Why not? The reason you&#x27;re not allowed to get on the highway with a scooter or a bike is because it&#x27;s dangerous <i>to others.</i> The only danger to me taking my airplane across the Atlantic is <i>to me.</i><p>I see this misunderstanding a lot among non-aviation people. I don&#x27;t <i>have</i> to tell anyone what I&#x27;m doing when I fly. I can go to the airport, right now, and fly my airplane pretty much wherever I like. I don&#x27;t <i>have</i> to file a flight plan (provided I&#x27;m flying visually - non-instrument). I can take off and fly pretty much wherever I like. I can take whatever route I prefer, provided I keep in contact via radio with the relative controllers of the various airspaces I might pass through and keep an eye out for other airplanes.<p>If I&#x27;m flying instrument, I do have to file a flight plan and stick to a planned route (or communicate changes to my route). And unless I&#x27;m just up doing practice around the local area, I always file a flight plan even if I am going VFR. My personal rule is over 50 nautical miles or into a class C airspace or above (basically, the area around most decent-sized airports), I file a flight plan. It&#x27;s free, keeps me safe and keeps ATC happy.<p>There are some other ICAO rules when your start crossing ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone - the distance from shore where you must be identified). I have never personally encountered this so I would have to brush up on the appropriate procedure before doing it. But there is still nothing stopping me from doing it provided I follow the rules.<p>Flying is quite free and liberating. Not so much as driving, but more than most people seem to realize. It&#x27;s up to me as a pilot to exercise good judgement in not getting myself and others killed.