Thomas/ARIS
Well I've read and reread Hoverman's posts and can't see what's so amazing and I just don't get your beef with him.
Hoverman accpets 'first and foremost you're responsible for conducting flight in a safe manner with the utmost respect for the lives of your crew.'
No problem with that is there? But in exceptional circumstances PROVIDED IT CAN BE DONE SAFELY, he admires guys who are prepared to jeopardize their own tickets by infringing the regs for the sake of saving other and likes to think he'd behave selflessly if he was in the same cirumstances. For saying that you attack him for being a dangerous pilot.
Why is that so bad if they or he have enough experience, use their judgement and decide it can be done safely? Or do you think nobody has that capability to exercise good jdgement except the lawmakers?
Hoverman says he don't buy the idea that flying within the regs = flying safely, and breaking the regs = endangering. I agree with him. Breaking the regs MIGHT be dangerous. depends on the circumstances but in the words of the ol song, it ain't necessarily so.
You seem t be shifting your ground a bit now and being more moderate but, unless I misunderstood, you were saying the lawmakers know best and only some dangerous idiot would think he knows better.
Look at what you wrote. Quote "What on earth makes you think you know better than the national laws of this country? Are you better qualified? Wiser? More experienced? Or do you simply have this thing against authority? Hasn't it dawned on you yet that (in this instance) rules are made based on: experience gained, SAFETY, and last but not least: your protection. By people who have some credibility to say the least. " Unquote.
Strong words. What's so bad about somebody thinking the lawmakers have got it wrong?
AND, According to you someone who's prepared to use his own judgement and break a reg in exceptional circumstances is a dangerous pilot! Wow! That's a new one on me.
You've got a lot of faith in the lawmakers getting it right all the time. But I read lots of posts from British pilots complaining that your CAA is wrong about such and such, out of touch with the real world and too strict. I think the FAA is sometimes, but from what I read on the forum and from talks with my British friends, the FAA seems to be much more realistic and supportive of aviators than the UK CAA. (I sincerely don't mean to start a UK-US war here.)
I'll never forget the footage of that 206 pilot rescuing people from the icy Potomac after the airplane crash a few years ago. He even had his skids in the water at one point so a guy could cling on and be flown to safety. He broke every rule in the book, but saved five people. What a hero. Although the FAA's not perfect, I somehow don't think there's anyone in the FAA who's a big enough a**hole to question that guy. Sounds to me like if that had happened in the UK, the pilot would have to explain himself to your CAA investigators.
And since your so hung up on this personality/character trait thing, what do your psycho boffins say about about pilots who get so angry and start insulting folks because they hold a different point of view. Amaze yourself .... read the thread from the beginning and count up how many people you've insulted.
