Pilot jailed for forging entries in his licence and logbooks

[NutLoose]

https://www.caa.co.uk/news/helicopter-pilot-sentenced-for-forging-licence/

A commercial helicopter pilot has been sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, suspended for 24 months, at Lewes Crown Court on 6 April 2022 for forging revalidations in his pilot’s licence, making false entries in his personal flying log and flying a helicopter without an appropriate licence.

Giles Dumper, 41, of Horley, West Sussex, was sentenced after previously pleading guilty to fourteen charges relating to forgery, making false entries and flying without an appropriate licence. He held a commercial pilot’s licence to fly helicopters but forged his qualifications to fly particular types of helicopters, and forged entries in his log covering-up the forgeries. The Civil Aviation Authority has revoked his licence.

Commenting on the case, Alison Slater, Head of Investigations and Enforcement at the Civil Aviation Authority, said:
“Offences of this kind compromise aviation safety. The Civil Aviation Authority has taken and will continue to take appropriate action to protect the public.”

[The Nr Fairy]

And a minor correction - the jail sentence is suspended, so he won't be jailed unless he's convicted of further offences in the next two years.

[Hughes500]

just to help matters difficult to prove the hours in a log book as
Logbook hours are from moment blades start to turn to the come to a complete rest
aircraft datcon is normally based on gearbox pressure light going on / off
Squat switch records time aircraft off the ground

So three different things to record !!!!

[SASless]

This seems to be the really dodgy bit.....

"A commercial helicopter pilot has been sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, suspended for 24 months, at Lewes Crown Court on 6 April 2022 for forging revalidations in his pilot’s licence......"

That is pretty bold bordering on plain stupid.

[Bravo73]

The local rag’s take on the case:

A MAN acted as a helicopter pilot without proper validation, a court has heard.

In what has been described as a “an unusual” case, Alison Slater, prosecuting for the Civil Aviation Authority, told Hove Crown Court that Giles Dumper, 41, forged signatures and falsified pages on key documents.

The court heard that Dumper flew the "twin-squirrel" helicopter while other people were onboard and examined other pilots without the proper licence.

Dumper, of Chatelet Close, Horley, pleaded guilty to 14 charges at an earlier hearing.

The prosecutor added that the authority had revoked Dumper’s licence following his conviction.

“There is a high degree of culpability in this case,” she said.

Her Honour Judge Shani Barnes sentenced Dumper to a total of 24 months’ imprisonment at Hove Crown Court on April 5.

However, the judge said the sentence would be suspended for 24 months after hearing that Dumper was highly experienced and had previously been certified as a pilot and examiner who could “very easily” have passed the necessary qualifications had he followed the required steps.

She put his offences down to “bravado” and described the case as “unusual”, adding it was “fortunate” that no one was injured while Dumper was using false documents.

She said “public confidence” was key and added: “The public trust people who fly them somewhere.”

The judge likened his actions to that of an unaccredited paramedic who attended an emergency.

The court was told that Dumper’s reputation was “trashed” and it was unlikely he would ever fly again.

Addressing the defendant in the dock, the judge said: “You have thrown away a good career.”

Dumper, who was supported in court by his friends and family, was also ordered to attend 25 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.


https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/20046903.amp/

[212man]

I get the feeling this case was more about just logging 1.2 hours when it should have been 1.1 hours
I assume the charge of "making false entries in his personal flying log" relates to entering fictitious flights to match the forged revalidation entries in his license

[Robbiee]

So how'd he get caught? Was this guy a crappy pilot, or just some dude too poor to afford the type rating fees?

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

So how'd he get caught? Was this guy a crappy pilot, or just some dude too poor to afford the type rating fees?

Reminds me of a guy (my B2B at the time) who was caught out by a scrutineer checking his logbook prior to submission for a rating renewal. According to his entries he was flying a bizjet in the USA while simultaneously flying a B206 in Nigeria. The "scan" of his logbook was cursory but the entries were so blatant they were impossible to miss.

He literally disappeared, only to reappear as a senior manager in another company and went on to become their MD.

I wonder how these people think they're going to get away with it !

