Whirlybird: The difference between FI/R and FI should be INSTRUCTIONAL experience. The handling skills should be there before starting the FI Course. OK, this seems to a be a quaint notion these days, but that was the original idea, which seems to have got lost along the way. How do FI/R's acquire the skills if they don't do all the manoeuvres.
I suspect we are seeing the results of PPL/H's not being taught EOL's properly, which leads to a domino effect through CPL/H's to FI/R,s. Result - everybody thinks that they are difficult/dangerous, which they are not if taught by competent instructors who have self confidence in their abilities. Doing EOL's per se is not the whole point. It is to do with pilots having confidence in their abilities to handle the aircraft in all corners of the flight envelope. I despair a bit when I read stories about the alleged difficulty of manoeuvres. Even autorotations seem to becoming a big deal when all they are is a means of descending, outwith the emergency situations. End of rant! I know that I'm not going to change the world.