Has anyone here actually flown with a MPL candidate ? Well I had the chance to fly with two of them and believe me they were nowhere near what I consider pilots. I am quite sure that they lacked the skill to save an aircraft in a tight situation if left to themselves. CRM is good but it does not inculcate the feeling of responsibility as a pilot which will come only when you have flown an aircraft alone in reasonably challenging conditions. That gives you the skill and the mind set of a true pilot. Group dynamics depend a lot on a persons mental make up. If you have a good candidate and train him in the right mould with high standards , you will have a right candidate who can save the day for you. I am just wondering how many body bags do we need before ICAO and the national regulators wake up and realize that we need a proper training system instead of allowing mediocrity to get into the system and make things worse.