ROME: A man who posed as an airline pilot and traveled in the cockpit of at least one plane was arrested in Turin Airport using forged identity cards and wearing a pilot’s uniform, Italian police said on Saturday.
The 32-year-old, whose real name was not released, allegedly created a fake identity as a Lufthansa pilot named “Andrea Sirlo,” complete with a Facebook page that included fake flight attendant friends.
Police said they were alerted several months ago after “Sirlo” introduced himself as a captain to a Civil Aviation lieutenant, who became suspicious because he seemed too young for the job.
The national military police tracked down the suspect from photos on his Facebook profile, in which he is shown posing in uniform and sunglasses in front of airplanes.
He was arrested in the check-in area of Turin Airport on Friday.
Police said “Sirlo” had traveled for free on at least one flight as a “third pilot” sitting in the cockpit. They were investigating whether he had flown as an impostor at other times.
Lufthansa declined to comment on whether one of their flights had been involved and said it was a matter for the police.
At a press conference, police displayed a white shirt with epaulettes and a black double-breasted jacket with pilot stripes sewn on the cuffs. They said they also seized fake resumes, airline badges and an airport staff parking permit.
Turin Airport said in a statement it had not issued any permits in the name of the person involved.
A profile on a website where users can track their flights shows “Pilot Andrea Sirlo” flying from Munich Airport to Turin on Oct. 23, 2011. (http://myflightbook.com/logbook/public/ViewPublicFlight.aspx?id=111466)
Munich Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The case recalls the 2002 film “Catch Me If You Can,” in which Leonardo DiCaprio played Frank Abagnale, a real-life con man who is said to have flown more than 1,600,000 kilometers (1 million miles) as a fake Pan American pilot in the 1960s.
’Sirlo’ is the name of a flight corridor over Turin.
Fake Italian pilot traveled in cockpit, police say
Fake Italian pilot traveled in cockpit, police say
REVIEW: ‘Shrinking’ season three flounders but Harrison Ford still shines
DUBAI: In its first two seasons, “Shrinking” offered a smartly written, emotionally intelligent look at loss, therapy and the general messiness of human connection through the story of grieving therapist Jimmy (Jason Segel) — whose wife died in a tragic accident — and the village of flawed but recognizably human characters helping to heal him. Season three struggles to move forward with the same grace and thoughtfulness. It’s as though, encouraged by early praise, it has started believing its own hype.
For those familiar with co-creator Bill Lawrence’s other juggernaut, “Ted Lasso,” it’s a painfully familiar trajectory. That comedy also floundered in its third season. Emotional moments were resolved too quickly in favor of bits and once-complex characters were diluted into caricatures of themselves. “Shrinking” looks like it’s headed in the same direction.
The season’s central theme is “moving forward” — onward from grief, onward from guilt, and onward from the stifling comfort of the familiar. On paper, this is fertile ground for a show that deftly deals with human emotions. Jimmy is struggling with his daughter’s impending move to college and the loneliness of an empty nest, while also negotiating a delicate relationship with his own father (Jeff Daniels). Those around him are also in flux.
But none of it lands meaningfully. The gags come a mile a minute and the actors overextend themselves trying to sound convincing. They’ve all been hollowed out to somehow sound bizarrely like each other.
Thankfully, there is still Harrison Ford as Paul, the gruff senior therapist grappling with Parkinson’s disease who is also Jimmy’s boss. His performance is devastatingly moving — one of his best — and the reason why the show can still be considered a required watch. Michael J. Fox also appears as a fellow Parkinson’s patient, and the pair are an absolute delight to watch together.
A fourth season has already been greenlit. Hopefully, despite its quest to keep moving forward, the show pauses long enough to find its center again. At its best, “Shrinking” is a deeply moving story about the pleasures and joys of community, and we could all use more of that.
