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?

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pandab34r@reddit

Getting away from the technical questions, if you ask them what their favorite plane that they flew was, or which plane they hated the most, they should be able to talk about it for days on end and have story after story after story about it if they are a real pilot with a lot of experience. If they have little or nothing to say about a particular plane, or only speak in very general terms, that would be a pretty big indicator of dishonesty IMO

[-]

Briflyguy@reddit

"What's that thing you steer the plane with?" Yolk.

"What's the highest you've flown?" Fail if they say anything other than 'feet' or 'flight level'.

[-]

Cessnateur@reddit

Yolk.

ಠ_ಠ

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Hot-Fox-8797@reddit

Ask him if the number 7700 means anything to him

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JSTootell@reddit

Not a hard one if you watch any aviation YouTube. I knew this before my first lesson.

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Zvenigora@reddit

Try 7600. That is less famous.

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PlaneShenaniganz@reddit

Then he’ll just stop responding tho

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owotwo@reddit

I got the joke

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Hot-Fox-8797@reddit

It’ll be the first thing a pilot who is regularly around aviation thinks of when they hear the number.

A non aviator who heard it once or twice will not immediately think of it when the number is thrown out without any context

[-]

FlyJunior172@reddit

7600 is probably a more reliable strategy. u/JSTootell is right about 7700 being reasonably common knowledge. But the other 2 emergency codes aren’t nearly as common knowledge.

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hallaa1@reddit (OP)

Can you provide me a bit more context to this fact? what kind of answer would you give?

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FlyJunior172@reddit

7600 - that plane has no radios.

There are three standard emergency codes worldwide for transponders. 7500 means hijacking. 7600 means lost communications (or lost comms or lost radios). 7700 is the general emergency code.

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hallaa1@reddit (OP)

Thanks, that seems universal enough that anyone who's a pilot should know it. Thanks.

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Hot-Fox-8797@reddit

Let us know his/her answer

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Worldly-Alternative5@reddit

Or the classics: 7700 priority landing anywhere; 7600 ATC mute buttton; 7500 F-16 escort on demand!

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Competitive-Ask5157@reddit

Hi Jack! I can't talk right now. I've got a problem.

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Hot-Fox-8797@reddit

Fair

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thetalkyshow@reddit

Nahh do 7500 and watch him squirm because 7700 is pretty common knowledge

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Hot-Fox-8797@reddit

If you’ve watched 9/11 docs then you prob know 7500

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Flytheskies81@reddit

Ask him about tenerife, or the gimli glider. I'd imagine a large majority of the actual pilot population knows about at least tenerife. Just hearing how he explains either of those and the terms he uses would be a good clue.

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3minence@reddit

What's a common door code combination to get into small airport rest areas?

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Thhe_Shakes@reddit

Shidd I was flying for 5 years before anyone told me that 😂

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x4457@reddit

Well that's because there are like a dozen of them and that's not at all universal.

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TheGacAttack@reddit

Yeah, but "CTAF" would be the most known go-to code to try first. The answer isn't the specific number.

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x4457@reddit

Nope. Have seen CTAF, tower frequency, weather frequency, 1200, 7700, 7500, 1234, 5678, and a bunch of others.

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TheGacAttack@reddit

Correct. I didn't say, nor did I mean to imply, that CTAF is the exclusive code for rural GA doors.

I think a reasonable person would agree that it's an extremely common code for those.

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N4bq@reddit

I was at an airport last week. I tried 121.5, CTAF, and ground freq. No joy. My home airport has cycled from emergency toCTAF to ground freq. to VFR squawk over the years.

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Bunslow@reddit

the one i landed at fortunately had it written on the lock

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Worldly-Alternative5@reddit

Yeah, though there are a few choices. Usually there’s a hint near the door.😎

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RangoonRocket@reddit

Ze CTAF

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PM_ME_YOUR_FOQA@reddit

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.

[-]

savageotter@reddit

These are good

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SombraMonkey@reddit

Happy cake day!

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digital_dyslexia@reddit

I would pay a lot of money to be a fly on the wall when this happens

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UpdateDesk1112@reddit

How many lines from Top Gun can he quote?

