I’m getting cynical in my old age.....
When I did METS on the Jetstream in the early 90s there was no formation, no low level.
At some point (not sure if it was pre- or post-king air but probably aligned with the streaming direct from EFT) there was a syllabus review and low level and formation came in, the justification supposedly was that potential ME pilots needed formation skills for tanking and future Herc crews needed low level. I’ve spoken to former students and instructors and the level at which these skills were taught was way over the top and largely taught, as with most of the RAF ME training, as a single pilot skill.
it’s almost as if the instructors of the day were writing the syllabus that they wanted to teach, rather than what was needed (said the cynic)
Basic (common) skills should be taught at an early stage of training. ME training should teach the common skill sets specific to ME flying. Type training should teach how to apply basic skills to that type.
I haven’t seen the new syllabus, but understand from friends that is has been heavily driven by the ex-king air personalities. Instructional time would be far better teaching pilots multi pilot skills - how to perform effectively as PM or as PF in a 2 pilot flight deck for example, rather than formation and low level that will be flown in a completely different manner on the front line. Just my opinion!