two stages of flap down and reduce to approach speed downwind while flying straight and level and he said as he had never done it before
Look at the average log book, Ex 6 S&L now appears as one exercise. Look at the EASA syllabus:
(viii) Exercise 6: Straight and level:
(A) at normal cruising power, attaining and maintaining straight and level flight;
No mention of flying S&L at different power and flap settings i.e Ex 6(ii) has disappeared. Yet another load of unquantified, unqualified junk that some call a syllabus.
If we slavishly follow ill-conceived legislation the outcome is hardly surprising!