On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 22:11:56 -0500, Roy Smith wrote:

"Marco Rispoli" wrote:
Can he fly a plane without a license? He can steal one (I don't think you
can own a plane if you don't have at least a valid student license and you
definetly can't rent one ... people with more knowledge in the FARs can
elaborate here).

There is nothing that says you can't own an airplane if you don't have a
pilot's license.

One more thing: this is the Northeast. I have the impression that things are
a bit more controlled around here. There's radar coverage everywhere and
airports are crowded and more under control.

Well, the controlled airports are under control, but the uncontrolled
ones aren't. There are plenty of uncontrolled airports in the
northeast. Still, to the best of my knowledge, the controllers at NY
Tracon can't see if I've got a piece of paper in my wallet or not.

Certainly, if you rent from an FBO or club, somebody's going to want to
see your license, medical, BFR endorsements, etc. But if you bought
your own plane, the odds are you could go a lifetime of flying without
anybody ever asking to see any paperwork. I'm sure there are plenty of
people flying around without licenses, on expired medicals, etc.

I have never had a situation arise where I had to prove that I had a
certificate. Of course, I never rented from anyone other than the FBO
where I trained. I can easily see how someone that had access to a
plane could fly indefinitely without having a valid cert.
Rich Russell