United Airlines Pilot Arrested at Heathrow on Suspicion of Being Drunk

by Josh Lew on

A 44-year-old United Airlines pilot was arrested at London Heathrow this morning on suspicion of being drunk. The man’s name has not yet been released. He was arrested under Britain’s transportation safety laws, which include a strict limit on the alcohol levels of pilots.

United made a statement about the arrest:

“United Airlines’ alcohol policy is among the strictest in the industry and we have absolutely no tolerance for abuse or violation of this well-established policy. Safety is our No. 1 priority and the pilot has been removed from service while we are co-operating with authorities and conducting a full investigation.”

The man was scheduled to act as first officer on a United flight from Heathrow to San Francisco. He was arrested as the plane sat at the gate in Terminal One. He was bailed out of Heathrow’s police station soon after his arrest but will have to return on January 16th of next year to face an inquiry.

Pilots arrested for public intoxication and “mooning”

by Abha Malpani on

Two Trans States Airline pilots recently got arrested for being drunk and indecent in public. Trans States Airlines is regional feeder airline for United Airlines, US Airways, and American Airlines.

The “mooner” Jeffrey Leon Saltis, and his co-pilot Michael Cody Etzel, were arrested after being belligerent in a Mexican restaurant in Alcoa, where they were refused more alcohol. Both were detained and the airline for which they were to fly was informed; the airline is investigating what happened. There are no further updates yet.

There are two counts on which this story is just pathetic:
1) The two pilots arrested for public intoxication had flights the next morning. I’m assuming that there is some form of breath test for pilots before they fly? The rule is that they cannot consume alcohol 8 hours before flying, but how can that be checked? And, if you had a lot to drink, 8 hours later you’d still be hungover — that’s no better than being drunk. A scary thought, eh?

2) The pilot who pulled his pants down and “mooned” motorists on the highway is 43 years old! I really want to believe that men reach a wonderful level of maturity post 40 (if not post 35), but that notion keeps getting axed.

Oh well. I suppose I could live if the airlines just sorted out the way they dealt with the imbeciles they have in important positions.

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Fed up with your airline? Rent a billboard!

by Scott Carmichael on

Back in April, Jeffrey wrote about a new initiative by some American Airlines pilots to try and get public attention to the large number of delays and cancellations the airline was experiencing. At that time, they invited people to their web site, where they could “tell their AA story”.

They have now taken things one step further, with their own billboard. The billboard is about 2 miles away from Chicago O’Hare and next to one of the busiest highways leading to the airport. The Allied Pilots Association is behind the billboard, and they want to make it clear that they don’t think you are AA’s top priority. It’s a pretty eye-catching way of delivering your message, and if I had the money, I’d love to rent one every time an airline messed up my trip.

Plane Answers: Medical issues for pilots and the FAA

by Kent Wien on

Welcome to Gadling’s feature, Plane Answers, where our resident airline pilot, Kent Wien, answers your questions about everything from takeoff to touchdown and beyond. Have a question of your own? Ask away!

Tom asks an interesting question:

Hi Kent,

I am a big fan of your website and your weekly additions here. Great stuff. But my true question comes down to this. I had a seizure two weeks ago and they did all the testing and EEG and MRI and CT scans and blood work and all came back negative. They are thinking that it was once in a lifetime type of thing. So I started wondering will I be able to still receive my First class medical if I have no seizures and I am on no medications and the doctors told me I am fine?

Hi Tom,

I checked with my AME (Aviation Medical Examiner) and he pointed me to this document from the FAA. It seems the FAA will look at your specific case and after you submit all pertinent medical records and a current status report, they’ll render a decision.

Good luck! I’d love to hear what you find out.

Steve asks:

I’ve been told that I’m red/green colorblind. Will this disqualify me for an FAA medical? Would I even be able to fly private aircraft just for fun?

Hi Steve,

In the U.S., apparently 8% of males have some sort of color deficiency. That percentage drops to just .04% of females.

Most have Deuteranomaly, which occurs in 5% of males. It’s more commonly known as the red/green color confusion.

Only .0005% of the population is totally color blind.

Most people won’t even realize they’re color blind until they try to get an FAA medical. If they can’t read the numbers in the color blind test, they’re given a restriction on their medical that says, NOT VALID FOR NIGHT FLYING OR BY COLOR SIGNAL CONTROL.

Take a look at this picture. What number do you see?

With normal color vision, you’ll see a five and If you’re red/green color blind, you’ll see a two. Of course, different monitors may affect the test, so you’ll want to be tested by an eye doctor to be sure.

