Perhaps you underestimate the amount of time and attention to such details
that you have spent in pursuit of your interest in flying? The information
is not incidental to flying, and I'm glad that regulations related flying
aren't taken as casually those for driving an auto. It weeds out a lot of
folks that really have no business in the air space.

Although philosophically I agree with you, there comes a point in time
where keeping the airspace clear of people we deem less than worthy
becomes counter-productive. Take a look at the vast majority of GA
airports in America today, and you can count the number of active
aircraft on one hand. How long do you think local taxpayers are going
to support unused airports?

I would prefer to remove as many superfluous obstacles (and these
weather abbreviations are just one example of the ways we have made
flying needlessly intimidating to the uninitiated) from new pilots,
and let the CFIs weed out the unworthy ones. We do not benefit by
weeding newbies out before that point.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"