This poses a problem, as she just turned 18 this past week and now has a criminal record. Long story short, her friend pressured her into popping something into her purse and walk out of a Walmart with it.

That is pretty minor and won't stop you from getting a commercial aviation job in North America. An airline, frac, or large charter company won't even pull your wife's info or ask about her criminal record during your interview(s). It is none of their business and most boards find it passe. Keep your personal record clean especially, DUI/DWI and drugs. A simple MJ conviction will keep you out of the regional's or majors and you will be stuck flying Falcon 20's for an outfit like Cherry Air. BTW I am not bagging on Cherry, I have a good friend who is a check Capt now, but he is stuck there because he got nailed for MJ at 18. Also your driving record should be spotless and expect to answer questions if it is not. You can even pass an SF-86 (security clearance) here in the states with a spouse having a petty criminal record and a mother coming from a communist nation. My wife passed her own clearance with a petty crime record. :( The airlines are hiring a person who makes good decisions. If you are clean then you make good decisions, however if you have 10 speeding tickets then they might look at your differently. Good luck on marriage and aviation. Both are an great adventure that can kill you if you don't respect it. :(

As others have noted, it is your behaviour and record which is judged when background checks are made, so don't worry about it. I could bang on about your age, and being sure she's the right one for you etc, but I'm sure you've heard enough of that from others, so all I will say is good luck and I hope it works out.Al

Marrying the right woman will definitely affect your flying career. You're still quite young, so there's really no need to hurry. But when you're sure you've got it right, there's no need to wait, either.But you have to be totally honest with her and with yourself. You're going to be gone. A lot. And you're going to be coming and going at all strange hours of the day and night. And at times it'll feel like you don't have much control over your life. And if you go the way most guys go, you're going to be really, really poor for a long, long, time.At the beginning of my career (not that long ago), someone told me "aviation is a fickle mistress who will one day leave you for a guy who's younger, handsomer, and can pass a flight physical." It might be after a long time, and it might be after a short time. But there WILL come a day when you no longer can or even want to fly for a living. And when that day comes, it'll make all the difference in the world what kind of woman you have to go home to. If you're lucky, you'll have a family and a rich, full life ahead of you and plenty of other skills and interests. You'll make great friends in aviation, but none of that will matter nearly as much as your domestic situation. So be sure you get that part right.And flying is great, but make sure you've got some other marketable skills, too. If you're going to do an "aviation science" program, plan on getting your MBA or something as soon as you can when you're done. Or go to college for something that'll give you in-demand, "hard" skills you can apply to another industry, like engineering or computer science, and then get your ratings on the side.Just my .02.

Your Girlfriend will need to be in touch with an organization like this one when all the dust settles, They are not far from Mississauga:http://www.pardons.org/Her record is minor and she can get a pardon under Canadian Law for this. That record can be completely removed for her in time. In the future probably better to just ask Canadians for advice because Canadian laws are different then in the USA and over in the UK.Also get legal advice for her before she ever attempts to travel to any country. If she tries to enter the USA she could be flagged. Later when she gets a pardon she will still have a flag in the TSA that will have to be addressed.Cheers

Here is the website with everything you/she will need to know, what she needs is a Record Suspension in three years from the offence:http://pbc-clcc.gc.c...ervic-eng.shtmlAfter three years she can have the record removed because it was not a violent act or sexual act or involving minors...etcShe is only 18 so by 21 years old she can have a clean slate....Life goes on.Cheers