Way back when... when I was learning to fly and learning how the regs

worked, it was made clear to me that the FAA's rules proscribed
things
that were outright dangerous, but did =not= proscribe things that
=might= be dangerous, leaving it to the pilot in command to make that

kind of judgement, based on his level of experience, skill,
judgement,
equipment, and circumstances. It was not a "lowest common
denomenator"
thing.

I don't agree with that at all. Neither does the FAA, for that matter.
The regulations ARE geared to the lowest common denominator. The
ultimate proof of that is that the FAA will readily waive them.

Aerobatics in a non-aerobatic aircraft? No problem, been waived many
times before, for anyone who looks like he knows what he's doing. You
don't really think Bob Hoover's Twin Commander was beefed up for his
routines, do you? It had some special equipment to handle his
engines-out routines, and that was about it. And he certainly wasn't
the only one - just the best known.

Operating overgross? The FAA will routinely give you a ferry permit to
fly as much as 20% over gross, if you look like you know what you're
doing. How do you think the transcon ferry pilots do it?

Operating with a known deficiency? I can call the FSDO up right now
and get them to fax me a ferry permit, sign it, and launch with
virtually any deficiency you can name, as long as I consider it safe
for the given flight. You probably can't. It's all a matter of having
the right piece of paper (or, these days, plastic).

Low altitude aerobatics? The FAA hands out floating waivers for
aerobatics down to ground level. It's actually even worse than that -
the FAA designates private individuals to do this. Tina once took a
flight with a guy like that - he had her spin down into the downwind
over an airport that has airline service AND had over 5000 people on
the airport property at the time. But he had the right piece of paper,
so it was all legal.

The FAA regulations are indeed lowest common denominator regulations.
That's why the FAA winds up handing out tons of waivers for the people
who have a need to break them publicly. Those who have no need to do
this publicly don't bother with the paper.

Say what you will about flight training, pilots are trained to
higher standards than drivers

A newly minted private pilot is about as prepared to exercise the
privileges of his certificate as a newly licensed driver is to exercise
the privileges of his license. It's just that because the equipment
and practices of aviation are obsolete and unnecessarily complex and
quirky, the pilot needs more training. He's really no more prepared -
they start out equal, and after that the agerage pilot quickly falls
behind because he doesn't spend nearly enough time behind the yoke. Do
you realize that the average driver spens 200+ hours a year behind the
wheel?

I don't believe you will find ONE non-professional pilot who has spent
200+ hours a year for the past five years flying who won't tell you the
same - that the regulations are lowest common denominator regulations.
Most professional pilots believe this too (certainly the ones I know)
but won't say it publicly because it might look bad.

Michael