Ian,
Your initial investigative premise is that "pilots" would knowingly take an unworthy aircraft into the air? One that they happen to be strapped to?
Mmmmm. Let me think about that.
It is highly unlikely.
Like several of my fellow posters, the story you should be investigating is the scandal that is UK airport security....
The daily and ritual humilation aircrew are subjected to, not just at out-stations but also at their home bases, in the UK, is utterly disproportionate and completely unjustifiable.
Shoes off, belts off, 125ml tubs of yoghurt confiscated, tooth paste tubes squeezed etc etc, not just once in a while, but all the time......
You might gain a few more sympathetic and helpful responses if instead of trying to find angles to undermine such a highly professional and constantly checked and assessed industry, you direct your illustrious journalistic inquisitation towards areas which try and throw grit into the highly engineered gearbox that is the UK aviation industry.
RB311