Dream on Inciter, my flying has been Europe, Middle and Far East, nothing in Oz or NZ and the culture of checking on a potential employee, regardless of the size of the airline, is alive and kicking if there is any doubt about the individual.
Obviously C152 Capt, Yeager etc. didn't give cause for any doubt at their interviews.
My initial post concerning 'phone calls was misleading, if a person fronts to an interview with a plausible tale and fits the bill then no, no 'phone calls but if someone does a runner, breaks a bond etc.etc. then a new employer is quite likely to be suspicious if they find out and may well check through the network. This thread is about someone who got sacked, that would raise my doubts, for sure.