NEO

[HeliboyDreamer]

From linkedin
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Helicopter Film Pilot UK
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Lead Film Pilot in the UK and Europe for Pursuit Aviation.

All film productions - stunt, VFX, first or second unit flying across all geographic regions, types and altitudes.Lead Film Pilot in the UK and Europe for Pursuit Aviation. All film productions - stunt, VFX, first or second unit flying across all geographic regions, types and altitudes.



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MW Helicopters Ltd · Freelance, Dec 2018 - Feb 2021 · 2 yrs 3 mos,



Head of Training and CFI for the ATO.






So quite experienced, I can only assume the motivation was money related...

One thing I don't get is that he will not go to prison according to @The Nr Fairy (https://www.pprune.org/members/23150-the-nr-fairy) but since CCA revoked the license what do that mean? He will need to re-sit CPL again or is he banned for ever?

[Robbiee]

Hmm,...and I'm an 800 hour pilot driving a truck because they want 1,000 hours just to take people in a straight line over the Vegas Strip for five minutes at a time.

Oh well, maybe in the next life I'll have the balls to lie on my resume?

[212man]

It seems obvious he did not inflate his hours - he invented check rides (to be global). i.e. he passed tests he never actually took.

If I misread the situation I’m all ears.

[ersa]

Looks to me he examined his own ratings and passed.:)

[Sir Korsky]

Hmm,...and I'm an 800 hour pilot driving a truck because they want 1,000 hours just to take people in a straight line over the Vegas Strip for five minutes at a time.

Oh well, maybe in the next life I'll have the balls to lie on my resume?

and plenty of 10.000 hour pilots are switching back to driving trucks !

[fitliker]

I worked with the guy who used his dads ATPL to get a job at his dads company where his dad was a training Captain . He was only a few hundred hours away from getting his licence and he had good hands and feet . Just got impatient and decided to forge ahead with his career .
They caught him just before the first revenue flight . I won’t name him as he followed his dad to the next company and has been flying safely there for years . Nice guy but he lied to me and I just laughed it off as I was used to working with chancers . He was not a very good liar I advised him not to play poker as he had too many tells that are easy to read when he bluffed .

[SASless]

Heard on the News today that Walmart is starting Big Rig Drivers at $110,00 per year....and is a first class outfit to drive for.....compare that to starting pay for Helicopter Pilots and the cost of obtaining your license.

Truck Sleepers beat Tents and the back seat of a helicopter!

[Robbiee]

Heard on the News today that Walmart is starting Big Rig Drivers at $110,00 per year....and is a first class outfit to drive for.....compare that to starting pay for Helicopter Pilots and the cost of obtaining your license.

Truck Sleepers beat Tents and the back seat of a helicopter!

Maybe, but they don't beat a real bed in a real home. I'll take a $50k tour job and a studio apartment over $110k, Flying J showers, and lot lizards any day!

[Northernstar]

Wow.

Although I am not surprised people fiddle their logbooks as the whole CAA type rating system is a very very expensive joke. If you are freelance it costs an absolute fortune just to keep the "cheap" ratings current - for the pleasure of sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring about work.

I understand NPAS suspended/fired a pilot in 2019 due to him forging his logbook.

The safety argument about safety being jeopardised does fall over slightly if a fixed wing class rating can be revalidated and not individual types all the time. Same for the rotary single engine grouping. However it’s still a rule in europe, ME and Canada so you must comply.

Did the police pilot get a similar sentence? Given the nature of that type of flying I would suggest any contravention there far more of a safety concern than this stupidity/greed.

If not then there are serious questions to be asked of the CAA and judicial system.

[SASless]

Robbiee,

Apparently you do not know much about the Trucking Operation run by Walmart.

They run from Walmart Distribution Centers to Walmart Stores with the occasional stop on the way back to the DC to pick up drop and hook trailers at major suppliers to the DC's.

Rarely do they sleep in the trucks and when they do...they get paid extra for that.

For your standard Over the Road Truckers....you are closer to correct depending upon the Operator....and kind of hauling being done.

UPS over the road truckers work from Hubs and live at home....and have work days just as standard occupations do....and make excellent salaries with the usual Teamster benefits.

