Okay, all you free spirits--here's my spin on the regulations:
All these regulations are, unfortunately, written in bent sheet metal, and in many cases, the blood of an aviator, and sometimes innocent passengers, who placed their trust in said aviator.
I'm no bigger fan of regulations or the FAA's somewhat selective enforcement of same than the rest of you.
The point is, however, the regulations are almost always (I'd bet there are a few exceptions, but not many) to protect us and our potential passengers from the totally dumb stuff we as pilots do on a rather regular basis.
Now, before someone rips me a new one, I'll be the first to admit I've done some dumb stuff in an airplane, but as best I can tell, I've not yet precipitated any regulatory action me own self.
As Pogo so perceptively noted: "We have met the enemy and he is us".
Unfortunately, the NTSB goes a little overboard sometimes on their recommendations after an accident, and frankly, the FAA generally seriously tones down the recommendations of the NTSB, thankfully. If not for the FAA moderating these recommendations, I assure you the regs would really strangle us pilots.
Again, I'm not a big fan of the regulations governing flying in this country, but I do understand where they came from.
Gump--I would argue that your assertion that FAR 135 is somehow different than part 91 operations, and therefore 91 operations should be much free-er of regulations is essentially wrong.
As a 91 pilot, you or I (well okay--somebody with mucho cash anyway) can get in a Cessna Caravan, load up 9 or so of our neighbors and go fly into the Utah backcountry on a screaming hot day, late in the afternoon, and try to land on a short strip. The only difference is under 91, we'd be killing them for free, whereas under 135, they pay to get killed.
Now, you can go fly yourself around, and therefore risk only yourself (assuming you don't crash on top of a house, etc), but that is a matter of choice. You could also choose to fly a full load of passengers everywhere you fly.
THAT is a great priviledge, and flying is, whether we like it or not, a priviledge, not a God given right. We have to earn that priviledge by demonstrating our skills and knowledge (including of the regs-remember?), and that priviledge can be taken away if in the opinion of the FAA and NTSB we demonstrated deficient skills, knowledge or judgement.
Anyway, for perspective, visit with any pilot from Europe about regulations.
The regulations are there to protect us from ourselves. There is no doubt that many of these regulations are totally unecessary for proficient pilots, and/or for pilots who are also good mechanics. But, the regulations are written for everyone, including the nutball who does incredibly stupid stuff, and unfortunately, there are a few of those out there.
Okay--fire at will
....
MTV
