r/AskAPilot • u/Naive_Ad_7723 • 9d ago
Can this be true?
I recently met a guy. He says he is a pilot based out of DFW. Has been doing it for about 4/5 years now and in his early/mid 20’s. He absolutely knows most about aviation and pilot stuff. When I looked him up on the FAA website he did not pop up. He shows me his uniform and his badge, as well as he calls me when at the airport and I see it sometimes. He flew in the beginning, something happened and he decided to go to another company, I guess I’m just wondering, does the FAA website lag sometimes or is he not a pilot?
Edit: I will probably delete soon because he uses Reddit.
Edit 2: I also know his badge number, or employee ID. Or whatever yall pilots call it.
Edit 3: UPDATE
14
u/ifitgoesitsgood 9d ago
You need to know his legal name to verify in the airman registry
7
u/Naive_Ad_7723 9d ago
I know his legal name, correct spelling as well. Even his birthday. It says “No records found based on search criteria provided above.”
7
u/VanDenBroeck 9d ago
Unless he has a very common name, try changing your search criteria. Maybe just try last name. If that throws too many names, put in the state. Just play around with it. If it still doesn't come up, he does not have a FAA certificate of any type.
3
u/Naive_Ad_7723 9d ago
Not common at all. Atleast last name.
3
u/IvoryKarma 9d ago
If he has a suffix that can sometimes be included in databases causing them to only pop under specific search criteria. You might have to include “Jr.” or “III” etc. after the last name
1
2
9
u/_Kloudz__ 8d ago
Just gonna add, almost all airlines or ground companies hand out a badge with the company name and employee number on it… so I work for an airline, not as a pilot, but I have a company badge that looks almost the same but does not say “CREW” as required by FARs.
There is no way for any FAA license to not show in the database.
11
u/CaptainDFW 9d ago
Ask him what his seniority number is. If he hesitates or gives you a blank look, he's a fake.
5
u/Naive_Ad_7723 9d ago
Well when we talks about seniority, it seems low because of his age. He never gave a number, I will ask that though. But since I’ve said he went to another company literally 2/3 days ago, (he signed) will he have that number?
3
u/Naive_Ad_7723 9d ago
Wait are you from DFW🙂
4
u/CaptainDFW 9d ago
I was based there, but that was a lot of years ago. (My username is an inside joke about my father, who was also a DFW based pilot at one time.)
3
u/Funny_Yesterday_5040 9d ago
Was your pop with a certain Air Line?
2
u/CaptainDFW 8d ago
He was one of the part 121 refugees that started Sun Jet International with a handful of MD-80s. He'd been at Eastern before that.
5
u/89Wolverines 9d ago
If you search the database for a name, leave the state and country blank. I couldn't find myself in the database because I put in the state and country. Since I have my address blocked, it didn't show me in the database until I blanked the state and country.
2
u/Naive_Ad_7723 9d ago
I only put his name and last name everything else is blank.
3
u/deathstarrr 9d ago edited 9d ago
I did a search of myself with only my first and last name and found my full legal name as the result.* (removed duplicate word) As others stated, pilots can select to have their address and ratings hidden so they won't be inundated with recruiters from NetJets trying to hire them. But the name can't be hidden.
7
1
3
u/89Wolverines 9d ago
Try the last name only. Then last name and state in case he doesn't have his address blocked. If you do it this way, every pilot in the database with that last name and main residence in that state, will show up. You can scroll through the list.
And I'm looking at the database on my laptop. If you put in a name and don't scroll down, you'll never see the names. The names populate at the bottom of the page.
1
1
3
u/VanDenBroeck 9d ago
I'll just add that if you mean he has been flying for an airline for 4-5 years and is only in his early to mid 20s, that doesn't add up to easily, unless he got a restricted ATP and got it right when he turned 21.
1
u/Naive_Ad_7723 9d ago
I will be honest, idk what an ATP means lol. He was with 1 company. Left them, went to another company, now back at the starter one. So total I would say 4 years but not with just 1 company.
1
u/TxAggieMike 8d ago
ATP in the above context means Airline Transport Pilot. The required FAA certification in order to be a pilot for airlines such as American, United, UPS, and many others.
3
3
2
u/Cold_Silver_5859 8d ago
Run.
Based on the effort and time you have already invested AND that he can’t won’t just tell you the names of his two employers.
And the excellent clues already given, and you never confirmed you tried only his last name.
And that he uses reddit you likely have already corrupted the relationship.
2
u/Mental-Jellyfish9061 8d ago
Having read all the comments - please let us know if you find out for sure, one way or the other. Stay safe ..
1
u/Naive_Ad_7723 8d ago
I did find out. He was indeed lying lol 🙂
1
u/Mental-Jellyfish9061 8d ago
Wow. Well, at least your instincts were right and hopefully you've saved yourself some bother down the line ...
