Alcohol on AF Contract Aircraft

[Guest C-21 Pilot]

All right...

I'm searching for the rule which allows distribution/possession/consumption on USAF Contract Commercial Aircraft. Example, a unit is deploying to location X - flying American Airlines Flt XX from a military base. Can we open a flask/bottle in the back?

Folks are telling me we can...I need proof.

[Boxhead]

All right...

I'm searching for the rule which allows distribution/possession/consumption on USAF Contract Commercial Aircraft. Example, a unit is deploying to location X - flying American Airlines Flt XX from a military base. Can we open a flask/bottle in the back?

Folks are telling me we can...I need proof.

The plane belongs to the contractor, so it's the contractor's rules in the absence of any issued AF ones. That being said, in a unit move the troop commander can make whatever rules they want. It can literally vary from flight to flight.

I don't think you will find an AFI.

Edited June 15, 2007 by Boxhead

[Guest Caddis]

21-

I have not been on a contract aircraft since '03 but we had booze. The Flight Attendants sold booze and some people also carried it on. It was a rotator so I am not sure if the same rules apply if your unit contracts an airplane.

[Herk Driver]

21-

I have not been on a contract aircraft since '03 but we had booze. The Flight Attendants sold booze and some people also carried it on. It was a rotator so I am not sure if the same rules apply if your unit contracts an airplane.

Assuming you are getting on board the contract aircraft at Base x versus BWI, then as previously said, you would fall under the Companies rules about alcohol. Most do not want you to have your own booze since they sell it. However, if you don't make a bunch of noise about it, you can get it on board and drink it. No big deal. I don't think you are going to find a rule that says it is legit for you carry alcohol on the plane.

FWIW, units don't contract planes. TRANSCOM through AMC contract out the planes once they determine that they can't fill the lift req. with organic lift. Units requests lift through AMC.

[Guest Xtndr50boom]

According to the DTR you can hand-carry up to 1 gallon of alcohol on a MILITARY flight. But none in your checked baggage. Since contract airlift follows much the same rules, you can at least claim ignorance, possibly

[backseatdriver]

This is one of those questions that we probably don't really want to know the answer to.

Ignorance is bliss.

[Guest Caddis]

Assuming you are getting on board the contract aircraft at Base x versus BWI, then as previously said, you would fall under the Companies rules about alcohol. Most do not want you to have your own booze since they sell it. However, if you don't make a bunch of noise about it, you can get it on board and drink it. No big deal. I don't think you are going to find a rule that says it is legit for you carry alcohol on the plane.

FWIW, units don't contract planes. TRANSCOM through AMC contract out the planes once they determine that they can't fill the lift req. with organic lift. Units requests lift through AMC.

We boarded our rotater out of BWI and they served alchol. So I am not sure of the difference from getting on at Base X or BWI, or Norfolk. So far I always have crewed an airplane home leaving the AOR. So I am not sure about commercial flights leaving the AOR.

[Herk Driver]

We boarded our rotater out of BWI and they served alchol. So I am not sure of the difference from getting on at Base X or BWI, or Norfolk. So far I always have crewed an airplane home leaving the AOR. So I am not sure about commercial flights leaving the AOR.

I wasn't saying that they wouldn't/didn't serve alcohol on the BWI plane. I think I said, "Most do not want you to have your own booze since they sell it." Either way, you aren't going to be able to buy a bottle at the Class VI and take it on the BWI flight like you could the Base x contract plane. You know that whole liquids on teh plane thing that TSA has going now. You could buy a bottle at the duty free, I suppose, but some airports deliver duty free directly to the plane. Not sure about BWI. So, here you are, trying to get booze onto said BWI flight. The duty free delivers those items to the door of the plane and the company rules don't allow you to drink your own alcohol on the flight. Oh, and you are going to the "dry" CENTCOM AOR. The flight attendants now know to watch you like a Hawk or just tell you straight up not to drink it on their flight. What to do?

Bottom line: It's easy to do if you leave from Base x, but not so much if you leave from BWI or some other TSA controlled airport. Either way, you can get booze, but that wasn't the original question. Take your bottle, drink your booze, don't get stupid or caught.

FWIW, commercial flights leaving the AOR have booze. At least the ones I've been on.

Why do you need proof?

[Guest Caddis]

Herk Driver,

No big deal. I thought you were implying no booze out of BWI on the rotator, fair enough my mistake. I do not need proof of anything, I was simply trying to help -21 with his question.

-21 back to your original question, you should be able to have drinks on your flight.

[Herk Driver]

I do not need proof of anything, I was simply trying to help -21 with his question.

-21 back to your original question, you should be able to have drinks on your flight.

No worries. The question about proof was not directed at you. My bad. Poor posting technique. C-21 said, "Folks are telling me we can...I need proof." I'm just wondering why he needs proof? Troop commander??

[HerkDerka]

Regs be damned.

One of the greatest CC's I have ever seen once showed the way it's done. We boarded the rotator and sat down. He gets on the PA "Alcohol will now be served on this flight. One rule: No spider monkeys. I fill my first two weeks of duty crew with spider monkeys."

Best rotator flight ever.

HD