American Eagle pilot removed in MSP
01-09-2013, 07:28 PM
#141
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2008
Position: B767
Posts: 1,901
This subject piqued my interest so I referenced Amazon.com "Flying Drunk" by Joe Balzer. In the reviews section, one of the "one stars" came from Lyle Prouse, the CA of the NWA flight they document. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess these two don't like each other.
01-09-2013, 07:31 PM
#142
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2008
Position: B767
Posts: 1,901
I need to read Joe's book. Lyle Prouse also wrote a book, titled "Final Approach". It's a great story about redemption. When you finish, you want to meet his wife and shake her hand. She sounds like an amazing woman. In this book, Lyle doesn't blame anyone but himself, ever. And I don't know how you can have it much more difficult with the legal system than he did. He did his time in a hard core federal pen.
01-11-2013, 03:53 AM
#143
On Reserve
Joined APC: Aug 2010
Posts: 23
I suppose that if one stays in the 121 business long enough, the problem of alcohol and/or alcoholism will be encountered in one of two ways. Either it will be your problem, as in you're the one consuming, or it's going to be someone else’s.
I went out on a medical over ten years ago (not due to alcohol) and I am a recovering alcoholic with a little over eight years and one month as I write this. If it’s someone else’s, the suggestion of asking them to call in sick worked for me and I had to tell the other guy(s) twice in my career to do so. Eventually, I was the other guy and to this day, I wonder why no one ever said anything to me because for some time before I went out, there were usually just several hours between bottle and throttle. I remember one morning in the crew room, and it was an O’ dark thirty report, someone said “I smell alcohol.” There were about fifteen or twenty of us milling around and I immediately jumped up and started walking around sniffing the air rather conspicuously and I said “I don’t smell anything” and left to go upstairs to the food court to gobble down whatever I could to “absorb” (another misnomer about alcohol) the alcohol. The guy that said he smelled alcohol ended up to be the guy I was flying the trip with. Nothing was ever said and that was amazing. <br><br>
I live 18 DME to the north of a major airport and about one hundred yards to the west of one of the localizers. Many times, when I’m sitting on the front porch in the early morning hours, and when traffic is landing to the south , and passing over at 1600’ AGL, I wonder if one or both of the front end crew is hung over. I’m sure that over the years, as I’ve watched that someone is.<br><br><br>
When I went out on a medical, I was still drinking and as more problems in my life developed, of course I saw those developments as simply one more excuse to drink. Excuses and reasons as I found out in recovery are two different things, but I'm not going to get into that here. I ended up with two DWI's within a year, and because of the second one, my vehicle was impounded and auctioned off and I lost my license for almost four years and I had to do the mandatory seven days in the local jail. There was an exercise area there that was about thirty by thirty feet and I was able to use that for one hour a day. On one of those days, the airplane that I used to fly was going over on the way in to land. I looked up and thought that used to be me sitting up there, in a clean uniform with my leg propped up sipping a fresh cup of coffee, as I carried my own blend and brewed it in the cockpit. And the view was unbeatable. Well, the view that day as I looked down was of my orange jumpsuit and as I raised my head I saw concrete block about ten feet in height on all four sides, and chain link fence wire across the top. I was in a cage. And I thought I'd really come a long way, and in a direction I would never, in a million years have believed I would have gone. But I did and I am the one who is responsible. Period.<br>
Depending on what you read, about ten to fifteen percent of the population has a problem with alcohol and I believe that to be about right. There is one doctor in my family and I know one who is a recovering alcoholic and in my talks with them, both have landed on a figure of about twelve percent. Nonetheless, I see the problem everywhere, especially when I go out early in the morning to run errands and such. Almost always, I see a clerk or customer who I know has had a bad night, or what appears to be a bad number of years drinking.<br><br><br>
If you think that this is a “Don’t let this happen to you” story, it is. Maybe this guy who was pulled off the fight simply screwed up and it was a one off event and I guess time will tell. I sure do miss all of the parts of flying that I miss and good luck to all.