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Briflyguy@reddit

...Yes

We started up on his six when he pulled up through the clouds and then I moved in above him. "Well if you were directly above him then how could you see him." Because I was inverted.

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JSTootell@reddit

I haven't had time to watch it since I started flying rubber dogshit to Hong Kong 😭

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Briflyguy@reddit

This guy mavericks

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Swimming_Way_7372@reddit

I've never seen either top gun and I somehow became a pilot. I do know some lines from Airplane though.

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Lane_Meyers_Camaro@reddit

That's an entirely different movie. Altogether.

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FBoondoggle@reddit

Excellent user name. I want my $2.

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Lane_Meyers_Camaro@reddit

Mercy buckets!

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FBoondoggle@reddit

Go that way really fast! If something gets in your way, turn.

Said to my son when he asked me which way to go down the mountain.

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Lane_Meyers_Camaro@reddit

Does he realize what the street value of that mountain is?!

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Fragholio@reddit

That's an entirely different movie.

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sassinator13@reddit

I had the lasagna.

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sassinator13@reddit

That’s an entirely different movie.

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UpdateDesk1112@reddit

That’s an entirely different movie.

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Frost_907@reddit

Ask him about the difference between dynamic altitude and compressed altitude. If he knows what you are talking about and gives any sort of explanation then he’s a fraud.

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Purgent@reddit

Airman registry will unveil the truth.

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PlaneShenaniganz@reddit

Not in Peru it won’t

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mastrkents@reddit

Just plug his name and state of residence into the airman registry, and if he don't show up, he ain't a pilot

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goodatgettingbanned@reddit

I’m a legacy airline captain and I don’t show up.

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TristanwithaT@reddit

If you have a common name and you hide your address, you won’t show up, since filtering by state won’t work.

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KeyOfGSharp@reddit

I'd like to not show up. Any idea how?

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LowTimePilot@reddit

You can hide yourself / mark yourself private. I did because in the event I bend metal I don't want losers on Facebook to put my address out there like they did that poor FO in the Endeavor crash.

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SirKillalot@reddit

I know you can hide your address via https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/amsrvs/ . Then your address won't be displayed and you won't show up on any search that includes a location component, but you still show up on a search for just your name or name + cert number.

Is there a different way to hide your info entirely there? I wasn't aware there was a different option.

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LowTimePilot@reddit

I think that's the only way. I don't show up because my first and last are so common you need my cert number. If you've got a unique name, all you can do is hide your address.

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goodatgettingbanned@reddit

I can’t remember how I did it, it was a long time ago. But I’ve entered my info several times and nothing shows up.

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Mad_Rooster_7164@reddit

Peru's SIVLAM has listings: http://sivlam.mtc.gob.pe

But the issue here isn't aviation, or the boyfriend, it's your sister. It's like convincing a flat-earther, you're on a fools errand. Therapy might investigate why your sister doesn't see it or diagnose her as, say, borderline.

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TonPhanan@reddit

Wait... did he fly for Pan Am? Did he pass the Bar Exam in Louisiana while working as a medical doctor? Because I think Tom Hanks knows who this guy is.

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wing_walkrr@reddit

I concur!

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Schwalbe262Guy@reddit

Ask him what spiraling slipstream is.

Ask him what he is type rated in.

Ask him what p factor is.

Ask him what the 6 pack is. - that one is a good one.

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nkawtgpilot@reddit

I’ve been a professional pilot for 20 years and can only answer one of those…

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Face88888888@reddit

Tell me you flew the tweet without telling me you flew the tweet.

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insanityatwork@reddit

Spin recovery procedure. Everyone who has soloed will know it. Power off, ailerons neutral, rudder opposite direction, elevator to recover.

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wing_walkrr@reddit

PARE, yes!

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hamachired@reddit

its fwd elevator to break the AoA. Not elevator to recover

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insanityatwork@reddit

Sure, but answering OP who isn’t a pilot and needs some easy keywords to clue in on is probably best to be very general here. I think any pilot could throw out those four broad steps in about 5 seconds and that’s all OP needs.

