Originally Posted by
Double Back
In support of the crew, to get a validation in SA, was (and is?) extremely bureaucratic and cumbersome, ..... I am sure they tried!. ..
Really, how sure ... as sure as you are that they wouldn't break rules and procedures, wouldn't fail to follow checklists or display basic airmanship, wouldn't recklessly endanger the lives of others by turning a test flight into a sightseeing jaunt. Sadly the dead and the injured may have shared your misplaced confidence but paid a far higher price.