Yes SASless. (I can't seem to insert a rolleyes here!)
Of course the concept of democracy is entirely foreign to us here in Blighty.
When was it that you gave women the vote? 1920? (Two years after we did).
And how about extending suffrage to 18 year olds? 1971 (Two years after we did).
As to inbred idiot offspring, I thought that was a perfect description of GWB......
I wasn't criticising the US way of doing things, I was seeking to understand it.
I have some sympathy with those who resist the 'dead hand of bureaucracy' because of its stultifying effect on progress, though when it comes to aviation, I am a firm believer in the need for legislation and enforcement to cater for the 'bad apples', however rare they may be.
Cowboy methods are great if you're rounding up cows, but maybe the FAA is the right organisation for looking after aviation?
And if the law is a 'minimum standard' then where is the argument against the ICAP guide on maintenance being compulsory and enforceable?
Why shouldn't it be an absolute requirement that pilots flying public aircraft should have a CPL and a specified number of hours P1, perhaps with exemptions for military trained pilots?
Why not lay down minimum training standards?