Pilot Busted For Flying Without License

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - The skies are now safer after a man, who flew under the radar for 13 years, was arrested at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport for flying a commercial airliner with a falsified pilot's license.

According to Radio Netherlands Worldwide , a 41-year-old from Sweden was seated in the cockpit of a low-budget Turkish Boeing 737 ready for takeoff to Ankara, Turkey when Dutch police moved in to handcuff the culprit.

Swedish authorities had reportedly tipped off law enforcement officials in Amsterdam, who made sure Corendon Airlines had a second pilot set to take over the flight with 101 passengers aboard.

While the pilot -- who had logged over 10,000 flying hours under his belt -- had a license, it wasn't valid to fly passenger aircraft.

The airliner's lawyer said the con artist "expertly misled the company with his false papers" for two years.

But luckily there was always another pilot flying with the Swede at all times, so he never flew solo.

According to CNN , investigators in Sweden had charged the man, whose name is being withheld, several years ago with flying with a fake license.

But, the case was reportedly not pursued since authorities couldn't find the man who pulled a disappearing act.

However, it seems the thrill of flying in deceit had lost its appeal for the pilot at the time of his arrest.

"The pilot said he was relieved that his misdeeds had come to light, and he pulled off his stripes [right away]," Dutch police statement said according to The Daily Mail.

And The Sun reports the dodgy pilot apparently passed tests at British, Belgian and Italian airlines in the past with flying colors.