For people who are 'out of touch'; To validate a JAA type rating you need (depending on your hours) 4 or 6 actual take off and landings with a JAA TRE. It has been like that for many years.
The FAA will accept the level D sim which IMHO is not good because no simulator represents the landing of the aircraft correctly (especially the EMB 145/Legacy).
Don't know what happened at Cambridge or why but obviously it shouldn't have.
