Expert: David A. NewMyer - 1/29/2006

Question
I am currently getting my PPL.  My question is this I had a drunk driving incident about 7 years ago when I was 21.  I called the FAA and they said with the length of time between conviction and present there should be no problem in getting my commercial liscence also.  But with this on my record should I even waste time and money on getting a commercial liscence.  I would love to fly for a living but with there being alot of competition out there I think I would not have a chance with this on my record.  Let me know your thoughts on this.

Answer
Hi, Shane:

Thanks for your question, I will try to assist.

First of all, keep in mind that you must be very careful when completing any application for an FAA Medical Certificate in responding to questions on this subject:  Always be truthful and do not forget the timelines on your conviction since, if it appears that you did so on any FAA application for a certificate, they can revoke that certificate once they learn of it.

Second, the airlines and other employers many times will put a time limit on their applications which state, in part, "In the last five [or ten or seven, or whatever] years, have you been convicted of....."  Check with specific employers by obtaining a copy of their employment application....check especially with those employers with whom you would very much like to work.  This way, you will know what you are getting into and what limits you may have.

This is not an easy situation, and, yes, the industry is competitive.  But, the longer time period that you can put between you and the incident without a repeat of it, the better.  The bottom line is:  If you excel in what you do, and if you show great judgment in the cockpit and in your personal life (and have done so for seven years....and, that will likely be nine or ten by the time you have all the training), then, I would be very hopeful about where you can go in the industry.

Keep in mind also that professional flying jobs number about 250,000 to 300,000 out of 2.1 million jobs in the aviation industry.  There is LOTS to do in the aviation industry beyond flying.  So, another thought for you is to go down the path to get the licenses and and flight qualifications but also get a back up degree such as a degree in Aviation Management or in business or in communications or in computers or in aviation technology, or in some area that gives you a parallel chance to do something in aviation that is non-flying in nature.  That way, no matter what, there will be an option for you in the aviation industry.

Check out these websites for more information:

www.aviationemployment.com

www.aviationinterviews.com

www.avcrew.com

Good luck to you and let me know if you have any follow up questions.

Sincerely,

David A. NewMyer, Ph.D., Professor and Chair
Aviation Management and Flight
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
http://www.aviation.siu.edu