AVIATION
Aviation should be a sobering experience
  Alcohol, used by many to "unwind" or relax, act as a social "ice-breaker," is a way to alter one's mood by decreasing inhibitions. Alcohol consumption is widely accepted, often providing the cornerstone of social gatherings and celebrations. While its use is prevalent and acceptable in our society, it should not come as a surprise that problems arise in the use of alcohol and the performance of safety-related activities, such as driving a car or flying an aircraft. These problems are made worse by the common belief that "accidents happen to other people, not me." There is a tendency to forget that flying an aircraft is a highly demanding, cognitive and psychomotor task that takes place in an inhospitable environment where pilots are exposed to various sources of stress.
Alcohol affects pilot performance
Pilots have shown impairment in their ability to fly an ILS approach or to fly IFR, and even to perform routine VFR flight tasks while under the influence of alcohol, regardless of individual flying experience. The number of serious errors committed by pilots dramatically increases at or above concentrations of 0.04% blood alcohol. This is not to say that problems don't occur below this value. Some studies have shown decrements in pilot performance with blood alcohol concentrations as low as the 0.025%.
Hangovers are dangerous
A hangover effect, produced by alcoholic beverages after the acute intoxication has worn off, may be just as dangerous as the intoxication itself. Symptoms commonly associated with a hangover are headache, dizziness, dry mouth, stuffy nose, fatigue, upset stomach, irritability, impaired judgment, and increased sensitivity to bright light. A pilot with these symptoms would certainly not be fit to safely operate an aircraft. In addition, such a pilot could readily be perceived as being "under the influence of alcohol."
You are in control
Flying, while fun and exciting, is a precise, demanding, and unforgiving endeavour. Any factor that impairs the pilot's ability to perform the required tasks during the operation of an aircraft is an invitation for disaster. The use of alcohol is a significant self-imposed stress factor that should be eliminated from the cockpit. The ability to do so is strictly within the pilot's control.
High in the Sky
The safety and security of air travel depends upon properly trained personnel, well-founded systems and procedures, and the application of a range of techniques to detect, identify, quantify and respond to both active and passive threats. Effective safety and security is built upon the integrity, reliability and performance of personnel performing essential duties. Recent events have illustrated how much the performance of airport personnel and airline crew can directly affect aviation safety.
The prevalence of drugs in the wider community is a sad fact of life. Consequently, substance abuse is a genuine risk to safety and security, to public confidence in transport and the wellbeing of the industry. It is important that airport and airline staff perform at their best. It makes sense to have a drugs policy and to test personnel for substance and alcohol abuse. This can now be done quickly, accurately with direct and measurable benefits.
Aviation has had many shocks in recent times and these have badly shaken the confidence of the travelling public and the commercial well being of the industry. Even relatively small incidents are sufficient to perturb an already uneasy travelling public, with catastrophic commercial consequences to airlines and airports. Recent incidents have demonstrated that, despite careful and intensive training, alcohol and drugs abuse does occur. In fact, studies have shown that substance abuse is more common than is generally believed. Substance abuse may occur within a small minority of the population, but the effects on the industry can be disproportionate. Like an accident, most airlines and airports cannot afford even one such (usually well publicised) incident. Even when incidents occur elsewhere, all airlines will be faced with awkward questions about their own staff. It is sensible to be proactive in such circumstances and have appropriate procedures in place.
Many operators have enacted new legislation enabling drug testing of a wide group of airline and airport personnel. Typically, such legislation gives powers to the police to carry out drugs and alcohol testing of flight crew, cabin crew, maintenance engineers and Air Traffic Controllers, when given due cause. These powers apply whether the individual is on duty or on Standby.
Not on my plane you don't
In 2007, an airline pilot turned up for work while almost six and a half times over the drink limit to fly a plane. The American pilot smelled strongly of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet when he turned up for duty at Manchester Airport. A First Officer with American Airlines, he was to be one of three pilots on a 10.30am transatlantic flight to Chicago with 181 passengers on board. But when he went to go through a security gate for flight crew in his pilots uniform he could not find his identification security pass. Security staff could smell drink and called in police, who arrested him. He then failed a breathalyser test. The first specimen showed the pilot had 71 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit for driving a car is 35 micrograms and for an aircraft is nine micrograms. He was arrested and taken to Altrincham Police Station where a doctor took a blood sample. This gave a result of 129 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit for flying an aircraft is 20 micrograms.
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