There is something to think about alcohol and its effect. According to the Independent UK, many people have raised questions about the negative impact of alcohol which resulted in several road accidents and causing death over the years. The risk of drinking imposes danger and thus the fear for those who drink.
Airline pilots are of particular scrutiny. What about the risk and rules when it comes to flying an airplane instead of driving a car? What is the measurement of safety when it comes to drinking when so many lives are in your hand?
Flying an airplane is a demanding task. It requires a pilot to be trained and perform – getting the plane up in the air, controlling its directions and landing safely. Apart from that, the more concerned issue is the focus on handling different time zones and hours, with which the pressure and other factors may lead to depression and other symptoms and side effects.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says ‘The majority of adverse effects produced by alcohol relate to the brain, the eyes, and the inner ear.’ All these organs are crucial to the pilot’s task.
Every country has different rules of the time between drinking and performing the task of flying an airplane of the pilot – usually 8 hours gap.
A pilot who drinks alcohol is encouraged to report it to authority despite the fear of being suspended from the duty as well as colleagues. Alcohol detection is a vital part to the process of preventing a pilot who is under the influence of an alcohol from flying an airplane, especially with large number of passengers given the increasing risk.
Adapted from ‘The truth about pilots and alcohol: the risks and the rules,’ Independent UK
