"Andrew Gideon" wrote in message
online.com...
Teacherjh wrote:


If other DEs are not doing this, this is their failing (and our
problem).

I have to completely agree with this.

My checkrides - and for that matter, my various check "outs" (ie.
club, FBO,
etc.) - have all been pretty deep. Now, this may be because I don't
take
that "say as little as possible" advice one gets, but I suspect that
the
examiners are playing the major role in this. I think they are
looking for
my limits.

Personally, I think this terrific. In fact, I'd expect it and I'd
worry in
its absence.

If your check pilots are probing your limits, they are performing check
flights as they REALLY should be performed. You should seek out and fly
with check pilots who use this method.

Dudley has very carefully not said that improved comprehension yields
improved safety, but I believe that to be true.

I don't understand why you would think this. It's basic 101. I probably
assumed you would know I felt this way. If there is any doubt about
this, please feel assured that I indeed believe that improved
comprehension yields improved safety.



To fully understand how my "findings" on this would fit
into an overall picture one has to realize that my training
standards
are MUCH higher than the legal minimum standard.


It's all well and good to have high standards. But when are
standards
"too
high"? (and why are THOSE not the miniumu standards?)

I can't answer why the minimum standards aren't higher. On the face of
it, it would appear that the minimum standard is adaquate to produce a
safe pilot. I believe the DE giving the flight test is the ultimate last
piece in the safety equation. If you get a good DE and or a good oral
and check flight, coming out of it you should be adaquate safety wise.
Most pilots are adaquate. Some DE's will dig deeper in the oral and
performance than others, but the average is a safe pilot if passed.
It's important to realize that no matter what the comprehension level is
at passing, that level can really range. In reality, what usually
happens on a flight test is that the examiner digs deep enough to
satisfy him/herself that the level of comprehension is adaquate for the
test standard. As Shirley said, sometimes a DE goes in deeper; but many
times, time restrictions and scheduling can be factors as to just how
deep a DE will go. So you get a safe pilot and then what happens?
There's a period of "adjustment" that all pilots go through after
getting the Private. What happens is a natural process where they "catch
up" on the comprehension they might have missed during the training
process. Oh, they're safe enough....but they could be better.....in some
cases, a whole lot better. Some of these pilots run into check pilots
like myself, who, simply because of the high performance environment we
live in, tend to look for that "deeper level" of comprehension I've been
talking about. True, we're not checking these pilots out in P51's, but
our check out methods tend to reflect the higher standard we have to
demand from the pilots we're dealing with in high performance airplanes.
When I say I'm not finding comprehension levels in accelerated program
trained pilots, all that means is that in my opinion, the accelerated
pilots had problems that I was picking up during check flights that
bothered me. It wasn't that the pilots weren't safe. They were safe.
I just felt I wasn't getting the level of understanding I was looking
for. In all cases, it was mostly a matter of bringing these pilots up to
speed on these things to where we were satisfied.




I suppose, in the abstract, standards can be too high. And if we made
the
PPL standards as high as possible, we'd have no Commercial and no ATP.

In reality, at least in the aviation world I knew and know now;
standards can NEVER be too high. I had a sign over my desk for years
that read
" Perfection may be unattainable, but spend your entire career in
aviation trying to achieve it anyway"

Still, Dudley's statement that some pilots have insufficient
comprehension
is worrisome. Someone else used here the expression "Santa Claus DE",
which bugs me even more.

Rest easy. The DE's are for the most part doing a credible job. As I
said Andrew, my definition for "insufficient comprehension" equates only
to my standards. The flight test standards are sufficient as that
relates to general safety.

Dudley Henriques
International Fighter Pilots Fellowship
Commercial Pilot/ CFI Retired
For personal email, please replace
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