Hi,
I'm sorry if 'im posting in the wrong section, but I didn't quite know where to post.
My son has been studying in an American University (i'm not american nor do i live in the US) for (only!) 2 and a half years, his goal was to become an airline pilot. I've been doubting wether he really was going to school the last few months, as he appears to have lots of free time, calling me all the time. Last month, he called and said that he graduated (in the middle of the year!?) and got an internship with a major airline(Delta), where he was in charge of flying an airbus A 319 from New York to some city(I forget the name). When I confronted him he sent me a bunch of pictures of him wearing a pilot uniform, and some pictures from hi "cockpit". But I still have a lot of doubts.
Could you please tell me if my son's story is plausible? I'm probably just being paranoid, but still, his story does'nt seem to add up.
Thank you for your help.

With today's stagnation in the industry it would be impossible to go to an A319 on Delta in 2 1/2 yrs. I think a suprise visit to the US is in order to find out what's really going on.

It's possible that he completed pilot training in 2.5 years, but that's not long enough to get a degree.

It's also possible that he got an internship with a major airline through a university aviation program. It's possible, even likely, that an intern might get to RIDE in the cockpit jumpseat of an airliner and do some training in a simulator.

But it's not possible for him to actually be piloting a Delta airliner after just 2.5 years of school. At the absolute minimum, it would take at least a couple of years of pilot work experience to obtain the minimum turbine flight experience to even apply to DAL. In reality, you would need probably 8-10 years of work experience before you would be competitive.

So at least some of this doesn't sound right. Time to pay a visit and have a chat.

I once had the same problem, I had come to the understanding that one of my relatives had become a pilot for Delta.

You can imagine my great relief when I found that they were actually playing a piano in a house of ill repute. My family rejoiced at this narrow escape from shame and humiliation.

If he came up with this story, he doesn't know anything about aviation; if he is a pilot he would not have invented such a risible story. Either way, not a pilot or a good liar.

GF

Considering Delta has not hired a pilot since 2008, not possible. Intern, slightly plausible. In charge of flying an Airbus... No way.

I would say definitely not a pilot, and not a good liar either. I got to Delta in record time through sheer luck and good timing, and it took me 10 years from starting college.

Let us know the outcome. His story is so full of holes you could drive a school bus through it, but you never know.

Look him up in the FAA pilot database:

http://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/airmen_certification/interactive_airmen_inquiry/

It breaks my heart that he would lie to me like that, and all the money spent on nothing... I just hope that rickair7777is right, and that he's an intern. Are these kinds of internships common? does his university have to have an agreement with Delta for him to get such an internship? I've just called them but they wouldn't give me any information. I guess all that's let to do is go there.