Can someone explain to me why the private pilot license was taught in thirty hours in the 1950's and on tail wheel airplanes and today the average is around 75 to 100 hours on very basic simple to fly nose wheel trainers?
Maybe I was poorly trained?
Probably not...
Instructor's level of experience is not much more than the student's. I think the aviators of your time were highly skilled if you compare.
mad_jock has a valid point. When I did my CFI their was lots of emphasize put on fancy maneuvers like Rectangular Course Patterns, S-turns, Turns Around a Point (for Private) but not much on basic flying skills. Simply I believe the instructors are not taught how to teach basic straight & level, turns, climb/descent .... Moreover, in the Private syllabus (e.g. Jeppesen) Slow Flight, Steep turns, Stalls (Secondary, Accelerated, Cross-Control, Elevator Trim) and Simulated Emergency Approach & Landing is introduced at flight 3 and 4. Probably the most useless syllabus ever created!!!!!!! The syllabus we use in a Part 141 approved course is a little more generous, but still at flight 5 our students are supposed to fly at MCA within 100 ft. Recipe for disaster!!
The way I was taught, IIRC: Flight 1. Effect of controls 2. Straight & Level 3. Climb/Descent 4. Turns 5. Climbing/Descending Turns ..... I wasn't doing any accelerated stalls at 60 deg. AoB at least.