Originally Posted by SOSL
Aviation paperwork is not just some admin nonsense. If the paperwork is wrong you can't fly the aircraft. Why not?
Well, the aim of the game is air safety and one of the pillars of air safety is airworthiness. Before you walk for an aircraft, especially with a young passenger, you must be certain that it is airworthy.
So you need to know everything that you need to know about the configuration of the aircraft and any limitations on its use; you need to know that its maintenance is correct and up to date and you need to know that any work on the aircraft has been carried out by correctly authorised personnel in accordance with the correct statements of work.
The only way you can make these judgements about the aircraft is by reference to the paperwork. If the paperwork is dodgy in any way you know nothing and if you fly it you're an idiot.
It's not a good idea to use the past to justify the present. If the present is demonstrably wrong it's still wrong whatever has happened in the past.