And further more....
Flex - some fair points. There is one thing I would like to make comment on:
"The system is designed to give the trainee the benefit of the doubt. So don't waste the opportunity."
I don't believe the trainee is generally given the benefit of the doubt. Some pass their check and when their files are passed before the board, their course is terminated without recourse, without further training and often subsequently with minimal counselling and guidance (just more checks prior to their next shot).
I should add that in some ways I believe they shouldn't be given the benefit of the doubt(depends very much on the circumstances). If there are some issues that come up in the ERAS report(s), then they should be researched more and steps taken to address these issues - BEFORE the 3 or 4 Bar. This has already happened in some cases and trainers/checkers have been challenged (sorry - asked to clarify) on some of the comments they have made in training/check reports. The fact is that some checkers/trainers are shocking at writing reports and turn minor stuff into career busting statements.
A typical example may be that the candidate is slightly late in decelerating to 250kts below 10k and this just turns up in his ERAS report as 'lost situational awareness' without any expansion. If it happens often, it is an issue. If a once-off, then a verbal debrief and move on to more important big picture stuff.
I agree that there are some outstanding trainers and checkers in the company. It is just a pity that a very few influential and powerful checkers continue to wreak havoc on trainees and their careers.
As for this comment:
"Somehow the corporate knowledge seems to know when someone who has unfairly missed-out, has been hard done by. This message is not lost and invariably such a candidate seems to sail through on the next go. These Commanders then seem to go on and eventually make the best trainers."
Agreed. This seems to be the case. However, in many cases, it need not have been the case in the first place(in my very humble opinion).