I went out on a medical over ten years ago (not due to alcohol) and I am a recovering alcoholic with a little over eight years and one month as I write this. If it’s someone else’s, the suggestion of asking them to call in sick worked for me and I had to tell the other guy(s) twice in my career to do so. Eventually, I was the other guy and to this day, I wonder why no one ever said anything to me because for some time before I went out, there were usually just several hours between bottle and throttle. I remember one morning in the crew room, and it was an O’ dark thirty report, someone said “I smell alcohol.” There were about fifteen or twenty of us milling around and I immediately jumped up and started walking around sniffing the air rather conspicuously and I said “I don’t smell anything” and left to go upstairs to the food court to gobble down whatever I could to “absorb” (another misnomer about alcohol) the alcohol. The guy that said he smelled alcohol ended up to be the guy I was flying the trip with. Nothing was ever said and that was amazing. <br><br>
I live 18 DME to the north of a major airport and about one hundred yards to the west of one of the localizers. Many times, when I’m sitting on the front porch in the early morning hours, and when traffic is landing to the south , and passing over at 1600’ AGL, I wonder if one or both of the front end crew is hung over. I’m sure that over the years, as I’ve watched that someone is.<br><br><br>
When I went out on a medical, I was still drinking and as more problems in my life developed, of course I saw those developments as simply one more excuse to drink. Excuses and reasons as I found out in recovery are two different things, but I'm not going to get into that here. I ended up with two DWI's within a year, and because of the second one, my vehicle was impounded and auctioned off and I lost my license for almost four years and I had to do the mandatory seven days in the local jail. There was an exercise area there that was about thirty by thirty feet and I was able to use that for one hour a day. On one of those days, the airplane that I used to fly was going over on the way in to land. I looked up and thought that used to be me sitting up there, in a clean uniform with my leg propped up sipping a fresh cup of coffee, as I carried my own blend and brewed it in the cockpit. And the view was unbeatable. Well, the view that day as I looked down was of my orange jumpsuit and as I raised my head I saw concrete block about ten feet in height on all four sides, and chain link fence wire across the top. I was in a cage. And I thought I'd really come a long way, and in a direction I would never, in a million years have believed I would have gone. But I did and I am the one who is responsible. Period.<br>
Depending on what you read, about ten to fifteen percent of the population has a problem with alcohol and I believe that to be about right. There is one doctor in my family and I know one who is a recovering alcoholic and in my talks with them, both have landed on a figure of about twelve percent. Nonetheless, I see the problem everywhere, especially when I go out early in the morning to run errands and such. Almost always, I see a clerk or customer who I know has had a bad night, or what appears to be a bad number of years drinking.<br><br><br>
If you think that this is a “Don’t let this happen to you” story, it is. Maybe this guy who was pulled off the fight simply screwed up and it was a one off event and I guess time will tell. I sure do miss all of the parts of flying that I miss and good luck to all.
08-09-2016, 09:25 PM
#146
On Reserve
Joined APC: Dec 2014
Posts: 15
Looks like he's been flying for AA for the last 10 years.
After flying drunk 25 years ago, Northwest pilot pitches recovery to alcoholics - StarTribune.com
After flying drunk 25 years ago, Northwest pilot pitches recovery to alcoholics - StarTribune.com
08-10-2016, 04:31 AM
#147
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2008
Position: Retired
Posts: 651
Looks like he's been flying for AA for the last 10 years.
After flying drunk 25 years ago, Northwest pilot pitches recovery to alcoholics - StarTribune.com
After flying drunk 25 years ago, Northwest pilot pitches recovery to alcoholics - StarTribune.com
Last edited by 742Dash; 08-10-2016 at 04:35 AM. Reason: format
08-10-2016, 04:47 AM
#148
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2013
Posts: 287
I suppose that if one stays in the 121 business long enough, the problem of alcohol and/or alcoholism will be encountered in one of two ways. Either it will be your problem, as in you're the one consuming, or it's going to be someone else’s.