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Main-Form5974@reddit

Is there a spin recovery for airliners?

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B777X_787-9@reddit

This

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Fragholio@reddit

Oh damn, this is a solid one OP.

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bobnuthead@reddit

Ask when his certificate expired. (It doesn’t expire, a pilot would explain this nuance and start saying “biannual” something something probably)

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Entire_Talk839@reddit

Biannual = 2 times per year Biennial = every 2 years

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Bunslow@reddit

bi- anything = every other anything

semi- anything = twice per anything

changing "annual" to "ennial" doesn't do shit

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Entire_Talk839@reddit

You are just flat out wrong. Biannual means it occurs twice a year. Biennial means it occurs every other year.

Words mean things. Maybe you should use a dictionary. Or don't and continue to sound like an idiot.

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Bunslow@reddit

Opinions vary. Any decent dictionary will note that usage and opinions vary, and that this "biannual-biennial" dichotomy is inconsistent with other use of the bi- prefix.

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Entire_Talk839@reddit

What are you talking about? Do you know how language works?? There is no opinion here. They are 2 different words and mean 2 different things.

The dictionary even states that people often use them interchangeably when, in fact, they are not interchangeable.

So, I say again, you are just wrong here. The fact that you can't admit that is honestly terrifying, and a terrible quality to have in a pilot. Enjoy your blissfully ignorant life. I'm done with this conversation.

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Bunslow@reddit

Do you know how language works?? There is no opinion here.

Language is, by definition, subjective. I'd say I "know how language works" better than you.

So, I say again, you are just wrong here. The fact that you can't admit that is honestly terrifying, and a terrible quality to have in a pilot. Enjoy your blissfully ignorant life. I'm done with this conversation.

It's a "terrible quality to have in a pilot" to be insulting others (internet or otherwise)

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bobnuthead@reddit

Exactly. I’m still waiting for someone contacting me about a flight review to either drop the “B” entirely, or at least use the correct word.

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Worldly-Alternative5@reddit

In the US there are three ways to have your certificate be invalid: Get it revoked for doing something exceptionally stupid, have had a paper one and not applying for the plastic one (though you have to be rather older for that case) or flunk a 709 checkride, probably because you were too overconfident despite not having flown for 30 years, and got your flight review pencil whipped. Or something like that.

[-]

Desirable_Username@reddit

If I were talking to my non-aviation mates / relatives about this, I probably would say it expires every two years and needs to be renewed just to simplify it. There's no point dumping the intricacies of aviation law / licences onto people who probably couldn't care less.

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x4457@reddit

It does expire outside of the US, and the person in question allegedly flew in Peru.

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bobnuthead@reddit

Seeing that comment now. I thought I nailed it :/

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the_silent_one1984@reddit

Yup. As soon as he starts with "Um, actually..." you'll know he's a pilot.

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wing_walkrr@reddit

Ask him what it means to taxi with your flaps down (specifically, a commercial flight).

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topsecret440@reddit

What is a stall? Answer: Exceeding the critical angle of attack

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cptnpiccard@reddit

A stall is when there is a separation of airflow over an airfoil, creating a rapid drop in lift-generation capacity. It happens when you exceed the critical AOA.

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Bunslow@reddit

Imma disagree. The word stall refers strictly to exceeding the critical AoA. The actual aerodynamics of what causes a critical AoA are irrelevant to the fact that the definition of a stall is strictly AoA.

Going on about flow separation is fairly irrelevant to pilots. All we need to care about is that it's the wrong side of the CL-vs-AoA curve.

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cptnpiccard@reddit

I'm sorry, I'm gonna write quick to the FAA, obviously the AFH, page 5-12 is wrong...

"A stall is an aerodynamic condition which occurs when smooth airflow over the airplane’s wings is disrupted, resulting in loss of lift."

[-]

Bunslow@reddit

The FAA gets plenty of things wrong, not the first or the last.

(Among other faults, that sentence suggests that non-laminar flow is always detrimental, while in fact vortex generators are a common part of STOL kits: turbulence can actually help keep the airflow attached longer.

