"Mike Marron" wrote in message
...
"John Mullen" wrote:

[snipola]

Like I say, freedom of speech is the bit of the US ideal I like.

Ah, but freedom of speech truly is just a tiny "bit" of the U.S.
ideal. As I mentioned in a previous post, simply riding my ebike,
for example, is illegal in the U.K. -- as is commercial, single-pilot
IFR, flying single-engine A/C over densely populated urban areas,
flying homebuilt A/C in IMC, flying a microlight without a license,
flying a homebuilts at night (even VFR), performing basic
modifications to your own homebuilt A/C, etc. etc. etc....

With all your asinine laws and bureaucratic red tape not
to mention astronomically high cost of "petrol," taxes, insurance,
tariffs, landing fees etc. it's amazing that people are still flying
at all in the U.K. No wonder so many Brits and Europeans come
to the U.S. just to fly.

Actually aviation fuel isn't that much dearer over here. Suspect the
differences in price and ease of access between flying are mainly due to the
legal openness you describe above, better (and more reliable) weather, and
economies of scale resulting from the previous.

Got it, John? Now visualize the closing scene in the movie
"Braveheart" and hear me screaming....

FRRREEEEEEEEEEEDDDDOOOOOOMMMMMMMMmmmmmm!

Now you're talking! Mel Gibson did quite a creditable impression of a Scots
accent I thought. Historically accurate it wasn't though...

John