Originally Posted by
paco
Blind Pew has it about right. I am sick and tired of the wannabees who seem to know before they start flying what they need and don't need to study. Some of the questions are bizarre, yes, but that's a separate issue from the syllabus. None of us, schools or authorities, know where you are going to end up. Your licence covers you for all types of flying from airline to bush and those two by themselves are entirely different. Sure, you don't need too much detailed knowledge of convergency with an IRS or two in the front, but it's sure handy when you are flying around big open spaces like Alberta! In any case, you are still responsioble for what your IRS gets up to and you need to detect when it's not giving you the correct information, for which you need to know its limitations.
That kind of attitude shows a disrespect for the people who have gone before you and have learnt the hard way that you do need that knowledge.
Good judgement is based on experience. Experience is based on bad judgement.
With all due respect, I've passed the EASA ATPL Theory exams, so I've learned it all (if you believe that theory courses and exams prove that you've "got the knowledge"). I've then sat with 10,000+ hour airline pilots who have remarked that they used only very select portions of the knowledge learned in those courses... I respect the people who've gone before and learned the hard way, I also respect the people who've gone before and remark that they think large sections (at least of the EASA and UK CAA) ATPL theory syllabus are not very useful at all.
I am also a person with a 16 year career in education, so when I say that the EASA/CAA method of teaching and examining this knowledge is not very good, it comes from a place of deep understanding of how people learn. It seems more like an exercise in showing you CAN learn something, that you will then later learn properly through experience, context specific courses, and the guidance of a captain. Given that, the idea of spending 6-9 months cramming all this ATPL knowledge into your head before you even get into an aircraft reeks of box ticking. I understand the American way is much different, and as such makes a whole lot more sense to me as you're building more advanced theoretical knowledge onto existing theory and practice.