BEagle, thanks you have made it clearer! I must say then I am not so hot to contest this.
As much as the seminar must be good. (I have not attended one but most say its worthwhile) I believe there is no substitute for being put through the renewal flight test. And every other renewal i.e six years is no great sweat! As I see it under the JAR system so far, you can get away with no flight test altogether. Hmmmmm.
Everytime I make a ballsup of something on the flight test and learn from it. It makes me remember why we are taught to be disciplined in our approach to it all.
The test seems to cost no more than the seminar. Now I have no objection to the seminar but feel we should be "standardised" by test from time to time as we examiners are.
I can't imagine the CAA wanting me to sit my LPC/OPC by swapping bar stories over a coffee or six instead of sweating my backside off in the sim! I'm sure you would agree on this bit? Why should it be different for instructing. And as RF/FTO's go the standard of monitoring that goes into its staff of instructors is very varied. So the CAA need a check of some sort, we can't rely on RF/FTO system.
So I am sorry BEagle, but I will be in support of this if the details are correct as you put them. Bullet proof vest is on and ready!