"TxSrv" wrote in message
. ..
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.

I looked around and found this definition for air transportation earlier in
the Subtitle. So it looks like the only time a jail sentence could be
imposed via the law I found is if you fly across state or international
lines or carry mail. Keep in mind though the Feds have often defined
"interstate" rather broadly. So broadly, in fact, that the Supreme Court has
slapped them down.

(5) "air transportation" means foreign air transportation, interstate air
transportation, or the transportation of mail by aircraft.