There's a difference between arguing a point and aligning yourself with it. Lawyers do it all the time. I'm not a lawyer. I hadn't even thought of this scenario myself, yet it appears some would like to attack me for raising it. Fair enough - I knew what to expect when I posted this thread
However, when the ambiguity was recently pointed out to me, curiosity got the better: I wondered how prevalent it was in the industry and what other pilots thought. The arguments I've used have been put to me by those who subscribe to them.
As I said right at the beginning: this isn't about moral judgement, it's about legislation. That's not too hard to understand, is it? I obviously appreciate the time others have taken to post in this thread based on their own interpretations. But is there really any need to get so personal about what is, essentially, an academic argument?
Shoot the messenger all you like - it doesn't change the message.