> At a micro level it would be like having to get permission for me to drive to the beach.

Note that you do have to get permission from the government to drive (to the beach). You need:

* A driving licence

* A registered and insured car

Roads are a shared space so regulations about how people use them help the common good. Noise and hazards presented by cars affect everyone so there is regulation about exhaust mufflers and pedestrian safety features. Uncontrolled driving would result in crashes so we have traffic lights, roundabouts etc.

These are all the same considerations with rockets - is it safez is it going to affect the surrounding area, is it going to conflict with other air users.