I went out on a medical over ten years ago (not due to alcohol) and I am a recovering alcoholic with a little over eight years and one month as I write this. If it’s someone else’s, the suggestion of asking them to call in sick worked for me and I had to tell the other guy(s) twice in my career to do so. Eventually, I was the other guy and to this day, I wonder why no one ever said anything to me because for some time before I went out, there were usually just several hours between bottle and throttle. I remember one morning in the crew room, and it was an O’ dark thirty report, someone said “I smell alcohol.” There were about fifteen or twenty of us milling around and I immediately jumped up and started walking around sniffing the air rather conspicuously and I said “I don’t smell anything” and left to go upstairs to the food court to gobble down whatever I could to “absorb” (another misnomer about alcohol) the alcohol. The guy that said he smelled alcohol ended up to be the guy I was flying the trip with. Nothing was ever said and that was amazing. <br><br>
I live 18 DME to the north of a major airport and about one hundred yards to the west of one of the localizers. Many times, when I’m sitting on the front porch in the early morning hours, and when traffic is landing to the south , and passing over at 1600’ AGL, I wonder if one or both of the front end crew is hung over. I’m sure that over the years, as I’ve watched that someone is.<br><br><br>
When I went out on a medical, I was still drinking and as more problems in my life developed, of course I saw those developments as simply one more excuse to drink. Excuses and reasons as I found out in recovery are two different things, but I'm not going to get into that here. I ended up with two DWI's within a year, and because of the second one, my vehicle was impounded and auctioned off and I lost my license for almost four years and I had to do the mandatory seven days in the local jail. There was an exercise area there that was about thirty by thirty feet and I was able to use that for one hour a day. On one of those days, the airplane that I used to fly was going over on the way in to land. I looked up and thought that used to be me sitting up there, in a clean uniform with my leg propped up sipping a fresh cup of coffee, as I carried my own blend and brewed it in the cockpit. And the view was unbeatable. Well, the view that day as I looked down was of my orange jumpsuit and as I raised my head I saw concrete block about ten feet in height on all four sides, and chain link fence wire across the top. I was in a cage. And I thought I'd really come a long way, and in a direction I would never, in a million years have believed I would have gone. But I did and I am the one who is responsible. Period.<br>
Depending on what you read, about ten to fifteen percent of the population has a problem with alcohol and I believe that to be about right. There is one doctor in my family and I know one who is a recovering alcoholic and in my talks with them, both have landed on a figure of about twelve percent. Nonetheless, I see the problem everywhere, especially when I go out early in the morning to run errands and such. Almost always, I see a clerk or customer who I know has had a bad night, or what appears to be a bad number of years drinking.<br><br><br>
If you think that this is a “Don’t let this happen to you” story, it is. Maybe this guy who was pulled off the fight simply screwed up and it was a one off event and I guess time will tell. I sure do miss all of the parts of flying that I miss and good luck to all.
I went out on a medical over ten years ago (not due to alcohol) and I am a recovering alcoholic with a little over eight years and one month as I write this. If it’s someone else’s, the suggestion of asking them to call in sick worked for me and I had to tell the other guy(s) twice in my career to do so. Eventually, I was the other guy and to this day, I wonder why no one ever said anything to me because for some time before I went out, there were usually just several hours between bottle and throttle. I remember one morning in the crew room, and it was an O’ dark thirty report, someone said “I smell alcohol.” There were about fifteen or twenty of us milling around and I immediately jumped up and started walking around sniffing the air rather conspicuously and I said “I don’t smell anything” and left to go upstairs to the food court to gobble down whatever I could to “absorb” (another misnomer about alcohol) the alcohol. The guy that said he smelled alcohol ended up to be the guy I was flying the trip with. Nothing was ever said and that was amazing. <br><br>
I live 18 DME to the north of a major airport and about one hundred yards to the west of one of the localizers. Many times, when I’m sitting on the front porch in the early morning hours, and when traffic is landing to the south , and passing over at 1600’ AGL, I wonder if one or both of the front end crew is hung over. I’m sure that over the years, as I’ve watched that someone is.<br><br><br>
When I went out on a medical, I was still drinking and as more problems in my life developed, of course I saw those developments as simply one more excuse to drink. Excuses and reasons as I found out in recovery are two different things, but I'm not going to get into that here. I ended up with two DWI's within a year, and because of the second one, my vehicle was impounded and auctioned off and I lost my license for almost four years and I had to do the mandatory seven days in the local jail. There was an exercise area there that was about thirty by thirty feet and I was able to use that for one hour a day. On one of those days, the airplane that I used to fly was going over on the way in to land. I looked up and thought that used to be me sitting up there, in a clean uniform with my leg propped up sipping a fresh cup of coffee, as I carried my own blend and brewed it in the cockpit. And the view was unbeatable. Well, the view that day as I looked down was of my orange jumpsuit and as I raised my head I saw concrete block about ten feet in height on all four sides, and chain link fence wire across the top. I was in a cage. And I thought I'd really come a long way, and in a direction I would never, in a million years have believed I would have gone. But I did and I am the one who is responsible. Period.<br>
Depending on what you read, about ten to fifteen percent of the population has a problem with alcohol and I believe that to be about right. There is one doctor in my family and I know one who is a recovering alcoholic and in my talks with them, both have landed on a figure of about twelve percent. Nonetheless, I see the problem everywhere, especially when I go out early in the morning to run errands and such. Almost always, I see a clerk or customer who I know has had a bad night, or what appears to be a bad number of years drinking.<br><br><br>
If you think that this is a “Don’t let this happen to you” story, it is. Maybe this guy who was pulled off the fight simply screwed up and it was a one off event and I guess time will tell. I sure do miss all of the parts of flying that I miss and good luck to all.
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