Hi Voel,
sorry for the delay in posting a reply,
Believe it or not I completed a Grade 1 thesis on training and testing standards, albeit not a very good one, but it is there. It would be appreciated if you could attend the hearing if it ever comes to pass.
My response based on that background is No - definitely not.
Passing the test, as you should well know is a formality, if the right training is not there despite passing a test the pilot may not be fit to fly. Someone can demonstrate an acceptable level of flying on the day of the test, however this is purely a snapshot, and not a foolproof method of ensuring a pilot is of an acceptable level. Nata does use professional DE's for their test, however we have had good pilots pass the test with respectable DE's and once taken on by a charter company they were required to undergo extensive retraining.
The answer to standards in flight training and testing is not an easy one - hence the comment about the thesis, however it is definately more than just passing a difficult test!
This is the reason there are such strict controls put on course content and flight school auditing by DCA.
Note this likewise should be applied to ATC training.
The meeting went fine, can't recall which one it was, however according to my sources I have been given the all clear by the industry, just finalising the paperwork.
To that note since no one stood up and said you are a big p
s and quit now while you are ahead, I am proceeding with the Grade 1 in SA and will proceed with the Namibian presentation when I have some time.
My apologies for breaking etiquette with the name in the previous post, I thought it was important.