Continental loses captain over colleague's alcohol allegation

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Those are issues for his friends, family, priest, etc. to resolve with him not his co-workers.

Then call his friends, family, preist, etc to help him resolve the issue. Or you could do it yourself and take some repsonsibility for your fellow pilots. Pretty disgusting when professional pilots won't help each other out.

I certainly disagree with the statement that every pilot who shows up hung over or drunk is an alcoholic or has a problem, some of them are just immature and you do a deservice to people who do struggle with alcoholism by putting them in the same category.

Perhaps an immature 25 year old still in frat boy mode doesn't know how to stop.... I consider that a problem.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

I agree that the pilot in question deserves to receive help and recovery but does he deserve to show up drunk, get caught, enter a treatment program and reenter the cockpit as if nothing has happened?

Don't dramatize it with "as if nothing happended"

It takes alot to get thru a program and get back on line. It is designed to be difficult. Lyle Prouse did it and he flew a B747 to his retriement.

The real sticky here is that by removing the problem and terminating the pilot is all but a non event in the whole grand scheme of this industry BUT if that same pilot went out the other day and crashed the plane killing hundreds and the toxicology determined that he was intoxicated WELL just think how much of an impact that would have on the livlihood of all involved..

It seems your lack of understanding and fear of the unknown is causing you to have trouble grasping how all this works. There are professionals that ensure the problem is corrected. You expect the pax to trust you as the pilot. Trust the rehab professionals..

While some on this board may somehow rationalize this, In my opinion the stakes are just too high and this industry is just too fragile to have drunkard pilots risking your and my family and career because they dont know how to exhibit self control.

This is not a business for everyone

Your comment about "they don't kn ow how to exhibit self control" shows a lack of understanding of how all this works...

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

Still no sympathy on my part. A pilot job demands perfection and respect to his fellow pilots and his passengers. If they have a drinking problem and can not think rationally they have no business stepping into the uniform. These career ending events always are not the first warning these individual have, yet they continue to ignore the obvious and refuse intervention.

You are grasping the concept of addiction.....

Just because they finally get caught and endanger peoples lives and put a black eye on the profession they need a second chance and a shoulder to cry on? Not a chance.

Not a shoulder to cry on but opportunity to make a wrong right. And they do pay, one way or another. It is not a free ride. It is either jail time or rehab. The road back to cockpit is incredibly difficult.

Now for the ones who admit a problem and seek help prior to getting busted and shaming the rest of us "perfect people"...? Yes, they do deserve help.

Agreed!

 

[siucavflight]

I dont understand this debate. Show up to work as a professional pilot drunk, lose your job, end of story. The guy knew he should have been sober, but he chose to go in drunk.

 

[JP4user]

You are grasping the concept of addiction.....

Not a shoulder to cry on but opportunity to make a wrong right. And they do pay, one way or another. It is not a free ride. It is either jail time or rehab. The road back to cockpit is incredibly difficult.

I don't care about the concept of addiction. There are to many professionals who take their career seriously enough to know where, when and how to draw the line. It is proven over and over that these types who show up drunk or under the influence it was not the first warning for them.

The road back to the cockpit should only be paved prior to an incident of getting caught on or reporting for duty.

There are thousands of pilots out there who understand the responsibility and demands made upon them. There are also thousands more who want a chance to demonstrate that professionalism and to choose a career as an airline pilot.

I have zero tolerance for anyone who marks our profession as pilots. Especially using alcohol while on duty.

 

[AC560]

The focus of helping anyone with an addiction should be the addiction not saving their job.

While being reported will probably cause a career change for the person involved it will probably in the long term save their life. The people who are posting otherwise seem to be more wrapped in the enigma of pilot fraternity then the actual combatment of addiction.

 

[nosehair]

The people who are posting otherwise seem to be more wrapped in the enigma of pilot fraternity then the actual combatment of addiction.

They're called "enablers" within the addiction community. Most don't know they're doing it because they truly don't understand addiction.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

They're called "enablers" within the addiction community. Most don't know they're doing it because they truly don't understand addiction.

NH-

that is correct. And what do we do when we don't understand it? We fear, hate and reject.

The focus of helping anyone with an addiction should be the addiction not saving their job.

While being reported will probably cause a career change for the person involved it will probably in the long term save their life. The people who are posting otherwise seem to be more wrapped in the enigma of pilot fraternity then the actual combatment of addiction.

What all the hard core perfectionist don't want to address is there's a system already out there that is set up to handle people that have addictions.

So while you argue how you think it should be the rest of us are trying to explain to you how it is.....

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

I don't care about the concept of addiction. There are to many professionals who take their career seriously enough to know where, when and how to draw the line. It is proven over and over that these types who show up drunk or under the influence it was not the first warning for them.

That is your problem. You don't care. And you don't care to understand. Why is that?

The road back to the cockpit should only be paved prior to an incident of getting caught on or reporting for duty.

Here is the fine line. If you get the guy to call in sick and report him, not to the CP, but to HIMS. It gives the guy an opportunity to solve his problem/addiction and save his job. This method doesn't allow the offender to slip thru the cracks. In addition it allows you to maintain the highest level of professionalism. We get to help our fellow pilots.

There are thousands of pilots out there who understand the responsibility and demands made upon them. There are also thousands more who want a chance to demonstrate that professionalism and to choose a career as an airline pilot.

Nice... but seriously. With 100K pilots out there there will be pilots who won't be able fit in. Even the Nazi SS took criticism when they started recruiting non Ayrans.

I have zero tolerance for anyone who marks our profession as pilots. Especially using alcohol while on duty.

And yet we still have tolerance for you. You continue to insist on perfection, which makes you imperfect, and we still consider you a fellow pilot.

Rezfully yours..... :beer:

 

[AC560]

What all the hard core perfectionist don't want to address is there's a system already out there that is set up to handle people that have addictions.

So while you argue how you think it should be the rest of us are trying to explain to you how it is.....

No argument from me, clearly the system worked perfectly in this case.