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>If he can’t earn close to $150,000/year he won’t be able to pay this order, in which case he will join the roughly 1 in 7 child support payors who are imprison

>If he can’t earn close to $150,000/year he won’t be able to pay this order, in which case he will join the roughly 1 in 7 child support payors who are imprisoned at some point for nonpayment (for not paying the court-ordered amount, Massachusetts offers the pilot a felony conviction, which means he won’t have an ATP certificate anymore and therefore won’t be able to work again, plus up to 10 years in prison). It doesn't help that the United States still has such medieval instruments as debtor's jail. While more civilized countries have programs in place to help debtor's with counselling, restructuring and suicide prevention, the United States debtor's jail system makes sure you'll never get out of debt, and that you'll die in debt. Never mind that the creditor won't get what they are owed under this system. Never mind whether the creditor even exists: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2014/02/15/woman-jailed-late-video-return/5512821/ http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2014/02/15/woman-jailed-l...

SeanDav 12y ago
I have no idea if the USA has a debtors jail or not, but I don't think this is about going to jail for being in debt, it is about going to jail for breaking a court imposed order. The court order could have been about a restraining order, in which case you go to jail for breaking a restraining order. This does not mean that the USA has a jail specifically for any possible violation of a court imposed order.
- mattmanser 12y ago
  Which is for non-payment of debt, which is debtors prison.
- mg1982 12y ago
  It's a distinction without a difference if the court is ordering you to pay money that don't have and can't get.
- bayesianhorse 12y ago
  The US doesn't have debtor's prison per se. Only certain kinds of obligations, which are already associated with "jailable" offenses can result in something that looks a lot like debtor's prison. In some cases not being able to pay a debt really should carry a jail sentence, for example in case of clearly fraudulent behavior. John Oliver talks about a particular kind of "debtor's jail" in a recent episode of "Last Week Tonight". It seems though that appeal courts don't look favorably on such jail terms.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
mg1982 12y ago
You'll notice that the child custody/support and alimony system are grotesquely biased against men and this goes basically unacknowledged in the article, yet saying 'airmen' is somehow worthy of being called sexist. I for one do not welcome our new snowflake overlords. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlvMAS_20K4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlvMAS_20K4 http://www.avoiceformen.com/ http://www.avoiceformen.com/
- parennoob 12y ago
  > You'll notice that the child custody/support and alimony system are grotesquely biased against men This is probably the exact reason why so many of my male American friends in the tech industry seem unhappy and depressed in their marriages. I'm guessing they want to leave, but don't want to get sued by their lower-earning spouse for half of everything they have earned so far. There really should be a "Do this, not that" guide for people entering marriage in the US to protect their wealth from possible divorce theft by spouses who have "become accustomed to" a certain lifestyle and want to try and coast on your money for as long as possible. (In fact, if people here have gone through such experiences, I would love to hear their suggestions). Chris Rock puts it crudely but truly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAmeW8bq08k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAmeW8bq08k This is when women have a similar experience (notice the resulting sympathy from the audience): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xCXuvdAywg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xCXuvdAywg
  - mg1982 12y ago
    Perhaps Bill Burr was more succinct? Gold digging whores are wife beaters to men. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0gaYyNk7QA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0gaYyNk7QA
    - parennoob 12y ago
      Could you indicate somewhere that it is comedy (although there are some good points about stereotyping buried in the crudities)? Otherwise this looks like you're angrily using crude and offensive language.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
- bostik 12y ago
  Not even that, the author clearly states that being defendant in a certain kind of lawsuit should be grounds for termination. Quoth the article: > Airlines should be able to automatically fire divorce, custody, or child support lawsuit defendants. You really want to discriminate against pilots with families? The logical next step would be fire any pilot who gets married or has a child - because obviously the pilot's personal life is from thereon a potential cause of depression and mental problems. Hell, why not require pilots to be eunuchs while you're at it? That way they couldn't have dangerous relationships. Talk about slippery slopes and unintended consequences. EDIT: looks like the post I replied to was deleted while I was composing.
happyscrappy 12y ago
I love how a mentally ill European kills loads of people because the EU didn't mandate proper cockpit control and the top comment is about how bad the US is. As Europe unravels they hold on to their smugness ever tighter, but the thing is, aside from being a drag on the world economy, no one really cares what happens in Europe as long as they keep electing leaders who do the US's bidding.
- jacquesm 12y ago
  And I love how you use every chance you get to harp on 'Europe disintegrating' and other bull-shit. The comment was in reference to a segment in the article which related to the situation in the US.
- shiggerino 12y ago
  Why don't you just show us the FAR that mandates proper cockpit control next to the supposedly inadequate equivalent JAR?
- dang 12y ago
  Please don't post comments baiting political opponents (or continents). That isn't what HN is for. When a comment is wrong, either refute it substantively or downvote it and move on.

