skyrider1

Hello! Long time lurker here and first time poster looking for some advice regarding flying professionally and some mistakes i made while younger.
Basically here is the situation: I am 25 years old with a private pilot certificate and a 1st class medical. Currently working as a roofer and making OK money. I am also about half way done with my instrument rating. However, i have had some issues in my past that i really need some advice on.

I have multiple speeding tickets from when i was a teeneager, a misdemeanor for driving on a suspended drivers license, an open container ticket, and when i was 20 was charged with poessesion of a controlled substance (adderall).

I fought really hard to beat the rap, got a lawyer and end result is no convictions, just the speeding tickets .ive been a perfect citizen since, and try to put this all behind me but it is hard.

Now before you all crucify me, let me say this...I accept completely the decisions I made and, yes Ive searched similar threads and already have a general idea of my situation and what that means for an aviation career. However every situation is different and If i can get any advice here its worth it.

For what its worth, i joined AOPA, got advised by an Aviation Attorney and have had no issues with my medical. I am healthy physically and mentally and have no dependence issues or anything like that. Ive thought this over and over and taken a step back and still think aviation is for me . I feel great flying, got my license at low hours, etc and feel confident inside the airplane. I just dont know if these things will come back to haunt me.

So what do you guys think? I know a major might not be in my cards and i accept that. What about the FAA, could they one day ground me for this stuff? Could I have any chance at a regional one day?

Thanks so much and fly safe out there...

JohnBurke

If you've already consulted with an attorney, there's nothing further to add from a legal standpoint.

It sounds like you've had a lot of incidents. At this stage, what you absolutely need is a spotless record and proof that your past is indeed behind you; prove it by not getting another infraction for anything. Don't even clip your toe nails in public (don't do that anyway).

The best way to address these things is to get a solid work history between you and those events; show that employers have been vetting you, testing you, and using you until you have the qualifications to seek the jobs you want down the line. At that point, your early history won't be nearly the issue that it is presently.

At the moment, you're not qualified to apply to a major airline, so the issue is irrelevant as to how your past affects you. Bear in mind that major airlines have plenty of competition and no shortage of applicants. It's not just what the airlines want to see; it's what you're up against competitively. There are published hiring minimums, there are preferred minimums, and then there is what you need to compete with every other applicant on a given day. If other applicants are sporting masters degrees and plenty of turbojet command experience and a spotless record, that's the standard you'll face that day.

A lot of people have had less than stellar histories behind them; what they've learned from that experience and what they've proven themselves to be in the time since is an important factor in determining their future.

rickair7777

The good news...

1) You were very young.

2) Airlines are mostly not asking about arrests any more, labor laws seem to have limited them to asking only about convictions. So it sounds like all you have are some speeding tickets.

The FAA does ask about certain arrests and license suspensions on the medical form, but since you have a 1C I assume you're all good with the FAA, and answered their questions honestly.

You should be fine unless google would turn up media coverage of your incidents (sounds very unlikely). Don't get any more speeding tickets until you reach your career-destination major airline.

Kstoves

I've heard stories of people getting by with worse

Excargodog

Youth (and being a second lieutenant) will let you get away with a lot. Most of us were young and dumb at one time. As long as you can convince the world that period of your life has been put behind you, it isn't actually an anchor that can't be moved. But one episode that convinces people you haven't learned from those lessons very possibly would be.

kevbo

Making the jump from blue collar worker to major airline pilot is like walking across a desert with no water. Fortunately, you can stop at any time and go back without penalty. Good luck.

skyrider1

Thank you all for the replies! I really appreciate it and feel way better about my situation. I will defenitley have to keep my nose clean and have been working on other areas of my life like good credit and a good employment history etc.
One other thing i wanted to ask is about employment history. Is it bad to have multiple jobs in a short time frame? This last year Ive had like 5 jobs until I found my current one (they were all jobs i found on Craigslist).
I kept finding better opportunities and wanted to make more money. Im sure airlines want reliable applicants, and ive always left on good terms and worked hard etc but i could see that maybe looking strange.

Thank you all so much again!

rickair7777

Assuming these were fairly menial jobs (ie waiter, retail, etc), it should not be a big deal as long as you have good reasons why you kept changing. Otherwise they might suspect personality conflicts. You would not want to be changing higher-end jobs that quickly, because there's usually some training overhead with professional jobs. Try to establish oapattern of stability in aviation, ie once employed as a CFI don't switch flight schools unless you have a good reason, and try to pick the right regional for you and stick with it.

skyrider1

Yea they were all quick jobs i found online and nothing high end. Plus always left on good terms. I did feel weird about switching but i just wasnt making enough to survive.
Wow i feel a lot better about my situation guys. Thank you all so much for your valuable advice. Its a life saver to be able to come onto these forums and get this type of info. Now i just have to save and pay for it all haha.
Thank you all again and fly safe...

guppy69

Along this same vein, does anyone know of airline hiring black lists? I've heard of their existence but was wondering how to find out for sure if someone was on one and how to get their name removed from it?