Help. Is it worth it to begin to pursue a career in aviation?

C

Christian732

Guest
I am planning on beginning flight school here in a couple months and am very excited. I just scheduled appointments to complete my first class medical with an AME and got a little discouraged when registering with the FAA and getting to their arrest questions. Here's the quick rundown of my mistake in college (about 5 years ago):

When I was 20 years old (6 months from being 21) I was arrested with DWAI. My BAC was 0.025, but the problem was that I was still underage. The DWAI got dismissed (no conviction) and I plead guilty for careless driving-no injury. I attended a victim impact panel and a level 1 alcohol class as part of my plea agreement.

How detrimental will this be to my future career as a pilot? In the explanation box I plan on stating that I was arrested for DWAI but was never convicted and charges were dismissed, but I am not sure if I should disclose my BAC or my age at the time.

This one event changed my life entirely and nothing has been quite the same since, I have become extremely cautious regarding personal choices. Thank you.
 
A few bits of advice gleaned from frequenting this forum..

1. Don't lie, or conveniently "forget."
2. Gather as much paperwork and documentation as you can concerning the arrest, the BAC test, the plea bargain, the victim impact panel and the alcohol class.
3. Consider going in for a consult with an AME before you submit your FAA medical paperwork. Not a full-blown physical for a medical certificate. Just a consultation. Explain the situation. Ask the doc what they think, whether you can get a medical and, if so, what obstacles will be in your way.
4. Consider retaining Dr. Bruce Chien or Dr. Lou Fowler, both of whom frequent this forum and will likely chime in here at some point. They are experts at guiding people through the FAA process when there are "issues" in their past. If you retain one of them, follow their advice to the letter. They know what they're doing.

Please report back here as you progress through the process. Good luck!
 
Is it worth it to begin to pursue a career in aviation? That is a question for you to answer. Do you have a burning desire to do so. If yes, you can prevail.
 
lbfjrmd said:
Is it worth it to begin to pursue a career in aviation? That is a question for you to answer. Do you have a burning desire to do so. If yes, you can prevail.
Click to expand...

This is from Dr. Lou Fowler...one of our resident experts. His email is in his signature line. You should strongly consider retaining him or Dr. Bruce to help you.
 
Is it worth it? Probably not. Plenty of careers that pay as well and don't require the up front investment.
 
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