Originally Posted by
Kundry
The Darwin fascist cultivates several mini-me's for his operations (young, white and preferably shaved headed) and relies on the scapegoat of ill-equipped east coast CPLs to perpetuate the business model. I've never been hiring-firing-perspiring in the top end, but I'd question the amount of people actually fronting up without knowing how to iron a shirt or use a declared density chart. Even to those who do front up without key non technical and technical skills, I don't understand how they can't be taught in a couple of days. Drum refuelling only takes one 20 minute demo for someone to be able to go and do themselves. In my personal experience, I had most bits of airmanship and general "life-out-of-home skills" under control when I first fronted up. What I could have used most was some experience talking to girls and escalating a relationship.
Does he require chicks to shave their heads as well? Or are females exempt from the fascist look?
As for ill-equipped pilots fresh from CPL training - it was ever thus, even in my time many moons ago. I recall one C grade (as it was back then) instructor who was all of two years older than me and had less of an idea than I did about several dual training exercises. Somehow we survived.
The main saving grace back then was that the final check had to be done by a DCA Examiner, so flight schools never got to 'graduate' their own. But overall, I don't think the training standards were any better back then - if you got lucky you got a crusty old ex wartime pilot as your instructor sometimes, though often had to endure what today would be classed as verbal abuse if you screwed up. Testing standards may have been higher but training standards were not.
Today's pilots benefit from (or are burdened by, depending on your point of view) extra subjects like human factors, dangerous goods, security etc that were unheard of back in the good old days, and I am sure today's graduates have a much better grip on electronics than we did. Back then there was very basic radio theory to get the licence. Navigation, Flight Planning, Principles of Flight and Meteorology were written exams, so there was no chance of fluking passes - as is the case with today's multi choice exams, but whether we retained the knowledge any better for it I can't say. Is today's technical knowledge better or worse?
It does not help that Australian GA seems burdened with bull!!!! that would not be tolerated in any workplace in the real world. I have witnessed (and also been on the receiving end of) two hour briefings/oral quizzes to do a simple instrument rating renewal, then 45 minute nit-picking de-briefs, when the candidate has passed to the required standard. Too much trivia, too much of the instructor showing superior knowledge and experience at all costs. Too much of CASA making it ever more complex simply to add pages to the MOS.
My observations in general - from some 50 years of training and checking pilots on to heavy twins (DC 3 anyone?), transport category turboprops and jets.
Freshly-minted graduates (mostly from so-called 'sausage factories') soon come to grips with operational requirements:
- if you tell them once not to open up power if it will blast dirt or people or aircraft, they get it
- if you require them to climb a ladder with a refuelling hose, earth it, stick in in a hole and ensure the hole is covered up after, they get it. Of course it pays to climb the ladder yourself afterward to check that the hole is indeed plugged
- if you have a gravel runway technique and show them once, then have them practice it, they soon get it
- if you want your engines handled a certain way and give them appropriate material to self-study, plus some supervision, they get it
On the other hand - and again generalising:
- pilots who have been in GA all their life are usually there because they did not make it to anything bigger and better
- instructors who have been in GA all their life have a very narrow area of expertise - the best instructors are often those who return to GA after a long time elsewhere, have nothing to prove, made enough money to be comfortable, and now seek a healthier lifestyle
- THE absolutely THE most difficult pilots to train onto advanced equipment - or down train to less advanced equipment - are those who know only one thing, whether it be GA or a particular airline. Usually mid 40's to late 50's types
Give me the new graduate any day, invest a bit of time in them and accept that if they are any good, after a couple of years they will move on. An operator who can't afford that probably can't afford maintenance or much else either.....