What would you do if you thought a person was posing as a pilot?

bubba · January 17, 2006

I have a friend in a southern state that was engaged to a guy that talked her into financing his fixedwing rating. He said that he flew parttime for the local sheriff department 2nd seat and was rated in helos.

Wanted to be dual rated and talked her into signing her life away to finance his school.

I being student started to ? some funny things he was saying and doing. Like he is 33 and had 7000hrs time in turbine and had only started flying like 5 years ago.

Cut to the chase the guy was a lie and a cheat and skipped town when she dumped him. But we got wind the other day that he was flying people around and that he was doing this for money and i can't find if he is rated or not and don't want somebody being killed because this guy lied his way into renting and aircraft and dupping somebody into beleiving he is rated.

So the ? is what would you do?

a94520 · January 17, 2006

Well, that's a bad situation.

You can do several things:

First, if you know the full name of the person, you can run it through the FAA website to see what kind of licenses he has. https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry/default.asp - you have to enter information about yourself before you can actually look up the guy's record. Be advised, the guy may have removed the data from the system - if he was so smart - as that can be requested.

Flying people around is serious business. In case he is flying too far away from the place of departure, he might be violating FAA rules. In case you can show proof that he is violating FAA rules, you may report him to the local FSDO, which will then have to take action on their own. An anonymous letter will do.

In case you find out, where the guy is renting from or working for, you might also contact the employer or operator. This is a very small community and nobody needs a crook within their lines.

7000 hrs in 5 years is, well, hard to believe. All is possible in this industry though, even that he "penciled" up his logbook.

Nat3hCFI · January 18, 2006

Here is another good site. http://www.avweb.com/databases/ you do not need to sign up or anything. Enter his info and you can find ratings. If he is not rated call the FAA.

EAGLE1 · January 19, 2006

Quick word of caution. Just because you do not find someone listed does not mean they do not have a license. I am very sensative about my information and I had my info removed by the FAA. It is not hard to do and others can do this as well.

Flying Pig · January 19, 2006

I would look into contacting the Sheriffs Department he said he flew with.

delorean · January 19, 2006

I used to know a guy that did the same thing--flying without a certificate. He owned an airplane and helicopter for the longest time.......didn't even hold a Student certificate. He gave rides, did photo flights, etc.

It is VERY hard for the FAA to anything to these guys, because the FAA can go after people's certificates. They can give fines and such through administrative action, but you have to be under their *administration* (i.e. hold a certificate issued by them) in order to get a fine.

Every state has laws against driving without a license, but they don't have anything written against flying without one. I guess they could get you on some other "public endangerment" tort.

mdash156 · January 19, 2006

I used to know a guy that did the same thing--flying without a certificate. He owned an airplane and helicopter for the longest time.......didn't even hold a Student certificate. He gave rides, did photo flights, etc.

It is VERY hard for the FAA to anything to these guys, because the FAA can go after people's certificates. They can give fines and such through administrative action, but you have to be under their *administration* (i.e. hold a certificate issued by them) in order to get a fine.

Every state has laws against driving without a license, but they don't have anything written against flying without one. I guess they could get you on some other "public endangerment" tort.

I am not sure about other states, but Virginia does have a law against flying aircraft without a certificate.

From the Code of Virginia:

§ 5.1-15. Operation of aircraft by unlicensed persons.

Any person who operates any civil aircraft within the airspace over, above, or upon the lands or waters of this Commonwealth, without being, at the time of such operation, in possession of a valid airman's certificate for such operation, issued under and in accordance with existing federal law shall be deemed to be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.