I reckon that since getting a PPL at High Wycombe (and thus my 'licence to learn') I have, in one form or another experienced most of the elephant traps that there are out there for private pilots. We're all human and, after all "to err is human".
However, I was just a PPL, as opposed to a CPL FI employed by a flying school, and therein lies the rub; However much of a numpty the chap being checked out was, I think that it is reasonable to expect that a qualified flying instructor, based at a flying school on the edge of the London TMA, shouldn't allow him or herself to end up at Heathrow. Sad to say, but I think the contention by MP that it's all a bit unfair that the book got thrown at him, rather than the pupil (or bloke he was checking out), indicates that a state of denial still exists here, as to whose fault this bust actually was.
If you are P1, you are in charge - end of story. If you are an instructor and P1, there really is no discussion to be had. It's not that I'm unsympathetic, because I'm not, but events like these need to go through a 'truth and reconcilliation' process.
I think that there are also other peripheral elements to this tale which merit further discussion (such as why a training establishment would send out a new instructor with a paying customer, when he was not sufficiently familiar with the local area, to prevent him from ending up over Heathrow?) and maybe someone from Wycombe Air Centre or Cabair would like to comment?
Last edited by wsmempson; 24th April 2009 at 09:27.
Reason: illiteracy