Gig 601XL Builder wrote:
Criminal penalty for pilots operating in air transportation without an
airman's certificate

...if that individual-
(1) knowingly and willfully serves or attempts to serve in any capacity as
an airman operating an aircraft in air transportation without an airman's
certificate....

Perhaps why att'ys can charge good fees. "in air transportation"
is superfluous if the offense is merely "opearating." So, if
solo and no transport of cargo?

Who knows, but it seems Congress would [should] not intend to
criminalize something which may not be unsafe. And allow fed
prosecutors to screw people at their whim to no public purpose.
For example, a real good student stops the process short of the
check ride and continues to fly. With a fews yrs of meaningful
exp, a good pilot, except for the idiot part. Contrast to a very
avg student who may even be an idiot in general, and who passes
the ride from an easier examiner, and subsequent exp is neither
frequent nor meaningful.

Fred F.