I too have been aviating more than 25 years, qualified pilot/navigator (yes that once existed in the SAAF) and I've had an FAA ATP for more than 10 years. I note comments above lauding the virtues of Plotting. Pray tell me, which airline co-pilot carries plotting dividers and plotting charts in his pilot bag just in case his aircraft's nav system packs up and he has to start griffling furiously to find out where they are??
I do however know of many co-pilots who stare dazedly at a wx radar screen picture and or GPS display, not knowing WTH its telling them. Plotting helps u diddly squat if you're in IFR with no landmarks.
Yes, lets introduce advanced map reading on 1 000 000 charts/maps, that can be useful in a hurry, not departure etc (or like in instruments, latitude rider nuts and aircraft magnetism!!)
As for the way we Saffricans put the FAA ATP down all the time, it was ok to get astronauts time in airlines, wasn't it, before they stepped onto the moon
????
The FAA ATP test was the toughest flight test, outside of the SAAF, that I had ever come across.
And BTW, can someone explain to me how, in any nation, can a multiple choice exam which has been failed, be re-marked (for a fee) and then suddenly it is passed??????????????
Can someone explain to me how moderators of ATP subjects can lecture you and show you faulty questions that will come up in the exam, telling you to tick the wrong answer so that you can score the mark, because CAA are too lazy to correct the database???? This is obviously why re-marking is allowed???
And lastly, how about some advanced airlaw instead for all aspirant captains/ATPs. So many last saw an airlaw book at their comm lectures or dont know where to find what in the CATS/CARS, but they are put in charge of an aircraft?
Both Comm and ATP syllabi need a serious revamp in terms of relevance.
Cheers
OB