By Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

If asked, the FAA would probably say that the most-violated FARs involve serving as a pilot-in-command without the required recent experience for the operation, or the ubiquitous “careless and reckless” offense. After all, they might reason, the system is designed to prevent accidents or incidents, so if there’s an accident or incident, someone must have been careless and reckless.

But I would disagree with that answer and, instead, maintain that the most-violated FARs have to do with medical certification and, specifically, reporting to the FAA any changes in a pilot’s health. Think about it: Do you really tell the FAA about every visit you make to a…