Sunfish: We could start with basic airmanship and follow that with basic stick and rudder (you know those pedals on the floor!) skills. (try sitting on the airport fence and watching ops when there is a x/w) That is only the tip of the iceberg! What about basic nav training (without a GPS)? What about use of radios and airspace management? I know of some pilots that don't know how to operate the avoinics in the a/c they are endorsed on - and that includes how to use a transpnder (how hard is that?)...!!
F#3 Yes, such a course or program is well overdue, so long as it is practical and improves the standards. If it is commercially driven it will fail, just like the instructor review in the mid '90's.
Q: your opinion only.. just like mine!
TBT: The evidence is there. You just have to appreciate how to collect it. Talk to instructors and fly with ppl's who have trained in the past 10 years. What's more, talk to employers who have to in many cases retrain pilots to do things they should have done in their CPL training. My experience as an instructor is over the past 30+ yrs and I have something to compare the standards now with. Only those with something to loose in a commercial sense have disagreed with me to date.
The problem with the flying training industry is that it lacks standardisation across the board from CASA FOIs down thru the CFI's around the place and to the line instructors who need the standardisation most of all. The industry seems incapable of conducting any self audits and talk of quality assurance brings about a blank look of horror, especially from those that believe it may cost $'s. Fact is that even if it cost a bit the returns would (are) well worth the effort in flow on business from professionally trained and tested pilots who by word of mouth ensure the advertising is free!
As for banding together. Yes, great idea, but first lets look at where the Flying Instructors Association is these days? Would that be a good vehicle to progress things and improve standards? Trouble is that not many instructors are in it for the long haul and believe they have better things to do with their time. This is why the regulator has a responsibility to draw some lines in the sand and kick @rse if they are not achieved. Failure to band together and standardise standards will continue to see 2nd rate pilots in the stream.
It can be done better. Look at why it is not and we may be close to some answers.