Frequently Asked Questions

Why are driving records so important when considering an airline pilot career?

This is subject that always generates a lot of questions when people are considering professional pilot careers. In the flight program at San Juan College, we list an “acceptable driving record” as part of the requirements to qualify for an interview. So what’s acceptable?

We’ve all made mistakes. In our effort to recruit potential first officers for Mesa Air Group, we’re not looking for perfect people. We ARE looking for people who have a healthy respect for rules and regulations however. Consider an airline’s position. They have the responsibility to see that passengers are safely delivered to their destinations.

Your driving record is an indicator of how well you follow rules. In an industry like aviation that is highly regulated, there will be a lot of rules and regulations as a pilot that you have to abide by. If you can’t follow the rules on the ground, how will you follow them in the air?

Again, so what’s acceptable? It varies. There’s a huge difference in how an airline would look at someone who had a DUI less than a year ago and someone who is 36 years old today and had a DUI their senior year when they were 18 years old.

GENERALLY speaking, a DUI on your record is a red flag. It won’t necessarily preclude your ability to be hired by an airline but it could. A DUI within the last five years will almost certainly be a disqualifier.

What about speeding tickets? Again it varies. There’s a difference in how the airline (and many other industries) look at an individual who had a multitude of tickets 10 years ago and hasn’t had any violations since and someone who typically averages a speeding ticket a year. There’s a problem there.

We often hear that “I paid the ticket; I took care of it”. Not necessarily. Paying the fine or doing public service doesn’t mean that the behavior didn’t occur – it just means you got caught. It can happen to the best. It doesn’t mean your dreams and goals are over but it may mean that you have an obstacle to overcome and behavior to modify.

Our best advise is:

1. DILIGENTLY protect your driving record and follow the law!

2. CALL our Program Coordinator to have a private discussion about your situation. I’ll respect your privacy and offer my best opinion. In some cases,the pilot recruiter at Mesa will be contacted on your behalf (no names mentioned) to get a company perspective. If you have a driving record that we know is going to be a problem, we will advise you that there is risk in whether you will be hired. In some cases, you will not be accepted into training.

 

Please call us when you have any questions. We welcome the opportunity to tell you about our programs and how your own background or experience might fit in.