Bad for picking up bad habits, under the guise of "that's just the way it's done" or "commercial pressure".
This is true for both sides. Bad habits can be picked up anywhere there are humans involved. It comes back to an individuals self discipline and resourcefulness.
- such as not checking weight & balance/flying overweight/sloppy or non-existent pre-flights etc.
How many load sheets get done for ab inito flights?
How often does the instructor do a load sheet or walk around after it's been shown to the student?
I agree that there is a tendency in charter to pressure guys to fly overweight and this doesn't really exist at the flying schools. Again, this comes down to self discipline and knowing your job. If I discovered (after doing a thorough pre flight including weight and balance) that I was overweight then the flight wouldn't go until the problem was solved. These situations teach the pilot how to manage problems and find a solution. There is commercial pressure on the pilot to accept the condition and go. In all my years in GA, I was never fired or demoted or suspended for standing up to owners/ops/passengers. Again, self discipline.