Captain Mike Danford
Co-Founder, Pilots for HIMS Reform
Mike.Danford@pilotsforhimsreform.org
Mike Danford decided he was going to fly at the age of nine after seeing photos from his father’s service aboard the USS America. He soloed on his 16th birthday and set his sights on the U.S. Naval Academy, where he graduated in 1988. By 1991, he had earned his Wings of Gold and went on to fly S-3B Vikings in the fleet and serve as a TA-4J Skyhawk instructor, completing 250 carrier landings during his naval career.
Mike began his airline career in 1999 with American Eagle before joining Delta Air Lines just six months later. In early 2017, after a DWI, he was told by ALPA that his only option was to enter the HIMS program. He complied and returned to the flight deck nine months later. But three months after his return, he was notified of a “split” ETG result—not a true positive—and was directed to take a PEth test by finger prick. Confident in his sobriety, Mike agreed. The PEth result came back positive. Despite denying any alcohol use or incidental exposure, he was given just three days to report for 100-day inpatient treatment—or be fired. His chief pilot told him it didn’t matter whether he drank or not: he would either comply or be terminated. Delta and ALPA discouraged further testing.
Refusing to accept a flawed process, Mike obtained three forensically valid follow-up tests—each proving the original PEth result was inaccurate. FAA medical officials agreed: the single PEth result, contradicted by forensic data, did not prove relapse. Still, Delta moved forward with termination. Arbitration upheld the decision, citing a violation of the HIMS agreement. Mike’s medical was reinstated by the FAA without further restriction—but his airline career was over.
Unwilling to be silenced, Mike turned his energy to rebuilding. Over the years that followed, he renovated four hotels, installed structural repairs in a denim factory, built custom cabinetry, ran a Part 61 flight school (later certified under Part 141), operated a Part 135 repair station, earned his A&P mechanic certificate, obtained his MEI and seaplane ratings, and flew 121 cargo ops—including MD-80s—across the U.S., internationally, and in Alaska. He now works as a civil service simulator instructor for the U.S. Air Force T-6A UPT program.
Mike is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and earned his Wings of Gold in 1991. Known by his callsign “Tools,” he is a devoted father and family man who loves woodworking, fishing, and anything that involves building, fixing, or flying. Whether he’s restoring aircraft, crafting furniture, or teaching others to fly, Mike’s hands-on approach reflects the same determination and problem-solving mindset that drives his advocacy for reform.
“The truth behind this system only came to light because I no longer had a job to protect. That freedom turned into purpose—and that purpose became Pilots for HIMS Reform.”