Another fascinating discussion, albeit with a tragic start.
Dato:
With increased flying time experience is gained and complacency grows. This is an observation on my part and every time I do an A I have to remind myself to complete the check to limit the risk.
And that is what happens in the early stages of your license. The complacency grows very quickly. The reason being your mindset : "I've laboured to get this license - it was a tough course - at times I didn't think I'd get it. That's all behind me now."
So wrong. It's actually all still to come. No flying course can prepare you for the myriad of scenarios you will face out there. No flying course can cope with all the different mindsets of students.
The answer is that all new pilots should spend a lot of flying time with experienced pilots. All new pilots should look for a crap day in the forecast (not hard) and book their best instructor. I am not saying we should teach people how to fly through cloud in a VFR machine. But we should teach that there are very real limits - and that will assist in dampening the complacency.
Maybe if a few instructors introduced some Check A "tricks" we could sort some of this mental problem without even going flying.
The society we have created has meant that complacency is now a big problem. The Health & Safety approach to life means that we all think we're safe if we just follow the signs. We all think we're safe if we buy the airbags. We go into a dangerous mindset "The sign says 30 - I'll be safe at 30 then."
Feel it. Keep flying it. Take your bloody eyes off the GPS and look out the window.