As far as pilots care, separation is irrelevant. All we care about is being on the correct side of the CL-vs-AoA curve.)

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Clean-Flatworm-2818@reddit

That’s not what a stall is tho. Thats when a stall will happen!

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BillySpacs@reddit

u/topsecret440 outed! not a pilot

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topsecret440@reddit

I am a commercial pilot certificate holder in fact!

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C_Saunders@reddit

OP, can you please update us once you’ve tested him??? I’m here for the tea about the bf! 😂

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Checkeide-failure@reddit

Just ask for a photo from his job. Every pilot has a photo of them in uniform in their phone somewhere .

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hallaa1@reddit (OP)

He's shown a picture of him wearing a pilot's jacket before. Not in the cockpit, not even wearing a hat, just a picture of him wearing the jacket.

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unitedairforce1@reddit

what jacket, like a leather jacket? no pilot i know of wears a leather jacket, even the military ones, and every single pilot i know (including my uncle who isnt an avgeek) has pictures of them in the cockpit.

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TheGacAttack@reddit

what jacket, like a leather jacket? no pilot i know of wears a leather jacket,

My mom bought me a leather flight jacket after I earned my first certificate. It's an awesome jacket, and I definitely wear it often. But, you don't know me, and that's ok.

[-]

KualaLJ@reddit

Look up your local airports METAR & TAF reports on google and ask him to decode it. These are coded reports of the aerodromes current and forecast weather and if you’ve never seen one you’ll have no idea how to read it.

[-]

BarnackBro1914@reddit

If you know the person is "clearly lying," then why is your sister still dating him? Stop wasting your time playing detective and break-up with this person.

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VileInventor@reddit

You can search for him in the airman database, DM me and I can guide you through it or do it for you. So long as you’re in the US.

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hallaa1@reddit (OP)

He claims it was when he lived in Peru.

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the_devils_advocates@reddit

This was important info to include in the original post

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Mad_Rooster_7164@reddit

my girlfriend lives in canada

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Dirty_Power@reddit

I think we’re dating the same girl

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Mad_Rooster_7164@reddit

Okay let’s trade off on buying flowers.

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Small_Chicken1085@reddit

She’s a model…

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VileInventor@reddit

different school

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azpilot06@reddit

Made up girlfriend, made up country.

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HighVelocitySloth@reddit

Mine too. I wonder if they met

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aw_shux@reddit

How convenient.

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VileInventor@reddit

I got nothing for you then, sorry.

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x4457@reddit

https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry/

DM'ing this person not required. Here's the link, it's very self-explanatory.

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Av8torryan@reddit

Just ask about if he ever experienced a P Factor ? If you word it stupid it like that - it sounds like an event - - for a non pilot they have no clue - but every private pilot should know what that is . Right rudder! because of a left turning tendency due to the rotation of a prop .

[-]

radioref@reddit

I’ll tell you what, I’ve almost been sucked HARD into the P factor but I stomped my right foot down and got the hell out of there.

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MaterialDull9480@reddit

My ex had wicked P factor

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changgerz@reddit

it burns when i P factor

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ZappBrannigansLaw@reddit

Something something short pitot tube something something low manifold pressure

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No-Try3904@reddit

Good thing you managed to get away with your P intact

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Jiminpuna@reddit

As a flight attendant I have experienced p-factor many times. Fortunately some of our passengers walk into the bathroom wearing socks and soak it up.

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3Green1974@reddit

I was on a 14 hour flight from Dubai to Sydney on an A380. We were upstairs and had our own lounge area. Those Aussies were getting pretty liquored up. I don’t know if it was the liquor or what , but so many would go to the lav bare foot or in socks. Probably the single most disgusting thing I’ve seen in aviation.

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3Green1974@reddit

I love throwing out P Factor when I’m in recurrent.

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Nix_Nivis@reddit

Long cross country flights: Believe me, I've experienced the P factor. And keep a Gatorade bottle handy.

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CAVU_D@reddit

Acronyms and such don’t translate well. Propeller in Spanish is hélice.

