One of the best posts I’ve read for a while +TSRA. I’d given up on this thread but thank you for restoring my faith that there are people worth listening to still on this forum.
It would be impossible for a regulator to recruit, train and maintain the services of the number of examiners (at least of equal quality to the current trainers) required anyway. We also now do more training and less checking. Used to be 50/50 and now 75/25. Much more value. And crews are still trained to proficiency. And finally, at least in my company there has always been a “separation between church and state” that most trainers are unionised pilots and not managers. We all rely on the company for our livelihoods and our reputation depends on not having an accident that would ruin the company. No trainer is going to let a pilot back onto the line if they didn’t feel comfortable with them flying their family.