I think you've cut straight to the core of the FAA's reasoning in this matter. And sound reasoning it is: According to a 2007 article in the Journal of the Amer

I think you've cut straight to the core of the FAA's reasoning in this matter. And sound reasoning it is: According to a 2007 article in the Journal of the American Medical association, general aviation accounts for 94% of all aviation fatalities. [1] You are literally 82 times more likely to die in a private aircraft than in a commercial airliner. But as you say, it's an issue of informed consent – perhaps the FAA can draft rules around making users of flight sharing services aware of the risks, while promoting safe practices by pilots (though one might argue that is exactly what commercial licensure is for). [1] http://doctorgrayson.com/Aircraft.pdf http://doctorgrayson.com/Aircraft.pdf