MMSOBGYTAST, you’ve got me completely wrong. I simply don’t have a view that everything in America is positive. I suggest you look at some of my comments in relation to globalisation and huge US companies such as Wal-Mart potentially taking over the world.
Having said that, because the US has a very litigious society which is very wealthy, and because it has some of the worst weather conditions in the world, with high mountain ranges, I believe it has evolved aviation-wise into a very good system of balancing cost and benefit.
Remember, we used to spend a huge amount of money in modifying aircraft from the USA so they could meet Australian certification standards. As Chairman of the CAA I was responsible for the decision to remove that requirement. Many millions of dollars have been saved since then and there has been no measurable impact on safety.
You say that the FAA exam system is a joke. If this is so, why is their resultant level of safety about the same as Australia – despite snow and ice for 4 months of the year and the high mountain ranges? I have a feeling that we put in all this extra cost and complexity in the theory system when there is no measurable safety advantage.
I have heard about of the recent questions in our theory exams and it is more about testing your ability in comprehension and English than actually knowing the real answer. This doesn’t add to aviation safety.