SHANGHAI, June 6 -- AN ex-hotel salesman did a copycat act mimicking the role of Leonardo Dicaprio in "Catch me if you can" to win a free flight from Beijing to his home town in Southwest China by pretending to be a pilot, Shanghai Morning Post reported today.

Just as Dicaprio did in his movie, Shu Shi handsomely uniformed and with a whole set of fake documents, smooth-talked his way on board a flight at Beijing airport in April. His success has exposed loopholes in the country's civil aviation security system.

Shu, from Southwest China's Guizhou Province, was said to be a civil aviation fan. He learnt a lot of the jargon and bought a pilot's uniform as well as other professional items, such as a pilot's handbook and a cloud atlas from online stores.

Shu first tried out his act of pretending to be a pilot on April 12 at Beijing airport. However, when he asked the captain of the plane for a free flight to Guiyang, Guizhou's capital, he was refused.

But the unsuccessful attempt gave him the chance to meet Yuan, a 17-year-old female passenger service agent at the airport. Shu dated Yuan the next day. Yuan, who thought he was a real pilot, escorted him to the boarding gate of a flight to Guiyang on April 14.

Shu, in pilot's uniform and with luggage, then met the captain and asked to join the crew – civil aviation jargon which means civil aviation staff are able to enjoy a free flight.

Having obtained permission, Shu boarded and easily passed a security check. He then had a 20-minute talk with the captain which sowed suspicion in the captain's mind and led to him finally being found out.

During the flight, Shu sat in first class unaware he was under surveillance. After the plane landed at Guiyang, Shu was handed over to the local police who punished him with a 10-day detention as well as a fine up to 500 yuan (US$65).

Shu was reported to be a graduate of the Guizhou Tourism School and had worked as a salesman for a Guiyang five-star hotel for more than a year before resigning in December 2005.