If a pilot applicant is color deficient, they can apply for a waiver by demonstrating to an FAA representative that they are able to see the lights associated with a Farnsworth lantern test or, alternatively a light ‘gun’ test that’s beamed from the tower to aircraft that have lost radio communication, an extremely rare situation to be in as a pilot, but it’s an effective test apparently.

If the prospective pilot wants to get a first class medical, which is needed to fly for an airline, they would also have to fly with an FAA inspector to come in contact with the lights most commonly encountered inflight. If they can demonstrate proficiency during this flight test, they will then be issued a waiver.

I have met a number of pilots at various major airlines who’ve successfully gone through this process.

So for most U.S. pilots, the color vision issue is not disqualifying. You might want to try to get the waiver early on in your flight training, to be sure you’re able to continue commercially. Of course, this is all based on the current FAA U.S. rules which are rumored to be changing soon. I don’t know what the requirements are in Europe or Asia. Good luck!

Luke asks:

Do pilots need to have perfect vision to fly at the airlines?

Their vision needs to be correctable to 20/20 or better to be eligible for a first class medical. Most airlines have long since dropped the requirement for uncorrected 20/20 vision, but the military still requires it at the time you begin your flight training. After getting through your flight training, you’re allowed to wear glasses, from what I understand.

Do you have a question about something related to the pointy end of an airplane? Ask Kent and he’ll try to use it for next Friday’s Plane Answers feature.

Plane Answers: When are pilots afraid of turbulence?

by Kent Wien on

Welcome to Plane Answers where our resident airline pilot, Kent Wien, answers your questions about everything from takeoff to touchdown and beyond. Have a question of your own? Ask away!

Kyle writes:

First of all, thanks for taking the time to respond to people’s questions. There’s something I’ve always wanted to know. Do pilots ever get scared of turbulence? If so, what makes them bad enough to actually be scary. Is there a way a passenger can know when to be concerned and when it’s just normal bumps and shakes?

Thanks, Kyle.

Turbulence is more annoying than frightening, usually. But I think it’s more upsetting for passengers than some pilots realize.

I learned a good lesson when flying as a passenger some years ago. I was sitting next to a really nice lady who had previously worked as an agent for another airline. She had obviously flown a great deal, but she startled me when she grabbed my arm as soon as the airplane hit the slightest bit of light chop (pilot-speak for small rhythmic bumps). She said to me, “If the pilots would just ACKNOWLEDGE this turbulence–if they would just say something, I’d feel so much better.”

That moment stuck with me. As a co-pilot, it’s not really my place to make reassuring PAs–that’s up to the captain–but I will do my best when I move to the left seat.

Turbulence becomes worrisome to a pilot when it could cause harm to our flight attendants or passengers who aren’t buckled in. That’s our biggest concern. I’m very confident that the airplane will hold up to the roughest of air, but we just don’t want anyone to get hurt. Take a look at this Boeing video showing the maximum inflight load the 777 will take before failing. The wing finally failed at 154% of the maximum rated load. The video that follows after the jump has to give you confidence in today’s airliners.

Often though, pilots might not realize just how bad it is for the flight attendants in the back. When flying on the longer airliners, the ride in the cockpit can feel like light chop, while conditions in the aft galley make it impossible to stand up. The next time you fly, see if you can tell the difference with the flight attendants working in first class versus those in the back during a bumpy period.

Moderate turbulence is strong enough to move things around in the cabin. As a test, you can set a cup or glass on your table. If it gets knocked off–and not just small sliding movements that take it over the edge–then you are likely experiencing moderate turbulence. You’d feel a definite strain against your seat belt. If we encounter this kind of ride, be assured that we’re talking to air traffic control or other airplanes to try and find a smoother altitude. This would be a good time to mention how important it is to wear your seatbelt when seated.

Pilots don’t like these bumps any more than passengers do, but they’re generally not something that cause us to be frightened. That said, we always have a healthy appreciation for the turbulence that thunderstorms are capable of, so we strive to avoid them by at least 20 miles. Fortunately, these cumulonimbus clouds are relatively easy to spot on our weather radar. But don’t be too concerned about flying into the puffy cumulous clouds that have little vertical development. These clouds don’t show up on our radar and pose little problems other than light chop or turbulence.

We also rely on pilot reports from other aircraft in the area to keep us away from any clear air turbulence. Over the North Atlantic, we monitor a pilot-to-pilot frequency that allows us to give some warning to flights behind us when we enter areas of unforecasted turbulence. When flying in the domestic U.S. we rely on Air Traffic Control to let us know where the smoothest rides may be.

Have you ever been curious about what goes on at the pointy end of an airplane? Ask Kent and maybe he’ll use your question for next Friday’s Plane Answers feature.