I think that toughening the flight test criteria is a cheap but not hugely effective way to improve industry standards from "satisfactory" to "good". It's sometimes all the industry can afford, so I don't mean to shoot the idea down. However people always find ways to scrape through tests by ticking the regulator's boxes on the flight test, despite examiners recognising a weak candidate when they see one. It is so important for instructors to be trained by the best instructors in industry, which is certainly not always the case.
In my experience charter pilots often make outstandingly good cross-country and IFR instructors. But a well-trained instructor of any background can be excellent at handling exercises.
Last edited by Oktas8; 6th Nov 2011 at 11:56.