Interesting point Genghis, and one that I do not disagree with.
In my CPL skills test however I was given the following scenarios and failures:
- Left engine RPM over-speed .. simple case of securing the engine with the use of the QRH
- Electrical fire
- EFATO
- De-ice failure on entry into IMC and icing conditions.
- Auto-pilot induced trim run away (simulated by the examiner by just pushing forward on the stick) and subsequent auto pilot failure.
- Radio failure (Examiner simply asked "what you do now if you had a comms failure and what decision would you make?)
- The usual stalls, GH, UA's, compass turns etc...
- The usual circuits - flapless, asy etc...
- And to finish off, an asymmetric landing on a fairly short runway (around 400m if I remember correctly)
In terms of the points raised regarding the use of navigation aids, in my test - as I'm sure like everyone else, on the nav leg between A and B, it's all DR, then on diversion from B to C you can then use a number of radio aids if you require. I used a nearby VOR and DME to give me a fix halfway on the diversion leg.
I agree a lot of what is covered in the syllabus and subsequent flight tests, aren't really a true reflection of the challenges you would face in a multi crew environment on a transport aircraft, but I'd like to think each pilot has to reach a certain level of competence on each size aircraft they're flying at each stage of training. But yes, the syllabus could do with updating, and that's not just the CPL syllabus.
