Hangover symptoms can last for as much as 48 hours, and the FAA is looking to regulate any situation in which a pilot's mental or visual acuity is compromised. Being hungover definitely qualifies as one of those situations.
A more conservative approach is to wait 24 hours from the last use of alcohol before flying. This is especially true if intoxication occurred or if you plan to fly IFR. Cold showers, drinking black coffee, or breathing 100% oxygen cannot speed up the elimination of alcohol from the body.
Federal Aviation Administration regulations say a pilot cannot have a blood or breath alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater, which is half the legal limit for driving in the United States. Pilots are not allowed to drink any alcohol within eight hours of operating an airplane—“bottle to throttle,” as the FAA says.
The FAA alcohol rule states that a pilot and any crew member may not consume alcohol within 8 hours of flying and may never have a BAC exceeding . 04 percent when reporting for duty and while operating a plane. It places no limitations on alcohol consumption other than that.
"FAA regulations also prohibit pilots from flying or attempting to fly an aircraft within eight hours of consuming alcohol or if they have an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater," the FAA statement read. "The agency takes these matters seriously."
Yes, pilots are allowed to smoke cigarettes because they are a legal substance, just like pilots are allowed to have a beer when they're not on duty. However, some airlines will not hire pilots who disclose that they are smokers.
While coffee may or may not be allowed in the cockpit depending on the airline and type of aircraft, it's always a welcome companion on the ground. Pilots also enjoy socializing over a cup of coffee with other like-minded aviation enthusiasts to unwind.
While cigarette smoking is not prohibited by the FAA, it has several hazardous side effects and many health conditions caused by smoking are medically disqualifying. A smoker typically carries a carbon monoxide blood level of about five percent.
The FAA says a pilot will be removed from a plane if their breath alcohol concentration level is 0.04 or greater. Pilots also must not drink within 8 hours before flying, the so-called “bottle to throttle” time period. Some airlines have stricter requirements.
Personal responsibility and random testing
“The FAA says we shall not touch alcohol within 8 hours of flying,” he said. In addition to random testing, the system really relies on pilots taking personal responsibility, said Mark, who is also a senior editor at Flying magazine and publisher of Jetwhine.com.
These medical conditions include a personality disorder manifested by overt acts, a psychosis, alcoholism, drug dependence, epilepsy, an unexplained disturbance of consciousness, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, and diabetes requiring medication for its control.
Generally, airlines do not permit pilots or crew to have any tattoos that are visible while they are wearing their uniforms.
In any case, the position is a rare privilege in the US, with commercial pilots accounting for just 0.05% of the population. With this in mind, how exactly can you join this rare club?
For most pilots, the rule is 12 hours "bottle to throttle" and BAC < 0.02. This means a pilot, once off-duty and out of uniform, can enjoy a drink as long as the overnight is longer than 12 hours.
The FAA encourages pilots to seek help if they have a mental health condition since most, if treated, do not disqualify a pilot from flying.
Pilots who plan to take a nap must inform both the co-pilot and lead flight attendant of their desire to sleep. They are only allowed to sleep for a certain time window, and the co-pilot must stay awake during this timeframe.
While hearing symptoms generally do not impact a pilot's ability to fly, vertigo can. As Meniere's can be mild, with an impact similar to having the flu from time to time, it can also be severe and disabling due to recurrent vertigo. Guyot (1996) discussed a case involving a pilot with Meniere's disease.
The employer is required to immediately remove the pilot from safety sensitive duties, provide a list of Substance Abuse Professionals (SAP), and report the failed test to the FAA within 2 working days. Unfortunately, the employer can also terminate the pilot's job at this time.
There are several reasons why airline pilots may be fired, but some of the most common include: Violations of safety.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the median U.S. pilot salary at $211,790 in 2022. This means 50% of pilots earn more than this, and 50% earn less. However, there are pilots working for major airlines making more than $700,000 per year.
Yes, some airline pilots do carry guns in the cockpit but carry a gun lawfully they must belong to a special program called the Federal Flight Deck Officers (FFDOs). This program requires special training and pilots who enroll have strict limitations on when they can use the firearm.
Former US Marine Corps F-18 fighter pilot Jeff Devlin explains that most pilots are able to delay a bathroom break until landing for missions between four to five hours, but any longer than that and bladder relief devices are used, saying: "We used what were called relief packs - the slang term was 'piddle pack'.
Pilots use the same bathroom as the passengers, much to the delight of the younger (and sometimes older) people on board! They also eat and drink during flights - usually being served beverages and their meals in the cockpit by the cabin crew.
Airline pilots take turns using the bathroom nearest the cockpit during a flight. There are no bathrooms installed in the cockpit. For airplanes with a single pilot, diapers, catheters, or collection devices are used if they are unable to land to use the airport bathroom.