FTO styles - too militaristic and conformist?
Is it really true that OAT still has a small element of staff who treat the establishment like a training barracks? I thought this was more rumour than fact, are there any instances, episodes of this type of behaviour being exhibited.
I recall at SECOAT (South East College of Air Training) just before it closed in the 1990s of how they taught flight training but also an undercurrent of something else too. This "something else" or additional activity seemed to be unnecessary and got in the way of the student's focus and primary aim of learning. In fact they had some poor chap mopping the floor at the end of the day (quite large floor mind you so can't have been fun especially after a day's studying).
Why is this silly behaviour still present at places like OAT and some others? I doubt the argument that it helps to reinforce learning or that the discipline is required, then in that case why not go the whole hog and have parade ground activities and saluting too. Flight Safety in the States is just if not more professional and they don't need to adhere to such regimes, why is it so unique to the UK like hooliganism is to England football supporters.
Shouldn't the extra energy be directed towards more positive things like tutorial workshops or 'experience' in the hangars to get a 'feel' of what aircraft annatomy is all about?
Maybe this is nothing more than an inadvertent physiological exhibition of superiority on the poor unsuspecting student. One who must bear this brunt because of some self appointed attitude of status and importance by his/her instructional staff.
Then again if these people are so great then what on earth are they doing at a flying school? The brightest people go on to industry and help companies earn big bucks in fact those companies actively head hunt such personalities. I am increasingly of the opinion that those who end up at OAT (ex-services) are the ones that few others want. "The best always go to the front of the queue".