Alcohol and Flying "A Deadly Combination"

Flying, while fun and exciting, is a precise, demanding, and an unforgiving endeavor. 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. Continue...

The use of alcohol and drugs by pilots is regulated by CFR 91.17. Among other provisions, this regulation states that no person may operate or attempt to operate an aircraft:

• within 8 hours of having consumed alcohol
• while under the influence of alcohol
• with a blood alcohol content of 0.04% or greater
• while using any drug that adversely affects safety

 

A more conservative approach is to wait 24 hours from the last use of alcohol before flying. 

Cold showers, drinking black coffee, or breathing 100% oxygen cannot speed up the elimination of alcohol from the body.

Consider the effects of a hangover. Eight hours from “bottle to throttle” does not mean you are in the best physical condition to fly, or that your blood alcohol concentration is below the legal limits.

Recognize the hazards of combining alcohol consumption and flying.

Use good judgment. Your life and the lives of your passengers are at risk if you drink and fly. Keep in mind that regulations alone are no guarantee that problems won’t occur. It is far more important for pilots to understand the negative effects of alcohol and its deadly impact on flight safety.

Conclusion, total avoidance of alcohol should be a key element observed by every pilot in planning or accomplishing a flight. Alcohol avoidance is as critical as developing a flight plan, a good preflight inspection, obeying ATC procedures, and avoiding severe weather.

Credit: faa/pilot safety