Can Pilots Drink Alcohol While Flying?

Most people know it’s illegal to drive a vehicle while intoxicated. You might also know that boating under the influence is similarly unlawful. Naturally, you might assume that airplane pilots aren’t allowed to drink while operating aircraft. If so, your assumption is correct; however, that doesn’t mean pilots can’t consume alcohol before flying.

All pilots, from those who operate large commercial aircraft to those who fly small, single-engine planes, must follow Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. Those who don’t abide by the rules regarding alcohol consumption can have their licenses revoked and face other penalties.

No Consuming Alcohol While Flying

The FAA regulations clearly prohibit pilots from consuming alcohol while operating any kind of aircraft. Just as a driver’s judgment, perception, and skills deteriorate when consuming alcohol, a pilot’s ability to safely control a plane diminishes when they have alcohol in their system. Even a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.04 can make a pilot dangerous in the air.

The FAA recommends that alcohol not be consumed or kept in the plane’s cockpit during flight. This advice also prevents passengers from becoming intoxicated and behaving irresponsibly in the air. A drunk passenger can be just as hazardous as an impaired pilot.

Eight-Hour “Bottle To Throttle” Period

Just because a pilot doesn’t drink while actively flying doesn’t mean they’re complying with the FAA’s regulations. The agency requires pilots to wait at least eight hours between the time they finish consuming an alcoholic beverage and the time they pilot an aircraft. Some commercial airlines have even longer “bottle to throttle” waiting periods.

For example, imagine that a pilot has a glass of wine with dinner and finishes eating at 8:00 p.m. The earliest they could fly would be 4:00 a.m. the next day. Nothing they could do, including drinking coffee or eating a meal, would shorten this period.

Note that this eight-hour interval is the minimum time the pilot is legally obligated to wait before flying. The FAA recommends that pilots wait between 12 and 24 hours.

Legal Alcohol Concentration For Pilots

These rules don’t mean that a pilot can’t fly with any alcohol in their system, nor do they mean that a pilot can fly immediately after the “bottle to throttle” period is over. The FAA regulations prohibit any pilot from flying with a BAC of 0.04 or more. It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since they last consumed alcohol if their blood alcohol concentration remains elevated.

However, if the pilot’s blood alcohol concentration remains at or above 0.04, flying is out of the question. Instead, they must wait until their BAC drops below 0.04 before operating any aircraft.

The FAA Discourages Flying While Hungover

If you’ve ever had too much to drink on a single occasion, you may have experienced a “hangover” the following morning. When someone is hungover, they may exhibit numerous symptoms, such as:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Sensitivity to light or sound
• Vertigo

Someone who’s hungover may also deal with anxiety, depression, an elevated heart rate, or trouble concentrating or making informed decisions.

A pilot experiencing these symptoms is in a similar state to one who’s inebriated and can be just as dangerous. Therefore, the FAA recommends that pilots suffering from hangovers refrain from flying until the symptoms pass.

In other words, a pilot shouldn’t get behind the controls of an aircraft until the eight-hour waiting period has expired, their blood alcohol concentration is below 0.04, and they aren’t suffering from any hangover symptoms.

Hangovers typically occur due to dehydration, an electrolyte imbalance, lack of quality sleep, and consuming too much alcohol at once. However, not everyone feels hangovers in the same way, even if they consume the same amount of alcohol. Some individuals may have severe symptoms, while others won’t display any symptoms at all.

Because of the subjective nature of hangovers, the FAA can only recommend that pilots not fly if they’re actively suffering from symptoms.

Enforcing The FAA’s Regulations

Any pilot with an FAA-issued license who performs safety-sensitive functions for a regulated employer, like an air carrier, can be tested to see if they have alcohol in their system.

If the pilot’s blood alcohol concentration is 0.04 or above, they must be removed from service until their BAC drops to acceptable levels. This is considered an FAA regulation violation and is punishable by fines and other penalties.

What if the pilot has some alcohol in their system but not enough to cause a BAC of 0.04 or more? If their blood alcohol concentration is between 0.02 and 0.039, they must still be removed from duty for 24 hours. However, this situation isn’t considered a violation.

Pilots subject to alcohol testing may also be tested as part of a prospective employer’s hiring process, after an accident, and before returning to duty. Moreover, a covered employer can test a pilot if they have reason to suspect that the pilot is under the influence or violating the FAA’s regulations.

Alcohol Use Is Dangerous Everywhere, Including In The Air

Flying a plane is no less demanding than operating a car, so it’s no surprise that the FAA frowns on pilots who fly while intoxicated.

The agency’s regulations extend beyond simply not allowing a drunk pilot to operate an aircraft. Pilots must wait until their blood alcohol concentration drops below 0.04, and in some cases below 0.02, before they can resume flying. They must also wait a minimum of eight hours from the time they stop drinking to get behind the controls.