FAA To Require Drunk Passenger Prevention Policies

midwestpa24 said:
I've wondered that myself, why do alcohol and flying (as a passenger) go hand in hand? I would bet the majority of passenger incidents on commercial flights involve alcohol to some degree.

I'm not much of a drinker these days anyway, but I've never understood the number of people that have to drink with a meal, have to drink on a plane, etc. Even going out to eat on Saturday I'm surprised at the number of diners have a beer or cocktail. I am usually too busy on a Saturday to spend my time drinking, and I'm pretty much useless if I have been.
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in the grand scheme of things, it hasn’t been all that long ago that alcoholism wasn’t frowned upon…two martini work lunches, Otis locking himself into the jail cell as comedy, even pilots having a drink in the airport lounge before a flight. I used to know a retired United pilot who said that his airline was the first to be “sissified” by not allowing pilots to drink prior to flight before the FAA made it a reg.

And of course it’s still a rite of passage in college that you spend all weekend every weekend drunk, and there’s a lot of inertia to overcome after that.

One charter operator I worked for would have happy hour in the hangar a couple of days a week, another operator had pilots who would mix a couple of drinks in the airplane before they left the hangar. One guy was so intoxicated that he went into the ditch driving home, and when he saw a cop pulling up, he hid in the trunk. And if you happened to be in the vicinity of these alcoholic activities, your participation was strongly encouraged.

It’s been a problem, it’s still a problem, and as you noted, most of the airline events that make the news seem to involve intoxicated passengers.
 
Albany Tom said:
I kinda wonder what the percentage of people are that are just drunk for every waking moment. They shouldn't be driving or flying the plane, but if they're a sleepy or otherwise peaceful drunk, why not let them be cargo?

If there are enough of them, maybe an airline could make special flights just for them. Plastic seats and rubber mats on the floor, just hose the thing out when it gets in. And if that sounds silly - and it is - I believe there used to be companies doing that for bus trips to Giants games from here. Maybe not in so many words, but that was the plan.
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Unpopular opinion: There are WAY more people around us under the influence of "Do not operate heavy machinery" drugs than alcohol. My best guess is that over 70% of the population you encounter on the road are on some prescription or recreational drug that impairs function. Then compound that with the distraction of electronics. Everyone is impaired. Alcoholics are the least of my worries.
 
I am an equal opportunity worrier. It really doesn't matter to me if someone I love is taken out by a drunk or a prescription drug user or an opiod addict. The person I love is still gone and it really wouldn't make me feel any better to say, "Well, at least the guy was just drunk!"
 
SkyChaser said:
I am an equal opportunity worrier. It really doesn't matter to me if someone I love is taken out by a drunk or a prescription drug user or an opiod addict. The person I love is still gone and it really wouldn't make me feel any better to say, "Well, at least the guy was just drunk!"
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I think you have kinder heart than me. In my head, if it was someone who was drunk, I'd have trouble getting past the concept that in addition to being senseless it was preventable. And I say that knowing that it's not possible to get rid of all of them.

As I understand it from something I heard a long time ago there's a German word geisterfahrer, or "ghost driver" used to describe someone driving the wrong way on the autobahn. With the meaning along the lines of them being already dead, they just don't know it yet. When someone's had multiple DUIs, I kind of view them like that. A person that is eventually going to kill someone, it just hasn't happened yet.

And I know that regulations and rules and laws and such won't get rid of all of them, and I'll be one of the first to argue to protect the rights of those who haven't done anything wrong. But that geisterfahrer concept still bugs me. It's a little bit similar to me when someone who doesn't have the skills or training to complete a particular flight, and knows it, ends up crashing and taking out their family.

Anyway, back to happy thoughts, I still like the idea of a party bus plane, where just the pilots are sober.
 
Uh… that would be ANYWHERE LAS direct.

Quiet flight is LAS direct back home…
 
SkyChaser said:
I am an equal opportunity worrier. It really doesn't matter to me if someone I love is taken out by a drunk or a prescription drug user or an opiod addict. The person I love is still gone and it really wouldn't make me feel any better to say, "Well, at least the guy was just drunk!"
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Yep. Totally understand where you're coming from. The issue I have with the whole thing is that in one case it's instant jail (rightfully so, of course) and the other is virtually condoned by all involved.
 
Interesting I was in a management training this morning for drug and alcohol use. 2025 marked a 90 year low in the number of Americans that admit to consuming alcohol, 54%. However it was noted recreational drug use including marijuana and opioids are up.
 
Right out of college in the 80s I was on a plane 40+ weeks a year. PSA in San Diego would even hold a 727 for me a few times going to SJC in the am. I had Premier platinum plus at United for years. It was common for me to have free drinks in United lounge, and I'd often order drinks with my brunch/lunch/dinner at the airport as I was on expenses. I know I've gotten on planes mildly drunk before, and gotten even drunker while enroute. There might have been times I should have been refused boarding but got away with it, as I'm not a wild drunk. Mostly just - wistful, and sleepy. More than once an FA has said 'you've had enough, sir'. I mostly learned to not rush the guy in front, and keep my head down, and shuffle. More than once had a seat mate give an eyeroll with my vapor output. Part of the j-o-b.

Sorry (not really)

Haven't been comm for a number of years, but I'm thinking drinking is less of a problem it was 30 years back. Just stricter enforcement. I'd prob have to reduce my intake before boarding these days.
 
The only time I ever got well and truly plastered on a plane was the flight back from a year in Korea, 1983. Polished off a BIG bottle of soju between there and LAX. They poured me off that plane. Good thing it was an all-GI flight, I guess.
 
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