I believe in minimum regulation: a solid foundation of key whats with few hows – I just don't think FAR 91 is adequate for all the flights conducted under it.
FlareArmed,
I
f the safety outcomes are a measure of effective regulation, the US/FAA wins, hands down.
I happen to think that a combination of reasonable safety outcomes plus encouraging the aviation community is the balance.
The US must be getting something right, the world's best air safety outcomes, plus encouraging the growth of the whole aviation community ---- and what a contrast to the Australian approach.
Comparing apples and apples, we have about double the FAA accident rate for GA, about 3 times for airlines, hardly a case for the inadequacy of the US approach. All the statistics are publicly available.
You are stuck in the mindset that "everything must be regulated --- just in case", if anybody is dumb enough to try a zero/zero takeoff without adequate training, why will they "comply with the rules". Even Australia's normal penchant for over regulation generally doesn't usually go as far as Australian aviation regulation, in seeking to "regulate" every possible combination and permutation in the finest detail --- just in case.
The US "rules" are a progressive set of rules, with increasing demands as the risk increases ---- not the damned fool Australian approach of "one size fits all", with a few limited exemptions for "private operations".
The FARs do have a bit of historical dross, to see what they would look like cleaned up/updated, have a look at the NZ rules (as now used in a number of countries).
The new Canadian rules are another complete contrast to the Australian approach (their old rules weren't to bad, but they still updated them, very effectively) --- Australia is thoroughly out of step with the rest of the aviation world.
The only answer in Australia is a political answer, and given the inability of the waring factions in Australian aviation to see beyond their own short term "perceived" interests (just like politicians), and get together for their mutual interests, aviation in Australia will continue down the chute.
The airlines will be OK, they can move most of their operations offshore ( have a really close look at QF/Jetstar --- including on other pprune threads)
but you can't take a local charter operation offshore.
The latest stats. are sobering, with the number of operators who have disappeared in the last two years.
Tootle pip!!