It's quite amazing how this topic has developed into a political/philosophical discussion.
Yes, I think it is one’s right to be “stupid, willfully reckless, negligent, or just unfortunately in the wrong mod at the wrong time.” The best thing government regulation can do in these situations is to make sure that the individual who undertakes a risky project does so without harming (or threatening to harm) others. In this respect, the FAA leads the world, and should be commended.
Nick, I understand your attitude towards government intervention. It’s pretty common in the aviation community. But you may not realize how good you have it working with the FAA. Try some other country sometime. (Of course, here in Canada we love the TC guys. They’re here to help us.)
Getting back to the original topic, the FAA offers several useful resources for the do-it-yourself flight tester. These have also been used by many a professional over the years. I suggest you read AC90-89A for example. You can find it at <a href="http://av-info.faa.gov/dst/amateur/" target="_blank">http://av-info.faa.gov/dst/amateur/</a> along with many other good documents.
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