Originally Posted by
Bigglesthefrog
But it isn’t is it? And at this point I feel that not allowing it by law is tantamount to providing protection to carriers and professional pilots from a much cheaper and possibly (on short journeys) ,a more efficient source.
It is much cheaper but is also demonstrably less safe (as the accident statistics clearly show). We accept in almost all aspects of life that undertaking something as a business requires a higher standard, more insurance, licences, permissions, Directors, etc. than doing something for yourself.
Even the basic task of baking cookies - which moms do day in and day out (including feeding the cookies to children) - becomes very different when you start to sell the food beyond your local charity bake sale.
Why should we expect aviation to be uniquely different then everything else in allowing unregulated commercial operations.