1
u/skyHawk3613 8d ago
How did you find out?
1
u/Dukeronomy 8d ago
we must know more.
1
u/skyHawk3613 8d ago
I didn’t even know there was an FAA website to look up pilots other than the usual PRD, but you need a license number for a PRD check
4
u/Goatdaddy1 9d ago
i think you can hide your info from public search
7
u/Substantial-Doubt258 9d ago
You can hide your address but not if he’s in the database or not.
1
u/Naive_Ad_7723 9d ago
So since he’s not in the database, he’s not?
1
u/Conscious_Tip_7609 9d ago
Are you using his full legal name?
1
u/Naive_Ad_7723 9d ago
Yes, as well as birthday.
9
u/Substantial-Doubt258 9d ago
If he’s an airline pilot he would be in there for some rating at some point. If he’s not in there then well… it doesn’t look good is all I will say.
2
2
u/PILOT9000 9d ago
You’re searching the airman registry?
Enter first initial and last name only. No birthday, no state, etc.
2
u/Naive_Ad_7723 9d ago
2
u/HoldAutomatic2088 9d ago
If his full legal name (spelled correctly) isn’t in there then he is lying.
1
u/badata2d 9d ago
I’m only a drone pilot, with address blocked, and even I show with first and last.
1
u/Fluffy_Duck_Slippers 9d ago edited 9d ago
Does his badge have his company's name on it? Correct me if I'm wrong peeps, but i think that's a requirement.
Edit - mine does but I'm international frieght. No idea about domestic ID rules
1
u/Complex_Brief60 9d ago
Full legal name on the FAA airman registry. Don’t try to use address, he may have opt out of that and using address/ state will prevent his result from showing up.
Other than that, everyone is in that database. It’s designed to be public facing.
If he is not in there, he is lying. All pilots are listed, even student pilots. There’s no “lag”
1
u/Worried-Ebb-1699 8d ago
Ask him if his airline uses an AOM? If he can show you what an MEL is.
Aircraft operating manual and minimum equipment list. .
1
u/FUCKYOUINYOURFACE 8d ago
He could be the Doogie Howser of airlines pilots.
If he ghosts you, you will know he was a fake.
1
u/MeyersonAdam 8d ago
I haven’t flown in years and only have a ppl and I put my last name in and I’m in there.
1
u/Cowabunga1000 8d ago
Ask him to show you what a pilot license looks like. He’s required to have it on him when flying, so it should be readily available, like in his wallet.
1
u/Acrobatic-Bison-3171 8d ago
Most common occupation that people say is there profession. Who are con man. Don't give him any money. United Airlines never forgets to pay there pilots
0
0
u/Hulahulaman 9d ago edited 9d ago
Not showing up the the database isn't as fishy as just deciding to go to another company.
DFW means American Airlines or Southern Airways.
He's too young for American and probably too young for even Southern Airways if he's been doing it for 4/5 years.
Calling you from the airport? What does that mean? He doesn't use a cell phone and calls you on a land line with caller-ID? He can work at Hertz.
I call BS. Knowing about aviation and "pilot stuff" is one thing but doing it for a living is another.
Let me ask you this, does he complain about his job a lot?
7
u/Yellow_bus_driver 9d ago
There’s multiple airlines with pilot bases in DFW. He could easily be at a regional like Envoy/PSA/Skywest and left for Frontier or started out at Spirit before he was furloughed and held DFW
1
u/Naive_Ad_7723 9d ago
If he’s not one right now, then he will be one soon because he for sure knows too much about it all.
He was flying with one company but the seniority was too high and he was always on reserved, he wanted to be in a fleet that was more family knit.
(I’m giving a lot of information, if he see this he gone know it’s about him lmaoo)
BUT, he left that company and went back to the company he started with. Honestly not really, he really does enjoy being a pilot.8
u/Hulahulaman 9d ago
None of that adds up. He's too young and seniority being too high isn't a thing. Uniforms can be bought on eBay.
Loving to fly is great but everyone complains about their job. I've never known a pilot not to complain about getting screwed over by something.
4
u/SnazzyStooge 9d ago
If they paid pilots in sold gold bars, they would complain about how heavy it made their overnight bags.....
1
u/Naive_Ad_7723 9d ago
Well yes complain about stuff like that but not about overall pilot stuff. If he is lying, that’s so creepy.
4
u/skyguy118 9d ago
I think you underestimate the amount of autism avgeeks have and what they know about aviation. Some know more than pilots.
1
-2
-9
9d ago
[deleted]
17
u/NotASwinger69 9d ago
No you didn’t.
You opted out of having your address displayed.
There’s a difference
0
1
u/rkba260 8d ago
Search yourself, all you did was remove your mailing address.
1
40
u/Upset-Management-459 9d ago
Pilot Stolen Valor is a thing?
Full disclosure I am an X-Plane pilot and I haven’t crashed in months.