American pilots are not being discriminated against in anyway. Just Europeans that happened to have chosen the USA as a flag of convenience are being brought into line with the those operating under the normal regulations.
Yikes! Didn't know Mr. Sivel was taking part in the discussion. I would be very, very careful in defining the motives of owners and pilots choosing the FAA-system for their operations.
It might very well be, they choose the n-register as a flag of:
- Sanity, to register their brandnew or old aircraft for which the EASA doesn't provide any means of registration (due to chauvinistisc protectionism, bureaucratic inaction, incompetence or all of the above).
- Security, because they operate in areas of the world where the organisation-based maintenance-approach of the EASA simply doesn't fly.
- Safety, because they want a reasonable way to fly IFR and prefer to operate under a set of regulations that has demonstrated for decades an unequaled safety-record - anytime, anyplace.
- Freedom, because JAR/EASA denies them a medical due to unprooven and scientifically unfounded fears and myths. These pilots certainly won't be "brought into line" as you state. They will be kicked out of line. Period. And while I don't know what your activity in aviation is, I doubt fewer pilots, fewer aircraft and fewer flights will help your business.
Regards,
Jan Brill
Managing Editor
Pilot und Flugzeug