Reply to High Wing Drifter:
Well 12% is perhaps an over exaggeration (as I said not my figures) but the point is that much of the sillybus [sic] is of little use to many future pilots in that the way the exams are tested does not test knowledge in a relevant context. The endless questions in the Airframes/Systems paper on colour codes of fire extinguishers and safety equipment is covered much later in airline conversion courses, why test it at that stage? They ask for pointless figures that are more a memory test than anything useful in a crisis and it is this almost bloody minded mentality which irks most working within the training system, rather than assessing good sound theory knowledge with questions posing possible scenarios.
As far as I can recall the meteorology paper came closest to this however we were still let down by the fact we had to know stupid crap like the dimensions of the different varieties of precipitation. Perhaps things have since changed?
I aggree that I've used ATPL knowledge in my private flying and it is suprising when that formula for aquaplaning comes in handy during a C152 approach to an airfield in drizzle but you must admit the relevant stuff most PPLers need gets covered during the PPL training.... unless of course the pilot went integrated without already being in possession of a PPL, in which case they cannot fly privately on the professional licence they graduated with until they recieve further training from a flying club anyway......
Shall we up the figure to 20% then?
VFE.