A real pilot but a fake doctor -- and the requirements it takes to really be either one

An accomplished commercial pilot apparently posed as a cardiologist and got away with it -– for about 20 years. In case you missed it, the pilot’s unraveling came Monday in a media report. But the real question is: How could anyone possibly pull this off?

Here’s what it takes to become a cardiologist, from DegreeDirectory.org: “Cardiologists have a pre-medical bachelor’s degree and a doctor of medicine degree, and they complete at least six years of residency training before gaining licensure.”

And here are the rules for becoming a pilot: “To become a commercial airline pilot, you must be at least 23 years of age, complete 1,500 hours of flight time, pass a Federal Aviation Administration written and flight exam and pass a medical physical.”

Hmm, not a lot of overlap here. Makes you wonder whether an accomplished cardiologist could have pulled off being a commercial airline pilot for 20 years.

Here’s the story that’s destined to be a Hollywood screenplay.