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21MPH21@reddit

If he says no- a liar if he flew a prop .

Or he's like me and been out of the SE world for a LONG, LONG time. CFI Mikey would be embarrassed at CA Mikey's memory.

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Zathral@reddit

Not once..... I fly gliders

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SorryNoMic@reddit

Show us those right calves

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Indentured-peasant@reddit

Buoyancy compensator to make the wings float of course.

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International-Ad4578@reddit

Ask him what the Concorde is, what is the name of the 2 companies that made it and who are the 2 airlines that flew it.

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Acey_pilot@reddit

Here's some things that even a private pilot would know for sure.

What's the dew point spread for fog? A: 3 degrees (Celsius)

Speaking of temperatures, all pilots know that Fahrenheit and Celsius scales cross at -40°
So...."What's the Celsius temperature at -40• Fahrenheit?

What altitude does class A airspace begin? A: 18,000 ft

What's the speed limit in class C airspace? A: 200 kts

How long after a drink must you wait to fly? A: 8 hrs. Max BAC .04%

What makes an airplane turn? A: the horizontal component of lift.

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Mispelled-This@reddit

Much of that is specific to the US. OP’s pilot allegedly flew in Peru.

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Acey_pilot@reddit

Yeah, I should have read the whole thing before posting an answer. 👍

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Checkeide-failure@reddit

I'm an airline pilot and even I don't know most of this crap lol

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Acey_pilot@reddit

Me too, but I do a good bit of 61 training too.

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bowhunterb119@reddit

I’m a military pilot with a few dozen hours in civilian planes and I confidently knew two of these

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Carre_Munuts@reddit

Airspeed limits in class b and c airspace are laughable. I’ve never heard of them being enforced.

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Acey_pilot@reddit

Advise ready to copy a phone number

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slatsandflaps@reddit

Just ask him "Meow?"

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dking484@reddit

I had a guy tell me he was a CFI and that his dad owned an airport. The very same airport that I am the chairmen of the aviation Commision of.

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dakk33@reddit

Why wouldn’t he lie about being something cool instead?

Just kidding, but maybe ask him to show you his pilot certificate cause you’ve never seen one from Peru so it would be cool to see. Most retired pilots I know still keep theirs on them just cause it’s kind of a memento

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Ok-Entrepreneur-2924@reddit

What’s the emergency frequency?

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jackalcane@reddit

the same one we all meow on

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BellyButtonLintEater@reddit

Ask him what the emergency frequency is in Kilohertz or gigahertz. Any pilot would now it's megahertz. I'd also ask him about the local Frequencies for his home airport approach center etc. If he's been there for some time he'd know them by heart. Also ask him about memory items about his aircraft and generally type specific shit like what is the expected climb Gradient at sea level for your aircraft in oei and Isa atmosphere. Factoriced landing distance factor for cat a performance aircraft, what wake turbulence category an aircraft of 10 tons is...

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Ace_Ranger@reddit

1.21 gigawatts! This is what goes through my head every time I see or hear someone say the frequency.

Or 243 MHz...but that's less fun.

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ThatLooksRight@reddit

Great Scott!

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cptnpiccard@reddit

*jigowatts

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Flaky_Push8668@reddit

☝️ smart choice since that internally recognized. OP had mentioned in one of their responses that the bf was claiming to have been a pilot in Peru.

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unable_compliance@reddit

Meow

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throwaway8u3sH0@reddit

"Suck. Squeeze. Bang. Blow."

Ask him what that means.

[-]

lfgbrd@reddit

Only real pilots know how to pronounce "papa" on the radio.

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poisonandtheremedy@reddit

Does he like gladiator movies?

[-]

MinneapolisFitter@reddit

Ask him what a standard day is.

[-]

AeroTiu@reddit

Show him a metar

[-]

Punkrawk78@reddit

FU

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ghjm@reddit

Work "guard frequency" into the conversation. Then later say 122.5. If he doesn't correct you that guard is 121.5, he's not a pilot.

(121.5, known as Guard, is the emergency frequency for maydays etc when you don't have anyone else to talk to, or the frequency the fighters call you on to give you a last chance to turn away from the prohibited airspace before they shoot you down. Every pilot knows it.)

