Macroderma clearly you're too young to remember when a 'checkout' often consisted of "Can you fly a XYZ?" "yep".
Believe it or not there was a time when the 'group endorsement' system actually meant something and, for the most part, the quality of training actually did prepare most pilots adequately to just 'get in and go'. Certainly CPLs.
Having done my initial CSU/Retract endorsements in a 182rg (maybe 1hr total) I checked myself out in a brand new C206 and a few months later in a near new C210 - I was just handed the keys by the owners (and yes they had clearly asked people - probably my ex instructors - whether I was trust worthy). With 40 hrs tail wheel logged on Tiger Moth, Decathlon (mostly) and a couple of hrs Pitts S2 I was handed the keys to a C185 and told to come back when I was comfortable in it - that was a little more exciting than climbing into a 210 the first time
Of the 100s of hours in a Bonanza I don't have 1 minute dual and my Baron type rating took 20 minutes - albeit when I already had a bunch of ME experience.
Ahhh the good old days
