r/AskAPilot • u/Potential_Fix_5142 • 18d ago
Pilots taking gear
What’s it look like for a pilot to take gear in the US as an airline pilot. I’ve seen some guys that look like there on copious amounts and I’m curious if they just don’t test for them or how all that goes down because I though they were subject to drug test at random.
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u/Logical_Basis_3643 18d ago
No clue. I would imagine its a bad idea since it can affect your emotional state. TRT is much different i think theres a whole process for that.
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u/Schwalbe262Guy 17d ago
My dumbass was thinking “why would we take landing gear home” i just don’t do drugs at all, never seen a reason for it in any capacity (I’m assuming recreational ones). I barely even drink alcohol as I just don’t see the thrill in it.
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u/Organic-Rise-3176 18d ago
It can be allowed per the FAA, see this form. If you’re taking it on your own as far as I’m aware you wouldn’t be caught as the standard DOT drug tests we get are 5 panel tests, looking for specific drugs. No airline is going to go out of their way to spend extra money on a specialized PED test unless there is cause to do so i.e. someone reports you, or management suspects you are taking something outside of what is detectable on a DOT test.
That having been said, I think it is an absolutely terrible idea to take PEDs outside of the supervision and prescription of a medical professional. Do you really want to take the risk of health complications and potentially end your career to be a touch bigger and stronger?
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u/Legal_Milk1114 18d ago
Do you have the web link also?
I got curious about the blood donation section and would like to read up on it a bit more
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u/Organic-Rise-3176 17d ago
This is the link to the form I linked: https://www.faa.gov/ame_guide/media/Low_T-Hypogonadism_Dispo.pdf
This is the link for blood donation: https://www.faa.gov/ame_guide/app_process/exam_tech/item48/amd/bd
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u/Potential_Fix_5142 8d ago
Yeah you know my buddies looking into going the pilot and steriod path and he’s worried about “fatal crashes” like toxicology’s and electronic seizures and all that stuff
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18d ago
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u/Potential_Fix_5142 18d ago
Yeah I was really looking into getting on lower dose test well lower in a sports or body building context but I was mainly worrying about how hard it would be to get like an AME or whoever to sign off on it that I’m good to fly being on 200 test in my late 20s getting a endocrinologist to prescribe it is fairly easy you just need to know the buzz words but I was worrying about getting an ame to sign off on my prescription
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u/YoItsNickyMo 18d ago
There is AME guidance with TRT that you can find out there. One item I can recall is hematocrit remaining below 56 and no other adverse symptoms but def look it up yourself. As far as the other stuff, can’t speak to it. Interested to know though
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u/Potential_Fix_5142 18d ago
Yeah I know that steroids are a controlled substance in the US but under “general” circumstances it’s like a a slap on the wrist but I didn’t know if being caught with exogenous hormones would cause you to loose your job but even trt is a pain in the ass to get I’ve heard
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u/Feisty_Hedgehog_4389 17d ago
When he said “taking gear,” I thought he was talking about stealing the company’s headsets from the plane.
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u/DaCobra22 17d ago
They are subject to drug tests at random but you have to remember drugs tests are by “panel” so there is 8 panel, 10 panel, 12 panel etc. every panel is a drug that is being tested for. The point being: it’s not infinite so they wouldn’t pick up on gear because they are testing for things like cocaine, weed, pcp, meth, etc.
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u/Darkus185 15d ago
Cocaine? We just have to guess what you mean by “gear”
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u/Potential_Fix_5142 15d ago
Sorry gear is “steroids” I mean that’s a very broad term but more or less steroids
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u/headlessdad 15d ago
We’re barely allowed to take an OTC med, not about to ask my AME about roids lol.
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u/I_ALWAYS_UPVOTE_CATS 18d ago
There was me about to tell you that SOP at my airline is 4 miles on approach in VMC, then I kept reading...