On Tue, 29 Aug 2006 09:41:18 -0500, Stan Prevost wrote:

The FAA doesn't define "operator", but if we accept a dictionary definition:
"One who operates a machine or device".

I am certainly not an authority on this. To be sure, I'm simply
parroting. My DE told me, the FAA wants people to believe that operator
somehow translates to pilot; however, he said, the courts have ruled many
times that pilots are pilots and owner/operators are owner/operators. He
then led me through several logic paths in a couple of FARs which fairly
well became nonsense if you take owner/operator to mean pilot. At the
same time, the same FARs made sense when assuming an operator is not a
pilot.

He did not expand on the cases to which he referred. He did say,
according to the courts (obviously not a literial defination here), an
operator is more like an FBO, an air carrier, a flight school. I think we
can all agree on what an owner is.

[snip]

Anyone have any ideas as to the "cases" to which my DE referred?

Greg