Big Pistons Forever,
You are a fine example of the point I am trying to make, inward looking and unable to see problems when they exist and expounding the 'fact' that the US leads the way in aviation. This is not backed up by accident rates. You call Europeans 'anal retentive bores'. Europe is made up of many very different countries, none of which would appreciate that description. Except possibly the Germans. Joke!!!!!!
There are some fine aviators in the US, who have travelled the world and seen how the others do it, and take aboard the good points and have witnessed the bad. One problem US aviation faces is that a significant number of aviators have never left US airspace (I include Canada and some countries to the south) and their perception is based on nothing more than national pride.
You say anal, we say careful. I take some pride that you describe us like that. The US national psyche is much more 'gung ho' and 'can do' than some (or all) European countries and that directly translates into the way some people operate their a/c. If not tempered by adherence to SOP's and knowledge safety margins become eroded. 75% of all landing accidents come at the end of an unstable approach yet how many US majors have mandatory stabilised approach criteria backed up by automatic computerised monitoring? I'm genuinely interested in the answer.
As a further example I offer you LVP's. Unless you've operated into a European airport in LVP's you're going to think that the USA are the best in the world at it. Those who have experienced both environments know this is blatantly not the case.
Please don't take this as a swipe at the good 'ol US, I've lived there and learned to fly there and in my current role approx 30% of my sectors terminate there. Some things are done very well there however until the culture of continuing high energy approaches, willie waving and flying heavy jets like Cessnas is removed these accidents will continue to happen.
Standing by to receive incoming!
LD (anal retentive European)