A civilian Walt?Not sure where to post.

[clunckdriver]

I operate a medium twin for our own company use and charity flights, recently I needed to go once around the patch to check on a minor transponder snag, we only fly two crew with pax so not wanting to call out my F/O on a day of for a few minutes flight I simply asked if anyone wanted to keep the right seat warm, a fellow said he would like to go, so I asked him his aviation background, he produced a buisiness card which gave many type endorsments after his name, my reply to him was, "Great, I will buy lunch when we finish", and of we went, after I had done the function test of the TXP I asked him if he would like to fly it, {CAVOK +++} he replied that he would, all went OK till about one mile back, at this point we started to go very flat, I mentioned this to him and recieved no response, on looking across at him I saw a "deer in the headlights look" and recieved no response from him, even when I said in a fairly loud voice that I had controll, after landing he finally let go of the yoke but still had the 1,000 mile stare and was totally silent. After shut down he still was being a bit odd so I asked him if he was OK, no answer, now to cut a long story sideways it turns out he has indeed taken numerous simulator courses at some pretty good outfits,{and has proof of same} but has NEVER flown a real aircraft, have any of you instrutor folks on this thread ever seen the likes of this? And by the way, dont tell me I should have dug a bit deeper, I already worked this out!

[500 above]

I had one once turn up for a trial lesson in a full flight suit complete with a bone-dome.

[TriBeCa]

Once took someone up on a trial lesson. I think he was in his mid forties. He'd never left the ground before. That was the first time I ever saw someone try to hold on to the inside door of a Cessna 152.


It was a pleasure to take him up though.

[Big Pistons Forever]

I had a Walt once who wanted to some float flying in our Cessna. He showed me his 2 month old float rating and a log book with 10 hours of float dual training. It soon became apparent he did not have the faintest clue how to fly a float plane and I cut the flight short after saving our lives for the third time in the first 30 minutes.

Never saw the guy again but I wonder how he actually managed to get the rating added to his license without from what I could see ever actually flying a float plane.....

[MartinCh]

BPF, try the surprise of finding out Canadian commercial licence holder (albeit helicopters) had no clue about the meaning/importance of hold short lines.
That's after trying to bust it 30% down the runway, impatiently trying to cross, with C150 after touching down and rolling. OR, thinking it's OK to hover within hold short lines at single runway GA airport with bizjet touching down shortly afterwards (turbulence hazard).

Yeah man, I do get why some Europeans or Australians have certain attitude towards FAA and US based pilots, but I had plenty surprises as junior instructor while back. Not implying Canadian system's bad, but if some people are slipping through 'net' of education and more, well, not so certain.
We all forget this or that, obscure information crammed for theory exams (me myself, going through European ATPL theory/question banks), but some things cannot be forgotten without suffering amnesia.

[clunckdriver]

MartinCh, one must remember that due to the size and geography of Canada there are many very good pilots who may not land or operate at an airport for their whole life once they are finished training, however they are for the most part the folks you want looking for you if you are down in the trees, a few questions will normally get the information one needs if they are to fly at a busy airport, on the other side of the coin folks from down South seem to kill themselves with regular monotony when trying to fly in remote areas up North.