Astonishing trick man used to take hundreds of free flights and ride in COCKPIT of airliners… until the feds discovered what he was doing

A Canadian man tricked his way into hundreds of free flights and even rode in the cockpit of a plane until he was busted by federal investigators.

Dallas Pokornik, 33, was charged with two counts of wire fraud after allegedly faking his identity for four years to get hundreds of free flights.

Pokornik is accused of pretending to be a pilot to carry out his scheme, according to the Honolulu Star–Advertiser.

‘Over the course of four years, [he] falsely claimed he was an airline pilot and presented a fictitious employee identification card to obtain hundreds of flights at no cost,’ Michael Nammar, the assistant US attorney prosecuting the case, wrote.

He added that Pokornik ‘requested a jump seat in the cockpit of the aircraft’ despite not being a pilot or having an airman’s certificate.

Pokornik was described as a Canadian citizen ‘with no ties to the United States that was extradited from Panama.’

His trickery allegedly fooled Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Air Canada between January and October 2024 by using a fake identity card and by exploiting an online booking tool used by airline staff to book free flights. 

If Pokornik is found guilty on both wire fraud counts, he could face up to 40 years in federal prison.

Pokornik allegedly used a fake employment badge from Air Canada when he was carrying out his plot.

When he did this, he asked for travel benefits typically reserved for airline pilots or flight attendants.

The Canadian airline employed Pokornik as a flight attendant for about two years between July 2017 and October 2019, but he was never a pilot.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Pokornik had asked for a jump seat in the cockpit of a plane. It was not immediately known how many times he did this.

The jump seat is typically used by pilots, air carrier inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration, evaluators from the Department of Defense or National Transportation Safety Board operators.

Other individuals need to request a seat and verify their identity before securing approval to fly there.

Pokornik’s criminal charges are related to two Hawaiian Airlines flights from August and October 2024.

He was accused of causing tickets to be issued ‘at no cost’ through ‘false and fraudulent representations’ of his identity.

Posts on a public social media profile showed Pokornik in Thailand, England or California.

In one video, he could be seen posing with a drink inside what appeared to be a private aircraft.

‘Many of my friends are married. Many of my friends are having kids,’ he wrote in another post. ‘I’m over here trying to avoid checking my bag and hoping for a window seat.’

A separate publication tagged ‘Team no sleep’ showed Pokornik flying from London to Manhattan.

He bobbed his head and smiled widely while showing off the view from his plane window.

Pokornik will appear today in US District Court District of Hawaii for a hearing overseen by Chief US Magistrate Judge Kenneth J. Mansfield.

His attorney was listed as Craig Jerome from the Office of the Hawaii Federal Public Defender.

Nammar, the assistant US attorney, has moved to deny Pokornik bail by calling him a ‘serious risk’ to flee.

He said there was ‘no condition or combination of conditions’ that would guarantee Pokornik would not escape if released from federal custody.

Pokornik is currently behind bars at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu.

Last year, federal prosecutors convicted a Miami man of wire fraud after posing as a flight attendant between 2018 and 2024.

Tiron Alexander, 35, booked more than 120 flights for free by lying about his identity.

Alexander will be sentenced on January 23, per federal court records.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the US Attorney’s Office in the District of Hawaii, the Office of the Hawaii Federal Public Defender, Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Air Canada for comment.