I just don't buy the argument (one of the most common in aviation) that if you deprive a pilot of equipment which would assist him in operating an aircraft, thus forcing him to revert to "more traditional means", he will exercise "better airmanship" and be a safer pilot.
Gosh, it's been a long time since I have used so many phrases out of the CAA safety sense leaflets
I should get a medal.
I think there is one reason (and very few others) why we have such a backward training syllabus: the flight training industry doesn't want to spend any money on equipment, and doesn't want anything that will make the PPL look any more expensive on their price list.
There isn't anybody around who is the least bothered whether a new PPL holder is capable of doing anything whatsoever.
I suppose NATS definitely are bothered about infringements but they are a long way down the chain.
like VOR/DME you mean?
I think, Mike, that the pilots we are talking about here don't know what to do with a VOR, and DME isn't covered in the PPL (DME and ADF wasn't in it when I did mine in 2000)