Airline
Culture
Even
though chemical dependency is a common condition worldwide,
identification in an airline setting is often difficult. This
is the case primarily because of the phenomenon of denial,
in both the afflicted individual and the people closest to
him/her. Like all diseases, it exists in a specific physical
and cultural milieu which has several unique features in the
airline industry that influence the presentation of this disease.
As in society as a whole, alcohol is the drug of choice for
recreational use and over 90% of people in the industry consume
it in varying degrees. Its appropriate use for stress relief/relaxation
is encouraged and everyone who has been involved with industry
for any length of time knows a funny story regarding pilots
and alcohol. However, unlike the society at large, there are
very strict FAA and company regulations concerning when it
can be consumed. In addition, the mandatory DOT drug testing
program serves as a de facto “watchdog” which
can impose severe penalties for being found with “unacceptable”
levels of alcohol in one’s system in proximity to duty.
Because of this industrial overlay on this insidious, deadly
process, pilots often exhibit what is commonly called “binge”
drinking behavior, where sometimes large quantities of alcohol
are consumed around the boundaries of the authority mandated
“no-consumption” deadlines. Unfortunately, because
of this phenomenon, in the last few years, there have been
several highly publicized incidents of pilots reporting for
duty with alcohol levels above the mandated limits and, indeed,
some case where the individuals involved were frankly under
the influence of the drug.
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Signs
and Symptoms
“Now
you see them, now you don’t.” - As chemical dependency
progresses, the deterioration in the individual becomes increasingly
noticeable. It is important to realize that, even though the
disease of chemical dependency often leads to an inexorable
downhill decline, the progression of symptoms is often interrupted
by periods of seeming normalcy or even improvement as the
individual struggles with the effects of periodic heavy use
of the substance. Likewise the problem behaviors noticed (including
denial) are not specific to this condition but can be present
in many other diseases as well. In the airline environment,
it is useful to look at the signs and symptoms of this disease
from three different perspectives:
Family
Usually, the family is the first to notice the problem behaviors.
They may include an increase in the amount of alcohol consumed,
or a change in the pattern of drinking; for example, increased
or more secretive drinking. More frequent intoxication,
change in friends, loss of interest in family activities,
irritation/agitation when drinking, verbal or even physical
violence toward other family members. Embarrassing “incidents”
begin to occur, followed by ultimately broken promises to
“cut down” on the amount consumed. As the pilot
sinks deeper into the throes of the disease, judgment is
increasingly impaired, leading to traumatic accidents and
mishandling of the family finances. As things deteriorate
at home, the family often attempts to isolate the pilot
from outsiders in order to avoid shame or protect the income
stream – thinking that if the pilot’s condition
is discovered by others, the job could be threatened. Unfortunately,
this can lead to what is called co-dependent or enabling
behavior among family members in a desperate attempt to
accommodate the frightening unpredictability of the dependent
person’s behavior.
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Peers
The unique work environment of the professional pilot means
that, unlike most other professions, the pilot is reports
for trips where he/she is required to work closely with
small groups of other employees, often with people who are
otherwise complete strangers, and then repeat the process
3 or 4 days later. This is done in an environment that,
particularly after the recent terrorist attacks, can be
tense and unfriendly. Because of this, it requires rigid
adherence to training and procedures and quick development
of a casual camaraderie with fellow pilots and flight attendants.
Thus, pilots who are ensnared in chemical dependency exhibit
signs and symptoms that cause them to stand out from the
norm. Arriving late and unprepared for a flight sequence,
erratic cockpit performance, lack of expected attention
to personal hygiene, unprofessional appearance, irritability
and volatile moods are examples. In some cases, the pilot
may even smell of alcohol or fragrant aftershave compounds
when reporting for duty. These first hand observations are
particularly valuable when attempting to put together a
coherent picture of the disease and preparing an intervention
(discussed in Section IV of this website). Industry veterans
are familiar with the notorious “pilot grapevine”
- that informal sharing of stories by which certain individuals
acquire a “reputation” that gets communicated
to others in an otherwise impersonal work setting. By this
method, the chemically dependent pilot’s notorious
layover “antics” get passed around (and often
embellished) in the crew force. A more reliable observation
is the phenomenon of increased tolerance, whereby the dependent
individual is seen to consume tremendous amounts of alcohol
without the expected dramatic deterioration in ability to
function socially – often referred to as a person
with a “hollow leg.” This individual often shows
up at a social gathering having already consumed a significant
amount of alcohol and continues to drink heavily and is
often the last one to leave the party.
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Supervisors
For management representatives (often the Chief Pilot’s
Office), the signs and symptoms of a possible chemical dependency
problem usually have a more distant, non-specific character.
They can include formal complaints about a pilot’s
work behavior, such as poor cockpit performance, unprofessional
actions toward pilots or other crew members, or training
deficiencies. At times, reports of alcohol-related incidents
may come in from layover hotel managers or the pilot running
afoul of law enforcement, such as DUI convictions or public
intoxication incidents. A more controversial sign is what
is sometimes termed “sick leave abuse.” In these
times of financial retrenchment in the airline industry,
managements are closely monitoring sick leave use among
pilots and some properties are establishing arbitrary sick
leave use protocols that are more reflective of the labor
relations climate than actual pathology. Nevertheless, among
professionals who treat chemically dependent persons, it
is a well known phenomenon that, as the disease progresses,
sick leave usage often skyrockets due to associated medical
conditions such as high blood pressure, emotional difficulties,
traumatic injuries resulting from accidents while under
the influence, etc. In the context of the airline environment,
individuals who frequently call in sick for a trip at
the last possible moment should cause one to consider
the possibility that chemical dependency may be an issue.
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