I know of at least 5 other backenders that have appeared in the news as "pilots"
It's the media....9/10 they get the *****ing aircraft wrong. To the desk jockey typing this sh1te, a man, or woman, who flies is a pilot. Period.
Jackincko...if you're reading, I don't mean you. I'm not talking about aviation specialists.
As for the aforementioned chap...bad form discussing him (again!) this way on Pprune; don't know why it is not moderated out.
And for the record, he is/was both dry man and civvie pilot, as are many others.