PCDU Episode 44: Hannes, Bas and the Rhino

Hi Alex

I like your observations here, although with respect, I would take issue with a couple of your interpretations.

In my case, the decision to do my training in the US was made for two reasons; first, I was young and the opportunity of an adventure presented itself, and second because the cost of flying training at the time (circa 1990) was decidedly cheaper by comparison to Australia. At no stage did I go there with the thought that it would be easier to achieve my ratings, and I apologise if I’ve ever given that impression to our audience. The point I often try to make in this debate is that the US system is geared to handle the much larger volume of traffic there. That’s not to say their system is perfect, but by comparison to the way things worked here at that time, it was generally more efficient, and yes, easier to use.

Coming back here in 1991 and trying to make sense of the often archaic flight rules & procedures was extremely frustrating. And the culture among many pilots back then was that our system was superior, simply because it was ours. It was inefficient, unnecessarily over regulated, and most importantly, never questioned.

It’s not a matter of “dumbing down” people in order for them to achieve ratings, and frankly, as a holder of a US licence, I find that observation annoying at the very least. It is true that I found some aspects of the US training syllabus different – for example, US pilots are taught to fly circuits differently to Australians, and our pre flight inspection technique is far more thorough. The benefits I feel I gained from training in Australia and the US run in both directions. My ab initio instructors here were thorough and taught me good basic airmanship before I went overseas, and I often recieved praise from US instructors because of this. On the flip side, flying in the type of congested airspace you just can’t find in Australia, gave me invaluable experience.

So I hope this in some way clarifies where I’m coming from. People will always resist change, and I’m sure the system as it stands now can always use improvement. I take your point that some aspects of the old system may have had their place, but it’s my belief that bringing our airspace management to a more common standard with the rest of the world is a good thing – as long as safety is never compromised.

Thanks for continuing to participate in the PCDU community. It’s great to have a bit of debate now & again. I’d love to have a chat to you some time about the aviation scene over there in China. I’m sure it would be fascinating.

Regards

Steve

Hey, don’t stress mate! It’s a really interesting debate, and life would be boring if everyone had the same views. Having done my CPL & instrument rating in the US, I can’t really comment on the syllabus here – then or now. Through a quirk of finances, I never converted to an Aussie CPL, and probably won’t bother now because I’m quite settled in my current line of work.

Getting my PPL current is a goal I hope to achieve soon though. Basically, I just want to fly again!

Drop us an email so we can set up a time and method to talk. The stories from China sound great.

All the best

Steve

Hi Steve,
Not sure if you and Grant got my email, but yes I would like to chat and I can do it on Skype. It seems as if China is trying to open up their airways for GA.
Let me know and I can get some material to talk about!
Cheers
alex