SeanDav 12y ago

I have no idea if the USA has a debtors jail or not, but I don't think this is about going to jail for being in debt, it is about going to jail for breaking a court imposed order. The court order could have been about a restraining order, in which case you go to jail for breaking a restraining order. This does not mean that the USA has a jail specifically for any possible violation of a court imposed order.

mattmanser 12y ago
Which is for non-payment of debt, which is debtors prison.
mg1982 12y ago
It's a distinction without a difference if the court is ordering you to pay money that don't have and can't get.
bayesianhorse 12y ago
The US doesn't have debtor's prison per se. Only certain kinds of obligations, which are already associated with "jailable" offenses can result in something that looks a lot like debtor's prison. In some cases not being able to pay a debt really should carry a jail sentence, for example in case of clearly fraudulent behavior. John Oliver talks about a particular kind of "debtor's jail" in a recent episode of "Last Week Tonight". It seems though that appeal courts don't look favorably on such jail terms.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]

mg1982 12y ago

You'll notice that the child custody/support and alimony system are grotesquely biased against men and this goes basically unacknowledged in the article, yet saying 'airmen' is somehow worthy of being called sexist. I for one do not welcome our new snowflake overlords. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlvMAS_20K4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlvMAS_20K4 http://www.avoiceformen.com/ http://www.avoiceformen.com/

parennoob 12y ago
> You'll notice that the child custody/support and alimony system are grotesquely biased against men This is probably the exact reason why so many of my male American friends in the tech industry seem unhappy and depressed in their marriages. I'm guessing they want to leave, but don't want to get sued by their lower-earning spouse for half of everything they have earned so far. There really should be a "Do this, not that" guide for people entering marriage in the US to protect their wealth from possible divorce theft by spouses who have "become accustomed to" a certain lifestyle and want to try and coast on your money for as long as possible. (In fact, if people here have gone through such experiences, I would love to hear their suggestions). Chris Rock puts it crudely but truly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAmeW8bq08k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAmeW8bq08k This is when women have a similar experience (notice the resulting sympathy from the audience): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xCXuvdAywg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xCXuvdAywg
- mg1982 12y ago
  Perhaps Bill Burr was more succinct? Gold digging whores are wife beaters to men. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0gaYyNk7QA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0gaYyNk7QA
  - parennoob 12y ago
    Could you indicate somewhere that it is comedy (although there are some good points about stereotyping buried in the crudities)? Otherwise this looks like you're angrily using crude and offensive language.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

bostik 12y ago
Not even that, the author clearly states that being defendant in a certain kind of lawsuit should be grounds for termination. Quoth the article: > Airlines should be able to automatically fire divorce, custody, or child support lawsuit defendants. You really want to discriminate against pilots with families? The logical next step would be fire any pilot who gets married or has a child - because obviously the pilot's personal life is from thereon a potential cause of depression and mental problems. Hell, why not require pilots to be eunuchs while you're at it? That way they couldn't have dangerous relationships. Talk about slippery slopes and unintended consequences. EDIT: looks like the post I replied to was deleted while I was composing.

happyscrappy 12y ago

I love how a mentally ill European kills loads of people because the EU didn't mandate proper cockpit control and the top comment is about how bad the US is. As Europe unravels they hold on to their smugness ever tighter, but the thing is, aside from being a drag on the world economy, no one really cares what happens in Europe as long as they keep electing leaders who do the US's bidding.

jacquesm 12y ago
And I love how you use every chance you get to harp on 'Europe disintegrating' and other bull-shit. The comment was in reference to a segment in the article which related to the situation in the US.
shiggerino 12y ago
Why don't you just show us the FAR that mandates proper cockpit control next to the supposedly inadequate equivalent JAR?
dang 12y ago
Please don't post comments baiting political opponents (or continents). That isn't what HN is for. When a comment is wrong, either refute it substantively or downvote it and move on.