Alphamale... So you've done both JAA and FAA then? Granted the FAA written tests are shorter (ie. less bull!!!!!) but I'm sure you'll find the items being tested are similar to JAA, albeit minus the mindless crap which is of no use to man nor beast (other than making money for the CAA and the FTOs, slowing down the high number of pilots wizzing through the ATPL sausage factories, and weeding
some people out).
One example would be the FAA Commercial written test (100 questions), it may contain 2 or 3 weight (yes
weight, not mass) and balance questions to test your knowledge, as opposed to a whole paper on it. Same goes for flight planning etc, a couple of questions - NOT a whole paper (and more money to the CAA). Flight planning isn't tested fully in an exam (as I believe it is for the ATPLs), but will usually be given as an assignment for the practical test, with an FAA Pilot Examiner checking your work over and springing up various scenarios on you. It's all there, and certainly isn't watered down, or any easier.
I suppose it's nice to convince oneself that more exams means better qualified, once you've slogged the studying, put the time in, and paid the money... but at the end of the day, FAA or JAA achieve the same things and are both to ICAO standards.
I can say from experience, and I'm sure many will agree, that an FAA practical test (including the oral exam) more than make up for "easier" written tests. You can't really hit up a question bank in preparation for an oral test, and it's a good way of seeing if you really do know what you should.
Then comes the actual flying and piloting, the thing we all pride ourselves on as aviators, and surely the
real test... The FAA flight tests definitely require more skill at Private and Commercial level. The Instrument Rating doesn't necessarily cover NDBs in any detail, but makes up for that with GPS approaches (which is the way things are going anyway) which have their own little intricacies. The FAA way is more practical, as people actually use their instrument ratings in small GA airplanes, and readily fly single crew in bad weather. Safety is important to the FAA, and the tests made to ensure that the skills taught can be used in anger, It's NOT a case of paying lip-service to a load of un-necessary crap, then forgetting it all and buying your way onto the right-seat of a big shiny jet!
Can't comment for the ATP (as I haven't done that here), but again it's ONE paper and a practical (oral and flight) test.
Oh, and you actually need 1500 hours (including minimum time(s) for cross-country, solo etc) before you can do the test! Non of that "frozen" mumbo-jumbo.
