Sweepback, I couldn't agree with you more.
The ruling against Flightline today is hopefully the first step to cleaning up the charter industry.
I too found myself in the situation "JD" faced countless times during the period that I was employed at Flightline Charter Services. The phrase "there are lots of unemployed pilots out there who will do it" was used more than once to PERSUADE "JD" and the rest of us to "go" when we felt uncomfortable with the situation. It is easy to blame the pilot in these situations but it seems as though the Public as well as the Courts are starting to realise (what we as pilots have known for a long time) that a lot of the blame should be pointed at the charter companies who are exploiting low time pilots.
"JD" was an incredibly gifted pilot. He and his 9 passengers were unfortunately the victims of a failed system.
I have spent much time sitting in my privileged vantage point at the front of a widebody jet thinking about what the difference was between "JD" and some of us "low timers" that made it through the charter system. The answer a lot of the time is simply LUCK! I hope that todays ruling will start to change that.
Your name has been cleared. RIP Kappie Heyns. We miss you Buddy.
