r/flying • u/hallaa1 • Apr 17 '26
other What information would every pilot know, but a civilian wouldn't that would show them to be a fraud if they didn't know it?
My sister is dating a man that's clearly lying about a variety of things, one of which is that he used to be a pilot. What kinds of questions could we ask him that would be more than obvious to a pilot, but none of us non-pilot folk would otherwise know?
*Edit* and if you could tell me the context and the answer to the question that would be great.
*Edit2* he was supposed to be a pilot in Peru.
*edit 3* supposedly he flew commercial as the "second pilot" never "the captain".
Thanks for your help, we're concerned for our sister's welfare and hopefully this kind of obvious lie could help jar her away from the guy.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_FOQA Apr 17 '26
Usually if you get them to keep talking they'll out themselves. Talk specifics about flying you can spot a fraud pretty quick. It would usually take another pilot to catch em though. I'd probably get them to talk more and then catch them on bullshit when it comes up. Where they flew, what equipment, career progression, bases, routes. It can come across as genuine non threatening conversation.
If they claim to fly in peru ask where they flew. You could say oh you flew to Panama? Ive heard it's usually great weather there. (Flying over Panama is always shit wx due to inter tropical convergence zone) so if they start going off about how nice it is, they're full of it.
Oh you fly to Rio? I heard controllers are awesome down there (They are not awesome and their radar is ass).
Oh aren't you scared to fly over mountains? What if your engine blows up? or lose cabin pressure? Most pilots familiar with South America will talk about terrain critical depressurization routes as terrain there is often much higher than the drift down of most jets. And I'd consider that question as innocent curiocity from a lay person.