Some considerations for the development of effective countermeasures to aircrew use of alcohol while flying

A revision to the Joint Airworthiness Authorities' Operations Regulations now imposes a maximum Blood Alcohol Concentration limit of just 0.02% on U.K. pilots. Using a postal survey, opinions were elicited from 472 private and professional pilots concerning the effectiveness of various countermeasures to reduce the likelihood of drinking and flying. Punitive sanctions and tougher enforcement of the regulations were regarded as the most effective countermeasures, although offenders and professional pilots thought these actions less effective than private pilots and nonoffenders. The results are discussed with respect to producing effective countermeasures specifically targeted at high-risk groups.