mongoose237 Your concession that your school analogy is "not quite the same" is a spectacular under-statement. It's entirely different.
using the term JAA as synonimous with British so as to perpetuate their own xenophobic beliefs that the UK is a nation of handlebar-moustached wing commanders and Basil Fawlty's who haven't quite come to terms with the decline of their Empire.
It's such a shame some British contributors seem to confirm that image.
Xenophobic?
Most of the criticisms I've read in various threads have been by Brits - many of whom find it difficult or impossible to achieve their ambition in their own country because of the requirements imposed upon them. Given that this is an English language forum, we can't know with certainty what the majority of other Europeans think, but those who speak English and post on Pprune seem to make the same criticisms.
The image you describe is by no means entirely inaccurate. I don't think we have come to terms with the decline of the British Empire. I believe it's the root of the deeply embedded, but embarrassingly quaint and absurd, notion that we're the best in the world at everything, not just aviation - and have nothing to learn from these upstart countries. (My profession is no better.)
Speak to some senior CAA personnel about the FAA and one could easily get the impression that America is some third world country which has just discovered aviation. Speak to them about FAA licence requirements and one gets the impression that it's only by luck that FAA qualified pilots find their way across the Atlantic and little short of a miracle that they don't crash on the way or fall on London in their attempts to land at Heathrow.
Interesting that you should mention the FAA and CASA. My impression from reading the forum over the years is that their helicopter pilots (together with Canada) do some of the most challenging flying in the world.
Is there any justification for the so-called 'safety' argument in support of the JAA's training and licensing requirements?
Is there evidence that (for example) FAA and CASA pilots are less safe than JAA pilots?
This topic is never discussed objectively, it is too emotive.
People have tried very hard to do so in this thread. If you read from the beginning it's quite obvious where the problem lies.
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