“Even if a pilot license is not affected, your airport pass probably will be. In the UK I don’t know of any GA-usable airport which operates an airport pass but there may be some.”
I have an Airside Pass for Inverness EGPE. I believe all the HIAL Airports require them. Also Aberdeen EGPE, Glasgow EGPF and Prestwick EGPK.
Airborne_Again wrote:
Certainly DUI would be “misuse” of alcohol
Last Christmas my 3 boys (adults) came over for dinners and emptied my closet of fine Akevitt, several bottles of expensive stuff “shot’ed down”. I thought that was a terrible misuse 
The other angle on this is that, in the UK, drink driving is a “criminal offence”. Speeding, for example, isn’t. A ban for totting-up also isn’t. For others in between, this is the first google hit. It will vary according to the country. So if you are asked about “criminal offences” – as appears to be the case in Germany and maybe the US – this can get you.
Even if a pilot license is not affected, your airport pass probably will be. In the UK I don’t know of any GA-usable airport which operates an airport pass but there may be some. I would imagine Exeter or Norwich might be – they are run by the “right” sort of people – but this will affect only those based there.
Airborne_Again wrote:
Certainly DUI would be “misuse” of alcohol, which is disqualifying.
In your opinion. There is no universally accepted definition of ‘misuse of alcohol’ and it is not a term generally used by the medical profession. It means whatever you want it to mean and includes or excludes whatever you fancy. That’s what I mean by poor drafting – good drafting should not use official-sounding terms that in fact have no official meaning and are open to interpretation.
Some quick research suggests that the closest match in DSM-IV is ‘alcohol abuse’. One of the criteria that could lead to a diagnosis was ‘recurrent alcohol-related legal problems’. A single DUI conviction is not, of course, ‘recurrent’. In DSM-5 alcohol abuse was removed and it’s all incorporated into ‘alcohol use disorder’. Notably, the legal problems criteria is no longer a basis for a diagnosis.
Graham wrote:
If I had a conviction for drink driving (which I do not) I would not consider it as disqualifying me from a PMD on aircraft 2000kg – 5700kg on the basis of what is written there. Others may take a different view.
Certainly DUI would be “misuse” of alcohol, which is disqualifying.
Peter wrote:
any alcohol or drug abuse, addiction or misuse, [my bold]
Poor drafting. None of those three terms (especially the last one) have a definition which is sufficiently universal or commonly accepted.
However, ambiguity is sometimes a useful thing. If I had a conviction for drink driving (which I do not) I would not consider it as disqualifying me from a PMD on aircraft 2000kg – 5700kg on the basis of what is written there. Others may take a different view.
I would imagine the main interest for a pilot in any DUI (driving over the limit may not be considered alcohol abuse eg a one off 3 glasses of wine when the limit is 2 can hardly be called abuse) would be from the insurance company which insures you, the aircraft and 3rd parties.
There is usually a box on those forms which asks have you ever been disqualified from driving and why? (Or words to that effect)
Being caught with a high alcohol levels, in charge of an aircraft (I don’t recall there being a legal definition of high but I believe the authorities consider it to be zero) would normally have the NAA taking action.
But all this is not part of the medical AFAIK.
Peter wrote:
If yes, then you have to truthfully answer it.
If no, then you don’t have to tell them.
Class 1 medical (IIRC the initial one, I don’t remember for the subsequent ones) checks 3 months average alcohol intake (there’s some blood test for that) and you have question where you have to state your average intake at all medical forms.
Is that definitely the case? You need to meet the medical standard of a driver, but I don’t hold a valid driving license and I wasn’t aware of it being a requirement.
From CAA PMD page:
So I think you are right, except we can debate the bold bit, especially the “misuse” But not many PMD holders are flying >2000kg, because the extra requirements are close to a Class 2.