[-]

SerDuckOfPNW@reddit

Also a great place to go when you just gotta meow

[-]

Oregon-Pilot@reddit

Have them describe RNP

[-]

JayVerb78@reddit

He's from Peru, so it might be hard to know. Maybe something simple, like "does their.ATC speak English too?". English is the global language of aviation, but some countries will speak their native language to other natives. Everyone at ATC speaks English no matter where in the world.

If he was a US pilot that flew in Peru, just ask if he kept his license. If he says yes or no, without going into a lecture that it's a certificate and not a license, he wasn't a pilot.

But, it kind of sounds like he might be one, since you know about it. That's lesson #1 in flight school, that you must tell everyone you're a pilot, even if the conversation has nothing to do with it.

[-]

crimedog58@reddit

“What causes a stall?”

[-]

sgund008@reddit

Introduce him to another pilot and just watch

[-]

johnfkngzoidberg@reddit

Ask him if he’s ever had a 2700

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hallaa1@reddit (OP)

What's a 2700, and what would be a correct vs. lying response? Thanks.

[-]

CaptMcMooney@reddit

wow, let her make her own mistakes

[-]

matt2_03@reddit

A suspicious guy who claims to be a pilot from Peru. It’s not a zero percent chance that he was a cartel pilot. If that’s the case, he may not have had any formal training and may not know basic things like NWKRAFT.

[-]

West-Organization450@reddit

This was my first thought too! Should ask how many kilos of coke can be stuffed in the back of a clapped out 206 with one bad mag and still get out of a 900’ jeep trail/airstrip but also not disturb the drug lord’s prize fighting rooster Cassius who is riding on the barrel of a loaded Kalashnikov rifle laying on said pile of cocaine. That should be fairly common knowledge…

[-]

BandicootNo4431@reddit

I've been flying for 20 years, I had never heard that acronym before today.

[-]

Xyzzydude@reddit

How big is his watch and how many sub-dials and bezels does it have?

[-]

Open-Many8943@reddit

I was talking to a friend of mine recently whose brother was apparently doing part 141 training at a local school (which I also went to for a few ratings).

I am CFI now and haven’t flown there in over a year, but when I ran into his brother a few months back, I was just talking to him about DPE availability and how difficult it is to get scheduled for my II checkride, to which I noticed he responded with “yeah, it’s so hard to find DPEs.” which didn’t really resonate right with me, it just seemed off. Here where I am at, it’s not hard to find them, it’s just hard to get scheduled with them. But, oh well.

Fast-forward a few months, I was talking with that friend and another friend whose brother flies citations. We checked the registry because we couldn’t remember what his original type rating was for, and my friend wanted me to look at his brother’s profile on the registry, because allegedly he was done with Instrument training and already doing commercial training, but he had stated that anytime he would ask if his brother could fly with him for an hour or two, he would always give some excuse about how the school wouldn’t rent to him or some other excuse like that. Now, I know that’s not true, because I have solo rented from the school many times for currency/proficiency flying even after I was done training with them.

Anyways, we pull up his file on the registry and it still shows student pilot with a 1st class medical date of 2023. Immediate red flag not only because student pilot, but also because the school requires a 1st class for admission. So he called his mother to ask about if she had heard much on that front regarding his brothers flight training progress, and she actually had called him down from his room (Parents were letting him stay with them during college), and he fessed up right there that it was a lie and for the last like year and a half, he was showing up at the airport and just sitting in his car….. Awkward.

Aforementioned brother doesn’t speak to me anymore

so yeah, I would say if you bring up any questions about checkrides or DPE’s, it would probably become evident quickly.

[-]

Worldly-Alternative5@reddit

Ask who doesn’t need a transponder. Ask him something controller-related, like “do you get radar service terminated when you tell them you’ll cancel IFR on the ground? They do that to me all the time at Gaithersburg.”

[-]

bowhunterb119@reddit

That wouldn’t work for a VFR only pilot and who even knows what IFR is like in Peru. I’ve flown in other countries and they can treat IFR/related phraseology a lot differently.

