Thought of the Day 1/5/2013: Don't Drink and Fly

While listening to Good Morning America and enjoying some oatmeal before Spin Class, I heard yet another story about an airline pilot attempting to fly a plane drunk.  The anchor asked "What would make a pilot think they can fly intoxicated?" My immediate answer was another question, "What makes any ordinary person think they can drive their car drunk?"  In both cases, it is motivated by precisely the same thing; it's an action so accustomed too that the person assumes they can do it loaded.  Still more, if the person is drinking 'at work' as a pilot about to fly 50+ people to their destination, they are very likely an alcoholic and live under the disillusioned premise that they are not too drunk to be functional.  In this instance its more likely they think they fly better with a couple of drinks under their belt, kind of like bowling.

They followed their report with this fun fact: The legal Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) limit for a pilot is 0.04.  This is half the legal limit for driving, an average of two drinks for a full-grown male.  My BAC would likely soar to 0.04 simply by looking at a glass of wine; an assumption I plan to test tonight.  Now, as painful as it my be, let's apply some logic to this situation and re-ask the former question.  "What would make a pilot think they can fly intoxicated?" Maybe it's because there's a LEGAL F*$%ING BAC LIMIT FOR PILOTS.  Give a kid a piece of candy, then tell them not to eat it all at once.  Be sure to let me know how that worked out in the long run.  I'm not an alcoholic, but even I experience that longing for a second drink after the first gave me to warm-tingles.  If one is good, two is better, and passed out is best!  But wait, who's going to fly the plane while the pilot's sleeping off his buzz?

Here's the mind-blowingly simple solution: If it's illegal to drive a car or fly a plane past a certain BAC, there shouldn't be a limit at all.  Zero Tolerance.  Black and white, no guesswork, and then actually enforce it.  Now there's a concept!  I won't go into how many hundreds of people have been killed by repeat DWI offenders, but I will assure you it's significant.  

The only reason people raise such a fuss about airline pilots in this state is because they endanger the lives of a plane full of people, while getting paid, and they're doing it half- or maybe even fully- cocked.  It is simply irrational, however, to apply this to pilots without doing the same for motor vehicle drivers.  Though not necessarily doing it on the job, their capacity for injuring themselves or others is actually significantly higher given the other cars on the road and the limit of control they need to effectively operate the car.  By comparison, if a pilot can get the plane off the ground, their job is pretty much done until landing and their also not as likely to inadvertently serve into another plane's patch of sky.  True, if a plane crashes on the runway due to a drunk-as-a-skunk pilot it's likely that most people onboard will die, perhaps 30-60 people depending on the flight.  Given this estimated number I was interested to see how many people die due to drunk drivers in the US; 27 DAILY.  Sobering statistic indeed.

I hope it's clear that I'm not condoning drunk flights to Vegas for everyone onboard including the cockpit.  I believe that the same rules should apply to all operators of motor/jet vehicles: NO DRINKING. PERIOD.  What I'm about to say will likely seem extremely odd, but my sister died in an alcohol-related car accident 4 days after her 25th birthday, and I thank God everyday that she was the only person involved in the crash.  She could have taken any amount of people out with her.  Taking the life of another, under any circumstance, is an unnatural act that leaves a scar so deep it effects the Soul even if it no longer resides in this world.  I do not judge those that drive with 1, or even 7, drinks in their gut; but I fully expect them to deal with the consequences of their actions should they get caught by the Fuzz or, even worse, cause an accident.  Myself included.

Oh, and if you're about to get on a plane and the guy who smells like piss and rum sitting next to you has a pair of tiny wings on the lapel of his white collared shirt; take the next flight.