Barney Rubble writes:

"not be unsafe"? What is not unsafe about piloting a plane without a
license?

A license does not guarantee competence. Conversely, competence can
exist in the absence of a license.

While it is certainly generally true that unlicensed pilots are likely
to be less competent than licensed pilots, the presence or lack of a
license is no guarantee either way.

This is particularly true for someone who is a qualified pilot but has
no license due to a technicality. It's also true for someone who was
a licensed pilot but again lost his license due to a technicality (or
simply let something lapse).

It's very dangerous to equate licensing with competency.

Would you say that an 18-wheeler truck driver is safe, even if he
has never held a CDL?

There isn't any way of knowing, without testing his abilities.

The public purpose is to stop any old yahoo from
grabbing the keys to their friends plane and launching off. I cannot
understand your post, it's as if you don't think and unlicensed person
should face any penalty for knowingly endangering himself, others and
property, all with no insurance.

See above. It's dangerous to equate competency with licensing. They
are not the same thing, although the general intention is to try to
get them as congruent as possible.

If the student pilot were such a hotshot, he
would have completed the written and the checkride and become legal.

Not if he were excluded on a medical technicality (for example).

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.