A Swede, who had been flying more than 13 years and logged more than 10,000 flying hours with a fake pilot's license, was arrested in Amsterdam as he prepared to fly a 737 with 101 passengers to Turkey.
I guess, since everyone is okay, we can laugh about it.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62334620100304?feedType=nl&feedName=usoddlyenough
If you can start it, you can fly it.
He must have been okay if the got through ten thousand hours without denting the goods.
There has to be more to the story. Maybe a prior license and didn't renew or something. You don't just starting flying big airplanes with no prior experience.
He apparently had a commercial license that had expired.
BBC reported that his expired license was for small aircraft, not large jets. Fake licenses, kids radioing instructions to pilots, what’s next…snatching American women from the curb at CDG (sorry…couldn’t resist)?
Commercial ticket can cover anything -- only means you can drive flying machine and be paid.
There has to be multi-engine and instrument ratings in there somewhere.
For anything over 12,500 pounds it takes an Airline Transport Pilot ticket plus rating in specific type; e.g., 737 and 747 are different types. Plus whatever company rules apply.
It's got to be fake log books as well; too much flight time in too few years.
Very strange.
What Ed refers to are FAA rules. However, this pilot was flying a Turkish airline.
One correction...you do not need ATP to fly aircraft over 12,500 lbs. You can have any license--private, commercial or ATP. (Travolta flies his own 707 and only has a private ticket.)
To "captain" an airliner over 12,500 lbs you need an ATP and type rating. Technically, the first officer only needs a commercial.
I read in one of the articles that he did the same thing in Sweden but fled the country before they could prosecute.
Frank II's correct. Tangled my fingers and brains: type rating's required for over 12.5, over 9 pass, and multiples of some kinds of engines. ATP is sked airlines.
Interestingly, I looked up Travolta's ticket at FAA. Best he's got is a private with single and multi engine land and instruments. He has a 707 endorsement with second in command privledges only -- meaning he has to have a qualified fellow in the other seat. Really odd, since I've seen pictures of him strutting around in a four-strip uniform. Kind of like wearing and admiral hat in your canoe.
You're right Ed...I knew about Travolta's flight limits on the 707 only I didn't want to bring it up. Not only does he need a qualified pilot with him, but he needs a qualified Captain.
And he keeps his parked in his backyard...seriously. He lives at Jumbolair in Florida located between Ocala and Gainesville. It's an aviation community where every home is connected by taxiway to the runway. His house looks like an airline terminal. And he keeps all three of his jets there.
He owns the plane, he can wear whatever whatever uniform he wants.
Here's a link to a photo of his home:
Travolta Airlines
