Oz Training Standards
Having been through the "school of hard knocks" (a QFI for several years) I am starting to think that the 'old' standards in Oz are fast disappearing.
The CAA put out a day VFR syllabus (a bad attempt at humour) to justify lowering the standards in the new CAR's - many schools including the one I was with, wrote our own. A far superior item - basically no reduction in flight hours from the pre '92 syllabus.
Now I see the CASA are at it again some FOI is jusitfying his/her existance with writing a new perfomance based syllabus - basically so the 'recreational pilot' licence holder is pre rated on most types. I find this yet another step in disolving an already lowering standard.
I ask these simple questions :
How many new "ppls" accurately navigate to within 4 nm of an enroute tracking point (this is only +/- 2 mins) ?
How many accurately hold a sartime or flight note ?
I should think that CASA or whoever want to carry the flag (why has the Oz colleges and tafes got on the wagon ?) should encourage schools to write their own syllabii, rate them when 'accepting' the ops manual and makeit mandatory that the schools that train flight conduct the ground theory aswell ?
The product should be (and I employ some) a pilot who is motivated towards his/her knowledge, can add two or three numbers together and eventually can fly straight ? (this latter doesn't really matter since the computers we have fix this)
I have come across many pilots from the pilot factories, that can fly in balance but can't read an approach chart, don't bother with navigation fixes and my pet hate - can't use the radio properly. Why are these latter skills left to be gained during flight experience - not taught at ground level ?