rasti
There should be only the choice between an instructor with lots and lots of experience and one with minimal experience. IMHO all instructors should have CPL knowledge so the difference would never exist.
Both you and ifitaintboeing refer to the lack of relevance and make some good points with respect to that.
Let me put it this way. In many a school teachers at ALL levels are degree educated in their particular field. i.e a geography teacher tends to have a degree in geography, a French teacher tends to have a degree in French etc, etc now whilst it is quite possible to go the route of having a degree in education and then specialising in modern languages. The depth of knowledge that the teacher with a specific subject knowledge has is always going to be better than a specialist educator with less depth. Now the specialist educator has other skills on the pastoral side, the cultural side an as an educational specialist and may go on to make a better educational manager headteacher, etc, etc.
Now I will agree that when we are looking at a 8 or 9 yr old learning French this matters very little. However when we get to 'A' Level French I would assert that we would prefer our children(who may or may not want to progress to BA level or beyond) to be taught by someone who has the greatest depth.
If the student pilot never has any design other than learning to fly and remaining at PPL level for ever then at best a PPL knowledge level instructor will bring them to their own level. A ATPL level knowledge instructor should be able to answer those questions that could kindle a deeper wish for knowledge and perhaps even a new career direction. In all students at all levels.
My point is surely you want the best qualified instructor absolutely possible not the one who can get the qualification with the least level of testing and examination possible. Do you want the recent graduate or the partner from the accountants to do you tax and accounts? If you had to go to court would you want the recent graduate or the seasoned barrister? When you are lying on the operating table having a triple bypass do you want the junior house officer doing their solo surgery or do you want the FRCS Cardio Thorasic Professor from a reknowned teaching university.
We want people to see aviation as a profession, so lets have, professional standards, profession like CPD, professional instructors and professional pilots ONLY as those instructors.
I rest my case.
