It is a big organization and I have tried to run it up the system but for some reason I am unable to explain it well enough to get any agreement. Sometimes, like now, it makes me feel that I have it all wrong or am missing something.
We don't have an MEL, which is something I have recommended many times, and will not get one. The other simple way to fix it is to repair the airplanes whenever they have a defect, but that has its problems too and is not going to happen.
I am not talking about a privately-owned airplane flown by the owner. He/she can do whatever they want and any risk belongs to them.
Many pilots that I speak to are in agreement with the idea that a pilot can, by himself, defer defects and not worry about a mechanic sign off. Signing the defect log is merely a way to formalise what is happening, and they do not seem to realise the risks they are taking with their certificates.
If the item is not an airworthiness part, and is not required under the rules for IFR or Night, they insist that they can simply ignore it and fly without any action or paperwork.
If the regs are interpreted literally, they say that even if the item (say, a VOR receiver) is not required under the rules for day/VFR, the pilot still cannot fly the airplane unless the defect has been repaired, replaced or deferred, and this requires a mechanic signature in the defect log, with an INOP label if the item has not been fixed. The pilot must ensure that the operation is safe, but he cannot sign it off himself.
Or, I am completely wrong and I am complaining unneccessarily.
I would appreciate opinions, agreeing or disagreeing. I would be glad to be shown that I am wrong.