All because the PPL does't include training for proper takeoff performance calculation (IME).
IO540 on the FAA syllabus it certainly does
But why on earth should a UK trained pilot have been taught the skills of leaning for best power take-off at 3000+ft density altitude?
Ghengis Because airplanes are made to go places, and the world isn't like the UK. At the very least a UK PPL should be aware of the issue (btw what IO540 bemoans - t/o calculations - is a broader field that also definitely applies in the UK. Just read the recurring accident reports of people launching from farmstrips into hedges
)