The standards these days are way below what they should be. With very few and perhaps notable exceptions:
A pilot passing a CPL today would not have passed a PPL 10 or 15 years ago
Why is this so?
Many interwoven reasons no doubt, but include:
- No minimum hours for instructing - I believe it should be >750hrs.
- No adequate supervision by CFI's
- Many sequences not taught as the instructor did not get taught it (too windy for x/w circuits!!!) yeah!
- No regular checks of students by CFI or A/CFI to test product
- CASA fails to understand what they have to regulate and FOIs don't do enough flying/tests.
- CASA fails to check CFIs and senior instructors and fails to apply appropriate standardisation
- Too many flying schools approved to do >CPL training = reduced standards
Why are these and the many other reasons behind generally poor standards and the failure of the regulator to address them? Easy:
Commercial pressure