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Worldly-Alternative5@reddit

It might even work for VFR pilots who regularly get flight following, but I take your point. But if he says “I don’t fly IFR”, ask how he deals with people doing a straight in at untowered fields. If he says “extend my downwind” then he probably is a pilot. If he says “fly a straight in too”, well….

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SnazzyStooge@reddit

“ I planned to land R28C, but approach changed my landing to R27L. What direction did the wind change?”

Answer: these are both parallel runways, and they both land towards the west. This means the wind is coming from the west for both runways, the wind didn’t actually change at all, approach just happened to be using one runway vs the other.

This is an extremely simple question, literally any pilot who has completed ground school would know the answer but seems complicated for anyone unfamiliar. The only caveat: this dude may be familiar enough with aviation to fake easy questions, like if he worked as a refueling agent at an airport there are lots of little things he could pick up on. But photos are the key, any pilot will have lots of selfies with airplanes.

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Brief-Visit-8857@reddit

Ask him if he has ever experienced a VOR. Or what’s ATOMATOFLAMES, IMSAFE. Or NWKRAFT.

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phliar@reddit

I do not teach TOMATO FLAMES and their ilk. In my opinion mnemonics are only for things you need to quickly remember while in flight; inop equipment is not one of them. Ditto preflight actions. If you're on the ground you can look at your cheat sheet.

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Sad_pilot12@reddit

You’d be surprised at the amount of pilots that just got their CFI and forgot what ATOMATOFLAMES is. When I interviewed CFIs for my flight school this was one of the first questions I would ask. About 1 out of every 3 would have trouble with it. Even had one ask me if he could use his FAR/AIM and still couldn’t give me the right answer!! Should’ve killed the interview right there and then but decided to do the whole interview so I could give him some advice instead of just rushing him out the door.

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happierinverted@reddit

Ask him to explain the difference between a slip and a skid.

Oh wait a minute, I know quite a few pilots that have trouble with that one ;)

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cptnpiccard@reddit

If he has no time to research, ask him what's the guard frequency, and what pilots like to do there.

If he says "121.5" and "cat noises", he's one of us.

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Mispelled-This@reddit

Meowing is specific to the US. OP’s pilot allegedly flew in Peru.

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hallaa1@reddit (OP)

would the 121.5 still work there?

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Random61504@reddit

Yes.

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SirBowsersniff@reddit

Definitely not specific to US. There are assholes everywhere.

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Lumberjack-1975@reddit

Ask to see his pilot license. I’m retired but I still have it in my wallet.

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GrandMasBushidoBrown@reddit

Ask him whats the magic words to enter class b airspace or if he needs oxygen above 12,500

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bowhunterb119@reddit

Probably what the standard altimeter setting is (in millibars or inches of mercury depending where you are), the emergency squawks and frequencies (7500, 7600, 7700), 121.5 which are pretty standard worldwide including Peru.

If he did a lot of his flying out of one airport, surely he’d know off the top of his head what the runway number(s) were at that airport or the airports identifier

Asking specifics about the type of aircraft he supposedly flew would maybe be more helpful if you suspect he was a pilot but not a formally trained/legal pilot, i.e. he was a smuggler or something.

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cargocapt@reddit

There is a easy way to tell if he is a US pilot. Just go search for certificates under his name on the FAA airmen certification website. Here is the link. https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/interactive_airmen_inquiry

All pilots with a US rating are listed there. And it’s public info. Just plug in his last name and it will give you a list. I’m as locked down as possible, literally in a government protection program, but you can still find my certificates under my name just not my address.

Even if he was a pilot and had his certification revoked he will still show up.

If he does not come up he’s full of shit. If he does you’ll know what you need to know.

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Mispelled-This@reddit

OP’s pilot allegedly flew in Peru.

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yvery@reddit

Do you steer the plane on the ground with the steering wheel?

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Cessnateur@reddit

You do if you're in an Ercoupe!

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ltcterry@reddit

"What's that cool code airports use to get into the bathroom?"

Answers would be 122.8, "the local frequency," CTAF, or similar.

