The Honor System

“There’s no checking that a logged instructional flight actually happened, or lasted long enough on ADS-B and had flight track consistent with the tasks and maneuvers in the logbook, or that the instructor providing the endorsement was rated and current, or that his or her last Flight Review…you get the picture. It’s rare, but not unheard of, for even well-scrutinized pilots in airline and jet operations to be found to be skirting the rules—a factor in the recent revocation of what were assumed to be complete and properly documented single-pilot authorizations in some Cessna Citation Jet models. Most aviation safety is done on the honor system.”

That quote is from Thomas P. Turner’s Nov. 5, 2026 FLYING LESSONS newsletter. Tom uses this week’s newsletter to write about how he felt when he “saw, read and heard” about the Lear 60 accident in Florida that took the lives of seven passengers and two crew members.

All of what Tom writes should be read. Especially this week’s lesson.