Shamed BA pilot went for Wizz Air job days before cocaine scandal came to light

01 October 2023 , 19:11

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Mike Beaton tried to join another airline following his sacking from British Airways

A married British Airways pilot who was sacked after boasting about an evening where he allegedly snorted cocaine off a woman's breasts had tried to join another airline following his dismissal.

Mike Beaton, from Devon, was one of seven pilots who attended a selection event for the firm near Gatwick Airport just days before his outrageous escapades were exposed to the public. He failed to land the job but there was a lack of understanding around how he was able to produce for the organisers an essential medical certificate to allow him to be included in the firm's selection process.

Former BA First Officer Mike Beaton may well have been braced for the impact of his actions (LinkedIn)

A Wizz Air spokesperson told the Mirror: "A Wizz Air spokesperson said: “Mr. Beaton did attend a Wizz Air pilot selection event on 23rd September, prior to any media exposure. He was not successful in his application and has not been hired by Wizz Air.

“Wizz Air follows strict procedures when recruiting for pilots. All applicants must have a valid UK CAA Class One Medical, and therefore meet the requirements to obtain and maintain the requirements of that medical. This is managed and issued by the UK CAA, and the documents’ validity is checked by Wizz Air. The safety of passengers is our number one priority, so in addition to regular requirements, we conduct stringent psychoactive substance testing and background checks when hiring new staff to ensure pilots are fit to fly.

“At the time of application, the pilot held a valid Class One medical. Issue, suspension, and revocation of pilot medicals is controlled by the UK CAA. Falsifying these documents is a criminal offence – if a pilot’s medical is suspended by the UK CAA they have to surrender that medical, so they would not be able to present one.”

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The airline added that the safety of passengers was their priority and that they have "stringent" psychoactive substance testing and background checks to ensure pilots are fit to fly.

The CAA has not revealed when Mr Beaton's licence was revoked, which would have seen him stripped of the document. When Mr Beaton applied, he held a valid Class One medical. The UK CAA issue, suspend, and can revoke pilot medicals. It is a criminal offence to falsify these documents and if a pilot's medical is suspended they must surrender that document.

The Sun revealed Mr Beaton was in South Africa for a stopover when he spent a night indulging in booze, sex and drugs. The father of one boasted to a stewardess in a series of raunchy messages how he had been "very, very naughty" with two women and two men in Johannesburg.

Telling her to "get ready" for the tale, he recounts in sordid detail how he met a "Spanish bird", a "Welsh chick", and two "local lads" in a bar. The group apparently downed shots, then staggered back to the hotel's hostelry for a nightcap before bed and there was a "bit of snogging" before they went to "this dude's flat".

After arriving, Mr Beaton lays out in squalid detail his sleazy drug-fuelled orgy. In the message, he claims that: "Welsh has decided that I should actually be her boyfriend – Spanish has hooked up with one of the two local lads and is having her t*** sucked on their sofa.

"We've polished off a bottle of vodka at this place now and the girls are dancing topless, I've lost my shirt somewhere and one of the local lads produces a plate with a few lines of coke. So then there's a debate about who's [sic] chest is the best to do a bump off. Not going to lie, I may have started this with ulterior motives."

The woman who he sent the messages to appears to be impressed with his evening and replies "Babes that's wild" before Mr Beaton says: "That's the story of how I ended up snorting coke off a girl's t*** in Jo'burg."

He came to his senses when he thought things had gone too far and claims to have "rescued the girls" prior to taking them back to their hotel. But his night didn't end there. He added: "Stayed the night with Welsh, sha***d for aggges (I guess the coke played a part) and then was so f****d I couldn't even lift my head until gone 2."

A shocked co-worker raised the alarm after he revealed his dirty secret hours before Mr Beaton was due to co-pilot a flight from South Africa back to Britain.

Paul Donald