FAA regulations were not “relaxed” for this flight they were totally ignored. Yes modifications to regulatory requirements are necessary for these category of aircraft but I firmly believe they can be operated safely if the operating organization is serious about doing things right. Sad this was not the case here
The living history exemptions are in real danger if there are more preventable accidents killing paying passengers. The regulator does not have the expertise to provide fully functional oversight for these rare and unusual aircraft, the warbird community has to step up and self regulate.