Originally Posted by
Eutychus
Thanks for taking the time,
Luc Lion, I think I have it now
What's really getting through to me here is that unless a client is really really clued up to the point of having either specialist advice or knowing a lot about general aviation themselves, it's really really easy for a pilot to give the impression of providing a legal and (reasonably) safe service when one may not be getting either.
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And then you get organisations like Wingly where 100 hour PPL's can advertise to take you flying on what are effectively A to A Commercial flights (sightseeing) without a commercial license, AOC or any other of the myriad checks and balances those of who provide aviation services as a living are subject too.
My Flight Ops Inspector was shamefaced when I asked him how he dare turn up and audit us when the CAA allow Wingly. Cost sharing and the Wingly principal have dropped standards of safety for people in ignorance of the rules. A couple of PPL's sharing a trip know the deal they are entering into, the man in the street be he dustman or premiership footballer have no real chance of knowing the truth.
Grant Shapps, MP for Welwyn and Hatfield and owner of a Cirrus SR22 pushed hard for this situation via his "Red Tape Challenge" The red tape (and fees) for AOC's went up and an area of GA became the wild west. Well done Grant! you c@@t!
SND