[svleest]

In order to fly, current regulations in most countries require the aircraft is flight certified by the named regulatory authority. In the US for civilian aircraft, the regulatory agency is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). So compliance to their stated standards is not really optional. It is also true that compliance does not necessarily mean security or safety has been completely achieved. That is, even if one "checks all the boxes" does not guarantee 100% safety. So we also depend on professionals who go beyond simply doing the minimum but who truly care about the safety of the flying public.