Originally Posted by
twinotterifr
In relation to my original post, do you think that the method the EASA/UK system uses is intentionally designed to be condensed into that 6-9 month time frame as a means to test an individual's learning capability specifically for aviation? almost like a gatekeeping mechanism or am i just overanalyzing it.
Personally, I think that's entirely likely.
To bring in what the other chaps posting are talking about... I don't think the information in the courses is useless (though I do question some of its relevance and modernity), but I question how learning such a vast bulk of pretty esoteric knowledge in such a compressed timeframe and outside of any practical application (which is how people
actually learn, by doing) is of benefit to the student.
My suspicion (and it would be an interesting research paper, if it hasn't already been done), is that the examples they cite of when ATPL knowledge came in handy probably represent instances of knowledge acquired repeatedly and reinforced incidentally over time, rather than examples of skills learned during ATPL theory classes and then remembered verbatim when the need arose. Of course that is how most theory is applied in practice, but if we accept that it calls into question the need for an upfront bulk theory exam of the EASA/UKCAA ATPL Theory type.
I'm not sure that you could say its a gatekeeping mechanism that shows you have a learning capacity specific to aviation, perhaps that you are able to learn in a specific way that aviation likes (generously that way is the way it is because further type rating courses etc. have hard time restrictions, cynically because aviation is stuck in an outdated mode of theoretical knowledge acquisition) when it comes to theory. I say that because learning to actually fly, learning how to fly on instruments, learning how to be proactive and reactive in the cockpit are taught completely differently, in my (limited: that is CPL MEIR fATPL APS-MCC, with a few hundred hours/previous career as a teacher) experience.