Good day to everyone. I recently finished my cpl+me-ir. It took about a year for me to finish off. There was a LOT of time spent on the ground, dealing with aircraft unserviceabilities, weather etc.... However, the time spend on the ground, was in retrospect, invaluable. I had time to actually read other material rather than the ATC/BOB TAIT books, which allow one to pass the CASA exams, but are by no means exhaustive on the subjects of aviation. There is a ton of information to learn and a million things to read. I wonder when the fast track fellows have time to do anything else.
Another important thing about staying on the ground for longer than 2 minutes is the opportunity to reflect on a lesson, and perhaps better prepare for the next one. The hardest part of my course was the IFR component. I realized that to have a productive flight, I required the good part of a day to plan and prepare. Every sim required atleast 3-4 hours of prep. I just don't understand how knowledgeable pilots are being trained in 18-22 weeks! I have meet several pilots who have completed their training in this time frame, and unfortunately they have absolutely no clue.
Perhaps fast track has discovered a way. If the most important aspect of flight training is the time frame for completion, then I think that priorities need to be thought over again.
The rush to get to into the right hand seat is a bit worrying. Training seems to be more an obstacle rather than a part of getting a job with an airline. I myself am an Indian, and am also looking towards joining an airline in the near future. If I had an option, then i would have loved to become an instructor and gain some more experience before trying for a charter job. There is however, very little scope in GA in India. I have learned much from my instructors. Strangely enough, I will probably fly in an airline much before they ever will. I am however, none the better for it. Everyone seems to complain a lot about GA, but I think all Australians should respect it a lot more, and be grateful that they have a means of gaining and earning their experience.
I think everyone who goes through a fast track program is missing out on a lot. It isn't all only about logging hours as quickly as possible.