I think this is not only relevant to airline pilots but GA as well. Not the specifics such as MCC etc.. but the general message is comparable to private flying. Lots of energy used for studying and training is wasted and could be used much more practicable.
Examples:
IR theory (“how many satellites, names, orbits..”)
Private pilot aeronautical decision making
Risk management
Structured/standardized briefings for WX/environmental factors/personal factors leading to clearer go/no go decisions etc…
Today’s aviation shows a significant gap between the requirements for a pilot license – to safely fly the aircraft – and the actual real requirements and demands of the profession – to safely and efficiently operate an aircraft in an airline environment. Initiatives and regulatory changes, like the APS MCC (Airline Pilot Standard Multi Crew Cooperation), intended to bridge that gap and supply ‘industry-ready’ pilots may be a first step, but they actually do not address the root cause of the problem: the lack of a proper initial pilot training, focused on the profession rather than the license.
https://www.eurocockpit.be/positions-publications/future-airline-pilot-profession
Arguably the MPL programme which is competency based and has a maximum of training hours, should ensure that fundamental skills are signed off in a logical order. Recall each lesson is graded and if the grade is not achieved the lesson is a fail, after a certain number of failed lessons you wash out/are scrubbed.
Getting multi crew briefs and flows to a smooth, efficient standard doesn’t produce wind up automata as situational awareness is key. The checks also include unplanned emergencies and abnormal conditions, so more FAA ATP checkride style – although perhaps not quite Soviet, test until destruction. The integrated IR route with its highly choreographed IR checkride is a less rounded approach. Relatively marginal candidates can get to the EASA half deflection standard (FAA ATP being one dot) if they bash away at the training routes enough. Just as they got through their 14 papers bashing away at a QB.
I agree the EASA technical knowledge base is not ideal, and arguably the FAA single 4 hour paper combined with an ATP check ride which includes an extensive oral exam component ensures a better level of practical understanding. The FAA paper is focused on Performance, High Altitude emergencies and Principles of Flight, M&B across various types, Air Transport NOTAM interpretation and Weather threats. The candidate has to be able to compute performance and M&B across a range of Air Transport types, some unseen, using real AFM.
Two thoughts on this. An airline pilot friend mentioned that as a private pilot, you don’t get the privilege to fly with experienced captains for a few 1000 hours first. I think that is very true – we have to learn much more from our own mistakes than through mentoring etc. A good remedy is if you can fly with other pilots, eg from your club, or by reading lots of experiences from others; reading accident reports etc. etc.
The other thought is that in Europe, we just don’t have one system that would allow teaching uniformly what you will encounter later operationally. Everything is based around how things have always been done in each country, from weather briefings to usage of the NOTAM
system to unwritten rules (eg. you need a Flugleiter to land), to SERA having hundreds of declared national differences, different approach chart formats in each country, different AIP structures, AIS offices, you name it. So EASA theory has to be based around the smallest common denominator, which is ICAO for the most part, but that just doesn’t prepare you for the real world. No solution for this that I would see.
Thanks Robert
It’s often been said that the vast amount of useless theory is to make sure anybody going for the airlines is properly committed.
Until 9/11 it was thought it keeps the terrorists out, but they (well, 1 of them, IIRC) did the FAA theory, not the JAA/EASA theory. They would have never succeeded in EASA-land 
Otherwise, it is the product of international “co-operation” where each country in Europe contributed a module. Air Law was famously contributed by a Portugese ATCO.
Air Law was famously contributed by a Portugese ATCO.
I still remember how many copies of cargo manifest one has to have on board 
