I am honestly puzzled, what is the big deal with, er, a pilot simply flying his/her airplane, regardless of there being "punters on board" or not?
I've always wondered about that myself. If it's not safe to do with "fare paying passengers" behind me, it's not safe for me to do with the seats empty either.
Along those lines, what happens if it's a plane full of airline employees using their staff travel benefits? Since they don't pay fares, is it safe then?
