear something about your company you don't like.
No.....what else? I'm sure I'm missing something.

 

[trip]

to quote talk show host W.Williams "Why put perfectly pink lungs in the ground?"

 

[ferlo]

Smokers smell bad. On that principle alone, I'm glad they don't hire them.

 

[Ty Webb]

Know what stinks to me?

Pilots that are always in fear of losing their jobs . . . . now, those guys have a stench I can't tolerate.


.

 

[ferlo]

Know what stinks to me?

Pilots that are always in fear of losing their jobs . . . . now, those guys have a stench I can't tolerate.


.

Uh...Okay?

 

[av8instyle]

.. this thread was to make the point of, WHY DOES A COMPANY THAT STARTS YOU AT $35/HOUR AND A 10+ YEAR UPGRADE HAVE THE NUTS TO TELL YOU IF YOU CAN USE TOBACCO?

Simple...because they can. And they still have no problem filling the jobs, hence the increase in mins which I personally disagree with...but that's another flame discussion obviously.

 

[Oh-ryan]

How about:
No smoking - you obviously don't care about your health.
No drinking - you could still have some in your system at some point in time.
No dipping - well those spit cups are pretty disgusting.
No playing sports - you could get injured and cost the company money
No gambling - even in Las Vegas - your losses could affect your decision making on the trip home.
No watching sports - If I have to fly after the Steelers tank a game I might be too distraught to focus on my duties.
No caffeine - you're messing with you bodies natural rest cycles.
No reading Flightinfo - you might hear something about your company you don't like.
No.....what else? I'm sure I'm missing something.

No porn - you could grow hair on your palms, or worse, go blind.

 

[Whine Lover]

Look at it this way:

MANY drugs are not banned or tested for.

Shrooms, Acid and Peyote are still acceptable and not tested for.

Also MDMA (X), Ketamine, ( Disassociative Anesthetic / Animal Tranqulizer), Phencyclidine (PCP) and a host of other mind bending substances are available for your use on a recreational or daily basis.

Apparently they just dont want you smoking stuff in this Society anymore.

So throw out those cigarettes and doobies, drop some tasty Blotter and ask yourself ( or your fellow Crewmember ) "Hey, why do the glideslope and localizer look like a pretzel when I put them together?

YKW

 

[Scrapdog]

No porn - you could grow hair on your palms, or worse, go blind.

And you could shoot your eye out!

 

[Scrapdog]

So throw out those cigarettes and doobies, drop some tasty Blotter and ask yourself ( or your fellow Crewmember ) "Hey, why do the glideslope and localizer look like a pretzel when I put them together?

YKW

I can take flying an ILS myself and have the dude sitting next to me smell somewhat civilized as opposed to a guy sitting next to me in close quarters for 2 + hours that smells like burned michelins and has yellow stained teeth and fingernails.

 

[crashpad]

Pilots who get tunnel visioned with these issues are the same ones who become easily disatracted from the big picture and create their own set of bigger problems in the workplace.

 

[Scrapdog]

Pilots who get tunnel visioned with these issues are the same ones who become easily disatracted from the big picture and create their own set of bigger problems in the workplace.

Crashpad - I'm just curious...how am I getting distracted by the big pix for flying an airliner if I happen to prefer a guy that smells like deoderant as oppossed to smoke? And how does that cause bigger problems for me in the workplace?

 

[crashpad]

I said; "pilots who get tunnel visioned". I didn't say 'not liking it' makes you unsafe. I don't like it either, but don't give it more than a nano-second of consideration.

 

[maru657]

Well, education + intelligence + experience is better than just luck and experience.

Also, variety of experience is huge as well. What's that old saying, 5000 hours is quite different than 1 hour 5000 times.

Well, Nothing wrong with education. But, there is a problem with an education which has nothing to do with what is basically a blue coller job being considered more important than actual experience. You can study the theory of flight for years or stick your hand out of the car window and figure it out in seconds.

 

[Fly2Scuba]

Well, Nothing wrong with education. But, there is a problem with an education which has nothing to do with what is basically a blue coller job being considered more important than actual experience. You can study the theory of flight for years or stick your hand out of the car window and figure it out in seconds.

Your wrong about this profession being a blue collar job. You are paid to make critical decisions which I don't think a blue collar job entails. You can't possibly train all the different scenarios that may come up in the course of day to day flying and that is why critical thinking skills are so important.

 

[Chalk 50]

Enjoyed reading this thread! Hope everyone has a great year and I'll see you on the transcon. Right after my smoke!

Fly Safe!

 

[fly-n-fish]

Don't agree with the mins? ... don't apply, stay where you are or go somewhere else. Simple. This is not a big issue, certainly not worth the number of posts on the issue thus far.

 

[igneousy2]

Heh-heh . . .

Well, I don't smoke, but the point is, how much intrusion into your personal life are you willing to put up with. If I wanted to be under scrutiny 24/7 I would have stayed corporate.

PS., According to AirTran CEO Joe Leonard, they actually did approach AK last year about some sort of merger, but were rebuffed.

Alaska's no smokers policy is one of the reasons they are on the top of my list. Smoking is a disgusting habbit that effects everyone around you. I can't stand it when the Captain gets into the cockpit and he wreaks of smoke. I can't stand having to sit in the smoking section of a restaraunt because I'm outnumbered on an overnight by smokers at dinner time. I hate to be a slam-clicker on an overnight.

Maybe I am a "pansy ass" and maybe it doesn't make you a less-safe pilot, maybe Alaska is missing out on some good pilots, but I don't care. If you don't want your right to smoke violated by the company you work for then don't apply.There are enough non-smoking good pilots that want to work for Alaska for it to all work out.

breathe-easy

 

[Ty Webb]

Alaska's no smokers policy is one of the reasons they are on the top of my list. Smoking is a disgusting habbit that effects everyone around you. I can't stand it when the Captain gets into the cockpit and he wreaks of smoke. I can't stand having to sit in the smoking section of a restaraunt because I'm outnumbered on an overnight by smokers at dinner time. I hate to be a slam-clicker on an overnight.

Not hard to see why the SWA thing didn't work out for you.

Crashpad is right on . . . anyone that cares that much about the subject probably has other issues as well.

 

[Oh-ryan]

Your wrong about this profession being a blue collar job. You are paid to make critical decisions which I don't think a blue collar job entails. You can't possibly train all the different scenarios that may come up in the course of day to day flying and that is why critical thinking skills are so important.

Disagree.
There was a "Blue Collar vs White Collar" thread a few months ago that made valid arguments on both sides of the issue, but I'd say that there is no doubt that police officers, firefighters and most of the military is/are considered blue collar professions. Folks working these jobs are paid to make critical life or death decisions on the job even though they are blue collar. They too can't possibly train to all the different scenerios that may come up in the course of day.