But... you can just look him up in the FAA's pilot database.

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MattheiusFrink@reddit

inb4 F.L.A.M.I.N.G.T.O.M.A.T.O.E.S.

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Checkeide-failure@reddit

If you ask what he flies and he says "a Boeing" without specifying a type (e.g., "the 737-800"), that’s suspicious. Pilots are usually very specific about their exact model.

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JSTootell@reddit

Everyone would know about the C150 superiority.

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Street-Committee-367@reddit

C150s are obviously superior to a C130.

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14Three8@reddit

“What was your route?”

“How often did you switch between the Boeing and the airbus?”

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Recent-Day3062@reddit

Here’s an easy one from an old game show that came up.

Ask him how do you stay in the air and land in an emergency if the battery goes dead?

Once the engines are going, you don’t need the battery at all. In fact, the engines are charging the battery. It’s actually the same as a car, but all pilots know this - though very few motorists have any clue.

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Checkeide-failure@reddit

How many STDs did you get from banging the flight attendants back in your prime as a new FO?

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retiredaaer@reddit

Ask him what ICAO stands for.

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Sad_pilot12@reddit

Meow at him and see if he meows back.

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Kotukunui@reddit

There’s not really a perfect answer to this. I’ve known guys who have never been pilots, but know all the minutiae of aviation because they are probably way high on the spectrum and have an obsession.
I’ve been flying for 30+ years but some of these “planespotters” can spit facts that have me scratching my head and discretely hitting Google to check.

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e_pilot@reddit

What kind of planes have you flown?

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x4457@reddit

The person in question was allegedly a pilot in Peru. Respond accordingly.

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skyHawk3613@reddit

Not to go to a bar wearing a uniform

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ashtranscends@reddit

Ask him if he’s ever seen a grown man naked

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DooDooCrew@reddit

I came here for these types of answers.

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experimental1212@reddit

What frequency do you meow?

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HighVelocitySloth@reddit

If he is in the US look him up on the airmen’s registry. Unfortunately people can know quite a lot about flying if they are into flying. A MSFS pilot with no experience can answer a lot of questions to sound real. Why did he “use to be a pilot?”

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HighVelocitySloth@reddit

If he is in the US look him up on the airmen’s registry. Unfortunately people can know quite a lot about flying if they are into flying. A MSFS pilot with no experience can answer a lot of questions to sound real. Why did he “use to be a pilot?”

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Adorable-Meeting-120@reddit

Ask him what the first certificate he got was. It should be a medical or a student certificate. If he answer at Private pilot then I would be more suspicious.

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FishrNC@reddit

When I started training I don't recall that there was anything required beyond $$ until you were ready to solo, then have a medical.

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Mispelled-This@reddit

Back in the day, the student cert and medical were combined.

But that is US-specific, and this pilot allegedly flew in Peru. We don’t know how it works there, or what years we’re talking about.

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Ok-Door-4991@reddit

How much does a USA Today cost?

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RevolutionaryRun7744@reddit

What does the red knob do?

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Catch_0x16@reddit

Ask him what it's like to fly close to a 'Cb', suggest you've "heard it's pretty breathtaking".

A 'Cb' is a cumulonimbus cloud and for most of not all aircraft, flying close to one is a pants-shiteingly bad experience, often fatal.

If he responds with something like "oh yeah man, it's pretty beautiful up there" he's a Barry bullshitter. If the blood runs from his face and he says something like "it's terrible and you die" then he at least knows his met.

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mzincali@reddit

Meow?

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EvelioCigar@reddit

How many hours does he have?

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TrickBit27@reddit

Say the phrase “Hi Jack, I can’t hear you, I’m dead” and see how he responds

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Gold-Speaker4057@reddit

Peruvian drug pilot?

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pronghornpilot@reddit

What kind of pilot does he claim to have been?

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Ok_Currency_787@reddit

On what frequency do you meow?

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VileInventor@reddit

1234

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EnvironmentalDiet552@reddit

lol legit a perfect one 😂

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fflyguy@reddit

La Guardia tower?

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rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

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?

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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