If the pilot loses control on takeoff and plows into your parked airplane, the refusal of the pilot's iinsurer to cover all your losses (and there are always losses your own insurance doesn't cover, starting with the deductible) makes it your business, too. And you can bet the Student Pilot/owner's insurer will refuse to cover if there's a passenger in the plane or his last 90-day endorsement was six years ago. There's also the negative reaction of nonflying airport neighbors when "Illegal Pilot Crashes" splashes in the headlines (worse if a passenger or someone on the ground his injured or killed), as well as the burden on us all when the FAA writes another rule in response even when the issue involves a pilot who refuses to follow the rules.
If you think you have flown without ever accidentally violating a FAR, your judgement is in question.
I'll take the risk, his chances of hitting my aircraft are pretty slim. or your for that matter. My insurance company would be on his estate quicker than a duck on a june bug.
If we as pilots have no responsibility to our passengers, why do we have commercial pilot requirements?
That's about what it would take for me to call the FSDO, signs that someone was about to violate the regs in some blatantly reckless way and endanger innocents to boot, with no other way to handle the situation.
First up, I think the action you took (especially in situation #1) is commendable. What always amazes me in situations like #3 (and the OP situation, for that matter) is "why the hell don't you just go get the ticket?". If you can afford to operate your own HP single, you can afford the instruction. And you'll likely complete everything in minimums anyway.
Have you ever departed with a burned out lamp of some sort and hadn't performed the required maintenance items (e.g. marking it INOP, making a maint log entry, etc)? How about flying an airplane with fuel gauges that only "sort of" work? Flown after sunset but before dark without turning on the nav lights? Flying after performing a Part 43 Appendix A preventive maintenance tasks without making a log entry (e.g. replaced a position light, topped off brake fluid, lubricated a hinge)? Flying after changing a dome light bulb (yes it's legal for a pilot to change position and landing lights but not the dome light or any other lamps in the airplane)? Updated the DB in a panel mount GPS without making a maintenance log entry?
There is no such requirement. Should the OP choose to do nothing, that matter is between him/herself and his/her conscience, not the FAA.
Actually, generally, the standard is if the owner knew, or ought to have known...and the burden is often shifted to the owner if the company can show that someone exercising reasonable diligence would have known. "Willful blindness" is rarely a defense strategy.
I'm sure he looked cool in the duke.
