The problem is with all of these comments from the PPRUNE Skygods is that you are dealing with AVERAGE.
You seek to train pilots to be skygods and you train drivers to race cars and by doing so you make both the providence of the elite and talented. A great way to get cars of the road and pilots out of the air!!
Originally Posted by Pilot DAR
New pilots must have higher skill set to aspire to.
You are absolutely right. BUT trying to teach the higher skill set to an already over loaded student rather than a safe skill set will just be one more nail in the coffin for light aviation.
I am a great believer that if we are to attract new normal people into aviation that we have to modernise and that we have to provide a clear and safe skill development path. At basic level we teach the general handling skills and the avoidance skills which includes how to make sure you don't get into a spin in the first place. By all means of the student wants to see a spin then arrange for it with a suitably qualified and experienced Instructor and appropriate aircraft.
As the student skills develop and they are more comfortable with the basic skills they can seek further training in more advanced skills such as spinning and upset recovery. This allows them to push the envelope further at their own pace.
I know many students who would have given up flying if they had been forced to learn to spin who are now multi thousand hour pilots, perfectly safe and still have no desire to spin an aircraft. It is not everyone's cup of tea and the days of the macho bull!!!! of using military training to weed out the weakest are behind us. Some people do not like the feelings of nausea and discomfort that spinning or other more advanced manoeuvres produce. Do we drive them out GA just because they can't do what we can?
If GA is to survive and even grow we must try and encompass more ordinary people.
Originally Posted by 421dog
It REALLY comes across as grating to call pilots who may happen to fly fairly simple aircraft "spam can drivers".
421Dog, Please accept my apologies, I think you have take offence to something lost in translation which was not there. In Europe we tend to refer to the normal trainer/rental fleet as 'Spam cans' due to the fact that 98% of them are of US manufacture. I fly a twin Turbo prop for work but my private flying is done in a Cessna (and an AUster which has no instruments!!) so I firmly consider my self to be a spam can driver. It is a term of endearment not one of insult.