Back in the day when pilots were pilots and pax were relaxed, or perhaps not sometimes, a UK CAA base check required a minimum of 6 circuits, 1 without slope guidance and 3 night landings. This BASIC requirement was removed; I know not why or when. Perhaps JAR in their infinite wisdom had some input. However it is just another example of dumbing down a basic piloting skill.
I was astonished to move to an airline and give TR sim instruction, on an EU XAA approved syllabus, where there was no Night session. As it had been removed as a base training requirement the first time a new pilot would land at night would be on a line flight. Hm??? I questioned this with HOT and a night session was introduced. I wondered at the competent oversight of the XAA and their thinking. The company, before it introduced VNAV approaches forbid no slope guidance approaches. Then, after VNAV, they allowed captains only if a VNAV approach was programmed, but not at night, and the runway beyond a minimum length and full width; i.e. no narrow runway ops.
Seems pilots no longer have the required quality Mk.1 eyeball to judge a 3 degree slope. I'd always thought that if the correct Performance triangle was in balance and the crash point fixed in the window there was a fighting chance you were on the correct slope. Has anything changed?