It's amazing how fast people 'come around' when their ox is finally getting gored (no pun intended)/when their *fave* activity comes under tne heavy hand of a bunch of somewhat disintersted, tax-levying, self-centered Washington bureaucratic and so-called 'law' making types ...
Your definition of "privilege" is correct, but I think you are falling into the same trap that several other forum members have regarding the definition or rights.Rights are conditions of existence necessary to the survival of a rational being. In fundamental terms, all rights flow from the right to life. Since man is alive, he has the right to remain so unless he violates this right in another. Basically, this is the philosophical meaning of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".
Since man survives by the use of his mind and his labor, he therefore must be free to use his mind, thus the right to liberty, and he must be free to keep the products of his labor, thus the right to property. Since happiness results from the achievement of one's values, and man must be free to achieve his values in order to survive, he also has the right to pursue happens.
Rights are not /granted/! Not by government; not by your neighbors; not by anybody. If you are /allowed/ to do something, then you are doing it either by privilege or by contract. Although ideally the only function of the FAA should be to enforce the regulations that we pilots deem necessary for safe flight, in reality the FAA sees itself as our master and we pilots mere slaves hos only job is to obey. Fortunately, their only power over us is our willingness to accept this relationship.
That was, and is, my original complaint against the AOPA. They not only accept, but foster this master-slave relationship. The efforts of the AOPA will continue to fail until they acknowledge that we pilots have a right to fly, and the FAA's only function is to administer and enforce such regulations as we pilots voluntarily agree are needed to protect our rights and the rights of others.