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Fake airline pilot 'landed planes at Gatwick'

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A man who forged pilot's qualifications to get a job as a commercial airline pilot is believed to be on the run after failing to turn up at court. Pretty impressive, when you think about it. (www.bbc.co.uk) More...

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bentwing60
bentwing60 6
Doesn't exactly look like Leonardo Di'Caprio, ehh.
Moviela
Ric Wernicke 2
He does, however, look like the guy Leo played in "Catch Me if You Can."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Abagnale

I think he has a medical problem he is papering over. He also has that problem with sticky fingers in respect to charity donations at the ALPA. That should get you on everyone's S list.
onceastudentpilot
tim mitchell 1
He actually became a success
chalet
chalet 1
What are you talking about, Di Caprio for all his looks could not fly a lawnmover or a wheelbarrow, this guy is the real deal, man. (LIMAO!!!)

Derg
Roland Dent 1
Hah..they will NEVER catch me.
dtw757
mike SUT 3
He originally flew for Northwest Airlines and became a treasurer for the ALPA MEC whereupon he embezzled a couple of hundred thousand dollars paid by his fellow pilots through assessments to help the (Real) Eastern Air Line pilots back in the mid to late 1980s who went out on strike against Lorenzo. He did time for it. I believe this is not the first time his name has come up for "not telling the truth" in hiss employment. A real piece of work

[This poster has been suspended.]

dtw757
mike SUT 5
EVERY NWA pilot knew him in 1985. A lot of us were put in bad standing with the union because OUR assessment checks went straight to his account, not ALPA's. We were a Union shop (still are) and couldn't work if you weren't ALPA member. Funny part is that he was convicted of a felony, for which you can't keep your licenses .
I made one misquote above. This happened in 1993 and he took money from our Seniority Merger fund, not the EAL pilot assessment fund. We paid a lot of assessments back then, they all run together. After he got out of his one year sentence, there was rumor of him flying for Korean Air Lines until they got wind of his "character" and lack of licenses. Always wondered what happened to him...now I know.
onceastudentpilot
tim mitchell 2
The article says he is a former USAF pilot......Due to the lack of info I wonder what ended his flying career there and why he couldn't transition into civil aviation.
jp500
Jon Potter 2
Idiot could have killed many people.
vcollazo
The man is a thief and scoundrel. I too was a pilot at NWA when he violated our trust and stole from us. Had he been honorable he could have finished his career at NWA/DELTA and retired.

[This poster has been suspended.]

Derg
Roland Dent 1
They let 'em out after a year...
AWAAlum
AWAAlum 1
Where did you see that, Roland? What I got from the article is that he didn't show up, was sentenced to 3 years because of that, and is still on the loose. They stated it is believed he's left the UK and "The force is working with the Civil Aviation Authority and overseas law enforcers to bring him back to serve his sentence."
Derg
Roland Dent 1
Obviously an out of work Thesbian.
ginbudjim21
ginbudjim21 1
Is this the same Michael Fay who was sentenced to public lashing in Singapore for key scratching cars as a teenager back in the late 80's ??!!
JosephVazzo
Joseph Vazzo 1
American? More likely some old, old, former WWII RAF chap cruising around waiting for his fighter escort?
aviacrews
Robert Allen 0
He was not exactly a "fake airline pilot" as the headline indicates. He was and is an experience pilot. I know of several pilots that have lost FAA licenses due to failure to report a DUI/DWI arrest...in order to feed their family, put their kids through school, etc, they have had to do what needed to be done to get a flying job elsewhere. In this case, what does stealing from the union have to do with his flying ability. I understand the reg about "upstanding moral character" but any airline pilot knows that would eliminate half of the industry if truly imposed!
Derg
Roland Dent 1
Oh common guys we all know of gifted people who can do the job a damnn site better than some with the paper tickets...
Pitseraf
Pedri Boggiani 1
Absolutely true boy....So many years ago, I was one of them... When necessity obliges... You know... All those guys, enjoy good health and are professional
Derg
Roland Dent 1
Yup..agreed
socalplanedoc
Bill Monroe -1
competently doing what he has to do to provide for his family...

sounds pretty upstanding to me.
AWAAlum
AWAAlum 2
You're making a lot of assumptions...you don't know his motivation. And piloting a commercial aircraft illegally doesn't sound "upstanding" to me.

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