Trucking ain't all about Flying J's and Lot Lizards.

[Robbiee]

Robbiee,

Apparently you do not know much about the Trucking Operation run by Walmart.

They run from Walmart Distribution Centers to Walmart Stores with the occasional stop on the way back to the DC to pick up drop and hook trailers at major suppliers to the DC's.

Rarely do they sleep in the trucks and when they do...they get paid extra for that.

For your standard Over the Road Truckers....you are closer to correct depending upon the Operator....and kind of hauling being done.

UPS over the road truckers work from Hubs and live at home....and have work days just as standard occupations do....and make excellent salaries with the usual Teamster benefits.

Trucking ain't all about Flying J's and Lot Lizards.

As with much of the helicopter industry, I don't have enough experience to drive for Walmart, so all I know is from their job ads.

If Walmart truckers aren't sleeping in their trucks much, then where are they sleeping on those six days a week away from home the job ads mention?

​​​​​​As for UPS? Like with Fedex (where my experience is) yes City and Road Drivers are home every night (or day as Road Driver is an overnight shift), but that's not really "over the road" sleeper cab, that's local day cab driving. Plus, those UPS jobs advertise 12 hour shifts. That's not what I'd call standard to other occupations.

As an entry level City Driver I made $21 bucks an hour with full benefits. Sure its better than every entry level job I've interviewed for flying a helicopter, but that pay doesn't cut it in the SF Bay Area,...unless you like living with your parents?

Getting to a liveable wage (let alone a middle-class one) in trucking can be just as daunting as in helicopters. However, given my experience with both industries, I'd say they both suck. To be frank, if I could make a living at it, I'd rather just drive the monorail at Disney World.

[Sir Korsky]

Plus, those UPS jobs advertise 12 hour shifts. That's not what I'd call standard to other occupations.


Generally I don't like to persist with these threads, but you aspire to be a helicopter pilot in the USA. Unless you are one of the few that find and retain that golden job for a whole career, you will be flying HAA to keep the lights on at some point. The standard schedule is a 12 hour day. The vendors, Medtrans, Metro etc, will try and pay you nothing with minimal benefits, probably $70k to start. The non-profits will start you out in 6 figures with experience with generous PTO time, the same that their nurses and medics get. Flying a helicopter can be fun, but believe me I'm ready to jump ship...literally sometimes.

[Robbiee]

Generally I don't like to persist with these threads, but you aspire to be a helicopter pilot in the USA. Unless you are one of the few that find and retain that golden job for a whole career, you will be flying HAA to keep the lights on at some point. The standard schedule is a 12 hour day. The vendors, Medtrans, Metro etc, will try and pay you nothing with minimal benefits, probably $70k to start. The non-profits will start you out in 6 figures with experience with generous PTO time, the same that their nurses and medics get. Flying a helicopter can be fun, but believe me I'm ready to jump ship...literally sometimes.

Yes, I'm well aware that helicopter pilots often work 12-14 hour days. "Standand to other occupations" was referring to just that, other occupations. Here in the US we have a thing called the 9 to 5, 40 hour work week,...at least we used to.

Anyway, I'm not an aspiring pilot. I'm a pilot who has nowhere to rent anymore and thus must find a job flying if I ever want to go up again without a baby sitter. I hate this industry,...but trucking ain't much better.

[SASless]

Robbiee,

I did two Seasonal Stints with UPS driving Triple Trailers between southern Oregon and Portland....lived two miles from the Hub....was home every "night", had Weekends off, and considered staying for permanent but did not care for the Union Mindset that prevailed there.

My friends who made a career there and retired have all done well financially, have excellent health benefits, and upon getting into the single digit Seniority numbers had their choice of runs....all worked daytime only and were home right along with their neighbors.

They all had at least Six Weeks of Vacation, paid Holidays (if UPS was running), and never missed Elk Hunting Season.

The real bonus is they never moved from their hometown in their career.

The Delivery side of UPS is well paid and since the Reformation (No more Ride-A-Long Monitors with Stop Watches) it is hard work but far less stressful.

In life you have to pick your poison....helicopter flying and truck driving are not for everyone.

