Could he have flown not just similar Cessnas, but configured a computer flying game to simulate the plane's flight characteristics?
Supposedly, a brand-new US Navy pilot finished at the top of his T-34 training class after he programmed a desktop computer game to somehow fly like the Beech T-34 BEFORE he even started his ground school or actual sorties! (maybe he had the artificial rudder pedals connected, instead of a twist on the stick on my Ubi Soft "IL-2 Sturmovik" game while evading enemy gunners): could he also have studied a Navy T-34 NATOPS Flight Manual before his T-34 training actually began, in order to practice the procedures? Anyone could copy a friend's manual. This very unique situation was described to me by a guy with whom I recently flew.