Apokleros

There are certain pilots which I have met whom I deem capable of forging logbooks....

I think that most pilots are truthful in regards to logging flying time honestly, albeit I have a strong feeling that dishonest logging is more commonplace than we can indeed fathom.

Thedude

Those that are going to try to take short cuts and lie are going to do it anyway.
Some get caught and most don't.

In my experience, those that do lie and forge their numbers, usually don't last too long in this business. That old saying about the going gets tough and the weak ones giving up and running away.

Bestglide

I would like to think that most pilots are honest folks, at least when it comes to flight time.

crewdawg

I am quite sure most are honest when it comes to flight time. But I believe that there are plenty out there who are not, and I bet more often they slip through the cracks than get caught. How much padding are we talking here? 100 hours? 500? 1000? (Not that I think any amount is OK) Let's be honest, after a year or so flying in the airlines are we really going to see a difference between someone who legitimately flew all their time and someone who threw in an extra 100 hours to meet mins? I doubt it. Now we start talking 500-1000 then I think you'll start to see their lack of experience/decision making, most likely only early on. If they slip through a few years, then I would say they'll never get caught. "Cheaters never prosper," isn't always true. There will always be people who take short cuts and cheat the system, some will get caught, most will not.

TTOCSMCC

Get a job and fly your ass off! Fill up the logbook legitimately and you will end up with more than a bunch of hours, because along the way you'll make great friends and experience great things. If an up and coming pilot does not love flying airplanes then he should just find a new career! It's the journey, not the destination.

ClarenceOver

Everybody has heard of people that have or will pencil whip their logbook for more flight time. But what about lying about having less flight time? Is there anything that says i can't say i have less flight time than i actually do?

Bellanca

Why would you do that lol?

The only time you have to log flight time is to prove currency or if you are trying to meet experience requirements for a certificate/rating.

mike734

I know several guys that penciled in 100 ME time so they qualified for their first regional job. Twenty years later they are left seat airbus. Seems to have paid handsomely for them.

CFIGUY22

I'm sure there are many people that have done this and gotten away with it but if you ever get into a run in with the FAA and they start taking a microscope to your logbook you could get yourself into a lot of trouble

Cubdriver

Did you ask any of them if their conscience quit bothering them 365 days a year for the next 20 years? If not then fine I guess, as some people have no conscience, but I always thought the best reason for being honest was impressing upon your own self that you are a decent human being, and the spoils of dishonesty are not worth tasting.

I was once told a bold face lie by a hiring captain at my dream airline, and I can honestly tell you I have not wanted to work there since that day. I just think about him telling me bold lies, and it blew my mind that someone could be that high and at the same time that dishonest. Life means shades of gray and all of us get thrust into the gray zone from time to time, but to willfully choose dishonesty is tragic when you think about it. I suspect such people actually cannot think clearly about it.