[Robbiee]

Robbiee,

I did two Seasonal Stints with UPS driving Triple Trailers between southern Oregon and Portland....lived two miles from the Hub....was home every "night", had Weekends off, and considered staying for permanent but did not care for the Union Mindset that prevailed there.

My friends who made a career there and retired have all done well financially, have excellent health benefits, and upon getting into the single digit Seniority numbers had their choice of runs....all worked daytime only and were home right along with their neighbors.

They all had at least Six Weeks of Vacation, paid Holidays (if UPS was running), and never missed Elk Hunting Season.

The real bonus is they never moved from their hometown in their career.

The Delivery side of UPS is well paid and since the Reformation (No more Ride-A-Long Monitors with Stop Watches) it is hard work but far less stressful.

In life you have to pick your poison....helicopter flying and truck driving are not for everyone.

Yes, I know those local positions exist (I was in one at Fedex) but if you're home every night, its not OTR, and those Walmart positions they advertise state, "Home one day a week". So, they must be sleeping somewhere else for those other six days?

[Brutal]

Johni,

Would it not be prudent for NPAS to have reported this case to the CAA? If this Pilot was falsifying his Logbook in NPAS, then there is a high probability that he also did this in his previous employment/s as well?
Also by dealing with this in house, other employers will have no idea what this pilot has done! For flight safety sake, :ugh:and other pilots who have grafted for years building hours the right way, :mad: can we not name this culprit?

B.

[212man]

Johni,

Would it not be prudent for NPAS to have reported this case to the CAA? If this Pilot was falsifying his Logbook in NPAS, then there is a high probability that he also did this in his previous employment/s as well?
Also by dealing with this in house, other employers will have no idea what this pilot has done! For flight safety sake, :ugh:and other pilots who have grafted for years building hours the right way, :mad: can we not name this culprit?

B.
I might be wrong but I'm guessing Johni is actually referring to this case: How NOT to become a Police pilot! - PPRuNe Forums (https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/51623-how-not-become-police-pilot.html)

[Brutal]

Sorry 212 man, I am led to believe this is a very recent incident from last year or so?

B.

[ShyTorque]

To be frank, if I could make a living at it, I'd rather just drive the monorail at Disney World.

Then I’d suggest that’s what you aim for.

Having recently completed a 43 career in aviation, very little of this career path matches up to the over glamourised image often portrayed.

[Bravo73]

Given a basic renewal in an AS355 (ie without any refresher training) is easily the best part of £2,000...that's a lot of money to find when you are a freelance pilot.

Plenty of motivation there for some logbook/licence fiddling


When you say ‘renewal’, do you mean an OPC/PC?

In the UK, this cost is covered by the helicopter operator. I can’t recall a freelance pilot being asked to cover that particular cost. Well, certainly not by any reputable operator.

[heli14]

In the UK, this cost is covered by the helicopter operator. I can’t recall a freelance pilot being asked to cover that particular cost. Well, certainly not by any reputable operator.

That was my thought too. Operator normally covers full aircraft/training captain cost for LPC/OPC, freelancer doesn't charge for their time to do the check flight...

...that's how it used to work anyway!

h14

[Northernstar]

A U.K. HEMS operator who rely on freelance cover are known to demand roughly 3 days in return for an OPC, plus any line training days are unpaid. Part of the race to the bottom. Another who are supposedly multi crew and extend hours during summer expect freelancers to pay up to £2700 per hour in the charities own MD902 for a limited VFR p2 only type rating for an IFR operation. Seems though the caa are ok with that.

[paco]

And fire, dangerous, goods, CRM......

[Northernstar]

3 days work for an OPC? That's about £1,350 you are paying the company.

The operator (https://helijobs.net/2022/01/contract-md902-hems-pilot-england/) recently recruited for temporary summer pilots and had a lot of highly qualified/experienced applicants, so obviously pilots are happy to put up with this and there is no shortage of pilots.

3 days work at normal onshore freelance rates is £1650 for the weight category. I believe however the operation in question there are akin to what your estimate is.

When you say experienced applicants did any hold the type rating therefore less exposed? Or were all aware of the costs to pay to a hems charity in order to be a VFR copilot on a multi crew IFR operation?